Hi. We will be in Sicily for a week in September. We fly into Catania and have 3 nights in Ortigia. We will then drive the northern route and head to Palermo for 4 nights before flying to Puglia for a week. I realize that we will be limited in what we can see but hoping for some recommendations of what to see/do during the time we have. Thanks!
Posted by
Irving
3580 posts
Sleep in Siracusa and Palermo.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
9383 posts
Posted by
1004 posts
It's fine. I don't know what you mean by "northern route". Your Ortigia-Palermo drive will be a long ass drive, made longer if you detour up to drive along the northern coast. There's lots to see in between but you are really short on time. So does driving make any sense if you don't really have time to stop and explore along the way.
TLDR: Think about taking the train to Ortigia and a Bus to Palermo. It'll be cheaper, less hassle and you can chill rather than drive.
Posted by
53 posts
Hi!
We just returned from Sicily a couple of weeks ago. We had a driver pick us up in Catania and take us to Ortigia (just shy of an hour) because we did not want to deal with driving or parking after a transatlantic flight. We picked up a car in Ortigia and drove to Cefalu so similar to your drive to Palermo. We enjoyed the scenery and had a good lunch at an AutoGrill along the way. The road (A19) that we took was under construction much of the way so the drive took longer than estimated, but we had planned for the travel day so did not mind.
One of the highlights of Ortigia was a food tour: https://www.tasteofortigia.com/. Dario was absolutely wonderful. Our schedule did not work with his regular tour so he arranged a private tour for us. The food was amazing, but the off the beaten path aspects of the tour were really special. He took us on a tour of the tunnels under the island that were used as bomb shelters during WW II. I saw another group as we were leaving so there must be other options to access them, but think anyone with an interest in history would enjoy seeing them.
Enjoy!
Posted by
1004 posts
To see the tunnels and the Mikva, you don't need a tour guide. Just go to the church and pay the small fee. They will guide you.