Sicily

I was in Sicily 2 yrs ago it was wonderful Hot yes but terrific. Taormina is good for 2 nights if u are relaxing or doing day trips out then 4/ days is good. It is a lovely area with gorgeous views and walks.
I do not know your other sight .
Sicily is off the radar but should not be and u can go off season easily with cooler temps.

I think Scopello is primarily a beach town. You'll need a car if you want to go very far afield. Trapani and Erice will be accessible to the west and Palermo to the east. However, I would never, ever, want to drive in Palermo, so I urge you to figure out where you can park the car on your way into town. It will be helpful for visiting Monreale, however.

Taormina is beautiful but extremely touristy. I was ready to leave after 2 or 3 hours, but plenty of people do love it (that's why it's so crowded).

I have no interest at all in going to beaches, so my opinion is probably of no relevance here, but I cannot imagine spending 8 nights in Sicily (on what I assume is a first trip) with none of them in Siracusa or Palermo.

Thank you so much for your replies!!! We are so looking forward to seeing Sicily!!

I would not try to cover both sides of the island in only 8 days. There is a lot to see just on the eastern side without having to trek elsewhere. I too would prefer spending time in Siracusa with only a day trip to Taormina since it's so compact and overtouristed (I wouldn't know what to do there for 4 nights since I covered it in one long day trip. I think 2 full days would more than suffice).

Last October we spend three nights in Giardini Naxos, which is the bus stop before heading up to Taormina. We had a car and spent a day driving the north face of Etna, stopping for a fabulous lunch, and stopping for pictures in all the little towns. We spent another day taking the bus to Taormina and then from there on up to Castelmola. I agree with everyone, Taormina is very touristy and crowded and expensive and I was happy to be able to leave and go back to sleepy little Giardini Naxos.