Sicily Backdoors

Honestly, Sicily feels pretty “backdoor” even in the popular towns and cities. With only two weeks I would resist the temptation to go off-book. There’s already too much to see and you’ll just be leaving something awesome off the table. These small towns can be pretty dead too, especially as you’re heading into off-season. And I don’t mean dead as in “that’s when the locals come out and do their thing.” I mean that there’s just no one around. I was in Piazza Armerina for a night in May. It was practically a ghost town, and not in any romantic way. Ortigia, on the other hand, was rollicking with locals deep into the night and felt like I’d discovered some secret place.

Petralia Soprana is a very well-preserved stone village, but when we visited a few years ago in October it was pretty much dead -- really quiet. I could see that the summers would be pretty with nice weather and lots of flowers, wrought iron balconies, lots of people and interesting churches, but off-season we found it somberly gray and chilly. We even had trouble finding people in town. The streets were empty and there weren’t a lot of restaurants open. There are things to see, for example San Salvatore church is distinct in that it has a huge chandelier that was added in the early 20th century by craftsmen who had emigrated to the US and returned for this project. We were alone for the hour we were there. And there are a couple of nice palazzi to visit. We didn't visit it, but I understand that Villa Sgadari is nearby and it has a display of Sicilian carts and puppets but we saw enough of those in Ragusa and Siracusa. We had a lot of time in Sicily, so we included Petralia Soprana, as well as Castelbuono and Gibilmanna, but at that time of the year, I’m not sure that the interior is the best choice. Be aware also that driving in the interior is slow going; Google maps underestimates the time you need to drive from place to place. I don't know what the weather would be like in the mountains in November, but I'd seriously consider that too. I could see it being some scary driving. Frankly, I’d pass on Amalfi and spend those extra days in Palermo and Cefalu before going on to Etna.

This is a good resource I used for planning
http://www.bestofsicily.com/

I am a big fan of seeing the interior of islands, but I don't travel off-season. Nor do I rent a car, so my stops in central Sicily were brief and to larger towns like Enna and Caltagirone. I must say that Enna was very quiet on the summer afternoon I was there. I assume the locals were cooling off indoors.

I would definitely not skip Siracusa and the nearby Baroque villages. To me (not a lover of Greek ruins), that area and Palermo/Monreale are the most interesting destinations in Sicily. Two weeks in Sicily, even with a car, requires some tough choices, but the southeast is not an area I would skip.

More ruins, very worthwhile, see the temple and the theater at Segesta, just a bit west of the Palermo airport. Erice was also a wonderful visit, high above Trapani, if you’re up for going to the western (well, northwestern) edge of Sicily.

We visited Sicily in April, but we stayed on the eastern coast. Took the train/ferry over from Villa San Giovanni in Calabria to Messina on the Island. A real adventure. We stayed 4 nights at an AirBnB overlooking Taormina, which gets a bad rap on this forum but it's fine--just was a little (lot) crowded even in mid-April.

But...the highlight was when we hired guide Sicily Life to take us up on Etna. Drove us up to about 6000 feet, almost Alpine-ish to the lava flow black rocks with some shacks with curios, shirts, gloves, etc. Beyond that you were going to need a dedicated volcanologist and the ability to hike for hours at a stretch. Heard a lot of booming and thunder from the active volcano, a little ash rain. So cool.

Then we drove back down, stopping along the way by the Alcantara Gorge, the Gambino Winery for some vino & charcuterie, a stop at a 6th century castle at Castiglione di Sicilia. But the path through these tiny villages, people living there but not much going on. I should have told the guide--who lived right around there--to stop, that it would have been cool to walk around, see the old guys playing dominoes outside a cafe. Wish at that time I spoke Sicilian dialect.

While not necessarily back doors, we enjoyed the Trapani and Marsala salt farms. With a vehicle they are fairly easy to reach, but are in remote locations.

We were in Sicily last November. We really enjoyed Trapani. It was not overly touristy but there were plenty pleasant local businesses open. We would definitely go back in November.

I love exploring lesser touristed sites so I say go for it if that matches your travel style. Of course traditionally touristed places like Siracusa, Noto, Catania, etc are lovely worthy destinations but youcan always plan to come back and explore those areas someday. I am going to throw out some suggestions that you can research on your own. Of course, as many have mentioned, many smaller towns will be very quiet, with their townspeople going about their everyday lives. But you know that up front. I assume you will have a car otherwise many of these places will not have lots of public transport options.

West of Palermo- 1) Borgo Parrini (very colourfully decorated small village). The decorations, sculptures and Artworks have been added lately to bring new life and interest in this old village. I was there in March, and there were no tourists and little open but it is pretty and photogenic on a sunny day. Combine it with a visit to Segesta or Erice or Castellammare del Golfo.

Southwest of Palermo - 1) Mazara del Vallo - This seaside fishing town has a very compact historical center, filled with Tunisian influence. Pretty mosaic and tile murals on the walls of the narrow alleyways that depict the culture and history of the area. An old Casbah area with a small museum that houses the Dancing Satyr, a beautiful ancient Greek bronze statue that was pulled up in the nets of local fishermen in 1998. I liked this town very much.

2) The archaeological park at Selinunte - Not far from Mazara del Vallo. The seaside park is huge and houses the ruins of an ancient Greek city. Beautiful temples, no crowds.

3) Sciacca - nearby fishing town/city known for its pottery and seafood.

4) Old and New Gibellina - Old Gibellina (Cretto di Burri) is one of the eeriest places you may ever visit. The small rural mountain village was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. The ruins were left abandoned until 1985 when Italian artist Alberto Burri began a project to encase all the ruins in concrete. The project was completed in 2015. It looks like one big concrete maze in the middle of the open countryside. Extremely unusual and unexpected. The government built a new Gibellina town about 11 kilometers from the original site. That town has many outdoor sculptures and is considered an outdoor museum. If you go there you must stop in at the Museo delle Trame Mediterranee. Don't miss the huge outdoor sculpture titled Montagna di Sale- Mimmo Paladino. Very, very unusual.

East of Palermo more or less on the route you are considering -
1) Tindari - If you like churches there is a pretty sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna of Tindari, a dark wooden statue of Mary pulled from the sea. The church sits high on a cliff with beautiful sea and beach views. Within walking distance of the church is an archaeological site with a Greek theater. The nearest towns are seaside Oliveri and Patti. Oliveri is very small. I stayed overnight there once in late September and it was pretty empty. Recommend as a stop if you like religious sites but not a stayover spot.

Near Etna
Zafferana Etnea - I have not been here yet but it has been recommended to me and is on my wish list.

A ton of really helpful suggestions so far. Thanks to everyone. I'm wading through researching your advice.

I will say that, based on the idea that November will be quiet, I am leaning toward swinging south to Ragusa and Siracusa/Ortigia.

At some point during the two weeks, we want to get an apartment for 5 or 6 nights. Chill out, visit the market, cook, drink wine.
Thoughts on Ortigia vs Ragusa vs ?_____? for that purpose.

My top suggestion for that corner of Sicily is Modica. Its status as a chocolate destination adds to it being an atmospheric and delightful town. There’s an upper and lower town, with lots of vertical gain/drop in between. It was truly special on our late December trip, and ai went there again on my second visit to Sicily.

Another note about slow/off-season Sicily: the spectacular Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina had almost nobody else there. We parked in a huge parking lot, obviously intended for lots of vehicles, but it was almost complete empty. Getting from there to the Villa, we passed lots and lots of shuttered-up stands that I imagine, in summer, must sell souvenirs, trinkets, and gelato to throngs of tourists. In late fall, you’ll be missing the hordes of other people, so it’s the perfect time to see that pretty much essential Sicilian sight. It’s not exactly a “back door” the rest of the year. but it will be when you’re going to be there!

Just chiming in with some generic advice: don’t assume all secondary roads are paved or in good condition, especially the ones in the rural middle of the island. I’d recommend checking the satellite imagery of your route to get a sense of road conditions, or just go for a 4x4 :D

I was about to start typing, then realized it was all or almost all in my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/sicily-spring-2025

Again, thanks to the recent posters.

@Nancy, I did read your excellent report when I was first researching Sicily, but now that our plans have morphed, a rereading was really worthwhile. I may PM you.

Also.., what do you think of this crazy Fall weather we’re having in MN?

I think that I have never used an electric blanket at our cabin in Minnesota in AUGUST!

Sure, PM me!

For 5 or 6 nights, definitely Ortigia. I have friends who happily spent 3 weeks there.

I'm with Charlene - Ortigia has it all over Ragusa.

How does this sound?

2 nights Palermo
2 Trapani (rent car in Palermo, stop at Segesta en route)
1 Agrigento
3 Hill towns (Ragusa/Modica/?? various day trips)
5 Ortigia
3 Etna (maybe base in Randazzo)
Transit to Naples via overnight Ferry from Palermo or Flying from Catania
5 Positano (Blue Grotto, Pompeii, Capua, Naples Archeological Museum)
Fly home from Naples or Rome

If what you want to see and do in each place fits into the time you’ve allotted, then that’s what matters. If it doesn’t then make the necessary adjustments. Have a nice trip.

I think two nights in Palermo is extraordinarily short. There is a lot to see in Palermo. Getting out to Monreale (one of the top sights on the island) will chew up some time, too. Although I really like Ortygia/Siracusa and the nearby Baroque villages, I think 5 nights in Ortygia plus 3 more for the villages is pretty serious overkill, given the very short stay projected for Palermo.

Our #1 favorite place in Sicily was Ortigia, Siracusa’s historic island. Our least favorite place was Taormina and we will never go there again. Very over touristed.

So interesting how experiences, impressions and preferences vary. We liked Ortigia, yes, but no more than our time in Taormina. In Taormina, we avoided the fancy places, stayed at a small locally owned B&B, enjoyed the spectacular Greek amphitheater and used it as a base to explore around the base of Mt. Etna, including wineries. Five days in Ortigia is two or three too many. A couple of days in the Baroque towns - Ragusa, Modica, Noto - sounds perfect. Agrigento is also worth two nights. There are some beautiful beaches and small, seaside towns nearby to explore. Highly recommend you visit the Valley of the Temples at dusk. It was highlight of Sicily for us. You might also stop at Villa Romana del Casale en route from Agrigento to one of the Baroque towns. We stayed a couple of nights in Ragusa but our favorite town, on a daytrip, was Modica. Maybe it was the chocolate?!? Suggest that you plan to spend at least a half a day in Monreale and add a night to Palermo.

Whatever you decide, you will love Sicily!

BTW, the one place in Sicily to which we would never return is Cefalu…which others love. On our visit, it was extremely crowded, super touristy and unwelcoming.

I appreciate all of the feedback. It’s really good to hear different opinions

Just one point of clarification for folks…
I do realize that 5 days in Ortigia is probably 3 more than we need. The whole idea with the 5 days is to downshift, relax, cook, and soak up the vibe. If Ortigia’s not the right place for that, let me know your alternative.

Thanks

I agree with acraven. So much to see in Palermo with a side trip to Monreale. Maybe take one day from Ortigia and give to Palermo.

Friends that we went with took a cooking class with a visit to the market in Ortigia and raved about it. Unfortunately, I don’t know the name of the person that did it, but it was a hit.

Consider a couple of days in Taormina with a day drive around the base of Mt Etna with stops for wine tastings. Highly recommend Emilio Sciacca: Gambino, very commercialized, not so much. And, perhaps add a day to Palermo.

After Etna area, we will head back to Palermo to pick up the overnight ferry. It's a 3 hour drive so we'd have another night in Palermo.

Does that help?

Maybe we'd get there, check in and head out at 2:30ish?? Earlier if we had a particular reason.

I agree another night in Palermo would be ideal. I’d even suggest taking it from Positano. That hadn’t been part of the discussion, but you’ll be there in November which is basically off-season. It’s going to be pretty dead.

Heading back to Palermo to take an overnight ferry seems very awkward. Have you looked at taking a ferry from Messina? Or better yet, a quick flight from Catania? It’s a small airport, so it’s not an all day affair by any measure.

All transit options are on the table but the advantages of the overnight ferry from Palermo:
- it’s a new experience so it sounds interesting
- We are transiting to Naples while we sleep so we eliminate mucking about at an airport or using daylight time for transit.
- More comfortable than the train ferry from Catania (?)

Post trip Reflections
19 days, Palermo, Trapani/Erice, Sciacca, Valley of the Temples, Villa Casale, Ragusa, Modica, Ortigia, Noto, Randazzo, Back to Palermo for ferry to Naples.

Sicily is just fantastic. We loved the amazing friendly people, the food, the Medieval towns, the Baroque architecture, and the amazing scenery. It was cheaper than much of Italy; especially if you got outside of popular tourist areas.

Driving was fine. We drove pretty much around the whole island in lots of different terrain, weather and traffic. Drivers are really aggressive but very courteous with merging and "cooperating". Speed limits are ridiculously slow in most areas, and on the autostrada the limits seem to change every 2km, I expect to get speeding tickets because I just couldn't hold up traffic by going the speed limit the whole time. The hardest thing is getting used to driving on some of the really narrow alleys in cities and towns. You get used to having inches to spare and poking your nose out at blind corners. Don't get a big car. Our Mercedes A-class was about as big as I'd want. I was glad that a Sicilian friend advised me to get full coverage. The roads are very good; better condition than I experience in MN. That said, we did drive down some rutted goat paths to access lodging choices and see things. We just drove slowly.

Parking can be a challenge. Again, very tight spaces that are often scattered in small lots. You have to be good at parallel parking. Get the EasyPark app and connect a credit card.

November was great but the Sicilian shoulder season is closer to the old traditional. I would say October would be better; more sunlight, more things open, but still plenty of space and low crowds. Someone upthread made the comment that "Sicily is already a backdoor of Italy" and I would absolutely agree.

The night Ferry from Sorento to Naples was awesome! After a somewhat confusing and nervous hike to find the check in, the rest of the experience was fun, comfortable and a great way to travel. You wake up just as the ship is arriving into the Bay of Naples.

My (admittedly personal) Impressions of Places:
Palermo - Great city, lots to see and experience, great food city, great pedestrian core, very friendly people for a big city
Trapani - Okay as a base for Erice, island hops and salt flats, but nothing special for me. Erice is pretty special though.
Sciacca - Cool place for a day trip or lunchbreak. Nice promenade and the ceramic displays are pretty great.
Agrigento - A bustling city with a vibrant core. If you want a more serene vibe at night, stay closer to the archeological park.
Villa Casale - Absolutely worth the detour to get there. Mind-blowing and it's a pretty drive in the country
Ragusa - Maybe my favorite city. Really shines at night. Good restaurants, great base for Modica and Donnafugata day trips.
Ortigia - I thought I'd like it more. Beautiful but borderline theme park for tourists. Loved the backstage puppet tour and sea views
Randazzo - My other favorite. Many more locals than tourists. Great wine, very different food culture from other places, Etna looming, great drives around the area.

Sorrento - I think I really liked it more because it was so late in the season. Expensive and touristic but a beautiful town that shines for me in the offseason.
Capri - Admittedly really dramatic natural gifts and fun options. Very very touristic and expensive. I would like to have spent more time there to judge it better. It was a bucket list for my wife and she would say it was absolutely worth visiting.

Hotel Recommendations:
Pagano Guest House (palermo) - 100m from Theatro Massimo, right on bustling Villa Maqueda but really soundproof
Il San Gaetano (sorrento) - Boutique B&B with cloistered garden, great hosts, awesome location.
Casa Vacanze Miriam (Randazzo) - Comfy apartment, perfectly located, parking, great host,
Sabbinirica (Ragusa Ibla) - Wonderful B&B, comfortable and good location btw parking and Ibla's main gathering points, Amazing host and great coffee. I cannot recommend this place strongly enough.
B&B Villa San Marco - Rambling hobby farm/ family compound/Guesthouse with million euro views of the Greek temples. Minimum maintenance road may intimidate but we got used to it. Very relaxing at night.

Restaurant Recommendations:
Palermo - Biga, Pizzeria Sant’Agostino, Cappadonia Gelato, La Galleria. Avoid most of the mediocre places along Villa Maqueda.
Sorrento - Da Bob Cook Fish
Ragusa Ibla - That's A Moro, Trattoria La Bettola
Randazzo - Il Buongustaio dell'Etna if you're a winegeek.