A friend and I are in the preliminary stages of planning a fall (November) trip to Italy, beginning in Sicily and then working north to Rome or Florence. It’s a little complicated because we’ll travel together from NYC to Italy, but I’ll be staying about two weeks longer than she. We’ll likely fly JFK to Catania, spend about a week in Sicily (probably in 2 different base locations) and then fly to Rome where we will meet friends. Eventually, we’ll individually return to NYC, likely from Rome.
So, neither of us have been to Sicily and we naturally want to maximize our experience there. We’re young 60 ish, women who are very active and interested in being outdoors as much as possible. That being said, we love restaurants and hospitality and are very social. Museums and history are fine, but our ideal is walking, hiking and biking.
We aren’t opposed to spending $$, but are also content to eat some meals in our accommodations and will likely look at VRBO or Airbnb options. We could rent a car, if necessary, but we like wine at lunch and prefer to stay in a walkable area if that’s an option.
Sicily veterans - what are your favorite spots and suggestions? What two or three locations should we focus our attention on? Where should we avoid? Thanks for any advice you might offer!