Sicily - Trip Highlights

We too enjoyed Marsala and the nearby salt farm. It’s seldom mentioned on the forum since it seems most people stay on the eastern side of the island. While the town has no wow sites, it’s a nice place to relax.

Is Ortigia just full of tourists or is it full of tourists AND tourist junk for sale, restaurants aimed at tourists, guides loudly narrating the sights to large groups, people with selfie sticks and getting their instagram photos, etc.? Makes a difference to us which it is --- we are planning to stay in Ortigia in April.

Glad you enjoyed Palermo --- I think we will, too!

MM-I was interested to read that you found Ortigia very touristy and crowded. When I was there in May 2024 on the RS Sicily tour, I did not feel it was overly crowded. Perhaps that's because of the location of our hotel in the former Jewish quarter....there weren't tons of tourists near our hotel. On the other hand, Taormina was SO packed with tourists that it detracted from my enjoying it. I felt as if I was in Gatlinburg (very touristy town) in the Smoky Mountains of TN at peak foliage weekend in October.

MM (and other recent visitors to Sicily), did you have any water or plumbing related issues on your trip? There was at least one review of the agriturismo you stayed in that they required use of trashcans for toilet paper (similar to our experience in the Peloponnese several years ago), and there are numerous news reports of severe water shortages due to the ongoing drought, which seems to be affecting Sicily more than other parts of Italy. Here is one from this past April that discusses water rationing beginning in March: https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/03/01/state-of-emergency-declared-in-sicily-due-to-drought

Agree with Elizabeth. We found Ortigia not overly crowded but Taormina very crowded.
We too were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed Palermo. We expected the city to be dirty and crowded and unsafe, but it wasn’t any of those things.

We did not have any water-related issues, As Californians we are used to conserving water and are fine with things like putting toilet tissue in the wastebasket to preserve old plumbing, taking dry showers, etc., but didn't see that. We would have been happy to be really stringent about out water use but it wasn't on our radar at all, we only heard about it after we returned.

Sicily needs a strong push to inform visitors of the problem, which is being exacerbated by broken promises from Rome (which seems to be Sicily's lot from time immemorial). Stickers on the mirror above each faucet in hotel rooms, airport/restaurant bathrooms, stand-up cards in each hotel room, etc. would be so helpful. We felt terrible that we hadn't been more aware. In the meantime it's up to conscientious travelers like this group to be vigilant and also to spread the word!

@NancyS, I wouldn't miss Ortigia - a must stop! It was crowded with tourists but we did not experience an influx of instagrammers. There are also places to stay on the island that are not in the middle of the fray, and it's all very walkable, so I think it pays to find a place like a 10-min walk from the main piazza or so.

We were in Ortigia in April, and it was not really crowded at all. We also were in Taormina in April and did not find the crowds bad. However, I think we had lucked out with no cruise ships in for the days we were there. Either that or April is a bit early in the season.

mm, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. We wish we had had time for Ragusa!

Thanks, good to know! We'll be in Ortigia for 3 nights and from what you're saying, we can put our usual crowd-avoidance strategies into effect!

Any recommendations on accommodation in Palermo city center?

We stayed in a really wonderful AirBnB that I highly recommend: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/46469423?source_impression_id=p3_1720739297_P35yxQflXbcKkaWX

Somewhat of a busy street but great location, spacious, and really helpful host.

The hotels, particularly the ones that are listed in RS Sicily as fancier, have received recent reviews that they have gone downhill, so we're really glad we had an apartment, even for just 3 nights.

In Palermo we stayed a few steps off the 4 Corners center (can’t think of the Italian name) at Eurostars Centrale Palace Hotel. It is an old villa and so beautiful inside. The breakfast was lovely too. Best location, we walked everywhere.