Special towns in Sicily

You can hardly avoid ruins in Sicily, but towns offering more of what you listed include: Taormina (and nearby Giardini Naxos), Cefalu, Erice and Palermo.Agrigento, Villa Imperiale del Casale, Segesta and Siracusa are also 3-star sites but are known mainly (though not exclusively) for their ruins. And there's Mt Etna, of course.

Not trying to avoid the ruins, just don't want to rush from one to another for 12 days....

Cefalu was my favorite place in Sicily. I'm not real big on ruins either. I enjoyed just driving around the countryside and stopping in lots of small towns. It was also great to drive up Mt. Etna.
Taormina was a nice town - but I found it expensive and kind of 'posh'.... I'm more of a small town person.
I LOVED Sicily!!!!

There is absolutely no local culture in Taormina. Taormina is a tourist town. Cefalu is more local than Taormina, but still a town with tourists.

You would be able to find local culture and food in the small towns of the Madonie Mountains, the towns around the base of Mount Etna like Nicolosi, Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Sciacca, Mazara del Vallo, Sciacca, and even Siracusa.

The northeastern coast is also very local around the Nebrodi Mountains.

Cefalu has a beautiful SAND beach right in town. I was there in Oct. 2005 and the beach was perfect, warm enough but not hot. You can walk there from anyplace in town.

Claudia, read Lonely Planet Sicily, or Rough Guides Southern Italy. On my second trip to Sicily, I based myself on Lipari, the island of Ortigia (each for 4-5 nights), Agrigento and Trapani 2 nights, Palermo and Cefalu 4-5 nights. I had more time than you, but this might give some pointers for research. April/May of this year is still in the melting pot, but I am thinking of the Marina di Ragusa area. Happy planning.

You also might like Noto by Siracusa. Ceramics - Santo Stefano di Camastra 90 km east Palermo.

Has anyone ever stayed at the Vecchio Frantoio in the Madonie Regional Park? It is a 4-star agriturismo or agrituristica. I am looking to stay at an olive farm.

Claudia

If you're looking more for cultural things- Caltagirone would be another town to add to the list.

The Madonie Mountains would be great for local culture. Agriturismo Il Vecchio Frantoio in Scillato is a beautiful farm. If you would like to stay at an agriturismo that produces olive oil, take a look at Casa Migliaca in Pettineo, Azienda Agricola Mandranova in Palma di Montechairo or Agriturismo Baglio Fontanasalsa in Fontanasalsa.

There's also Villa Ravida in Menfi.