Sicily - Help with where to stay!!!

[Starlight1979]

Morning all!

I have this week booked our flights to Sicily (Palermo) for a fortnight in June this year. So excited 😬However... I am really struggling deciding where to stay!

We will have a hire car so would rather have a couple of nice (quiet-ish) bases and then have days out (amongst days by the pool, on the beach etc).

Ideally would like to do one week in one location and one week in another. I have read people doing a full tour of the island and staying in multiple places over 2 weeks and we have done that before in Greece, however we want a more chilled holiday where we can actually unpack and get to know a place rather than upping and moving on every couple of days.

I think we would like to visit Syracuse, Palermo and Catania but don't necessarily need to stay in / around these places. I was thinking one week in Cefalu and one week in Taormina (neither would be bang in the centre, just slightly outside so we can drive around easily but also get to restaurants, shops etc on foot).

Has anyone been who can give me and tips and / or ideas please!!

Thank you 😊

✈☀🍷

Plalermo to Catania, Syracuse etc. is about a 3 hour drive. Unless you don't mind a lot of driving I would go for 1 week on the north/west coast and 1 week on the east.

Taormina is a pretty good place to stay on the east side of the island. It's got a lot of hotels and restaurants and has easy access to the Autostrade. It's probably not the best place if you want a beach holiday though. The beach is small and only accessed by a cable car. But if you will have a hire car then it's convenient for Etna, Catania, Syracuse, Milazo etc. All are within an hour in a car.

Thank you so much @Erin1975! What is in Milazzo? I have seen it on the map but is there a reason for visiting there in particular?

Definitely want to do Etna which was one of the reasons for staying in / near Taormina 😊

https://www.hotelvillaangela.com/

We stayed here and it was amazing. It was a few years ago so check the small print it they had a shuttle into the town which would also pick you up. It was a lovely walk down but a bit hot when we were there to enjoy the return.

The main reason people go to Milazo is the get the ferry to the Aeolian Islands or a boat trip to see Stromboli.

This looks absolutely stunning and right up our street but they only have availability for 3 nights on the dates we will be there 😭

Ah ok - thank you 😀

If you do stay in Taormina (which is stunning, but not a beach holiday) try to visit the Gole di Alcantara. It is a massive gorge and nature reserve with the river running through it. It was honestly one of my best and most surprising experiences on Sicily.

We stayed in Giardini Naxos, right next to Taormina. Was much more convenient as could walk to beaches and restaurants and get a taxi up to Taormina for the day etc

@Starlight1979that’d such a shame. Maybe next time 😉

A week in Cefalu? Why?

I wouldnt stay in Catania. As pp said Giardini Naxos is a good spot for beach and get the bus to Taormina (not somewhere to take a car) Ortigia (Siracusa) is also lovely.

We stayed in Cefalu for a week in August. Very busy and chaotic. It's a popular place and was hard work trying to park and get to the beach. Loads of restaurants though and was lovely walking round the old town.

Our saving grace was having an air BnB up the hill overlooking Cefalu and the views were spectacular. We spent most of our time at the villa enjoying the view!

We spent four nights in Taormina and I felt we’d seen every inch of it, beautiful though it is. Perhaps different with car hire.

Because I keep reading / seeing that it's one of the best and most beautiful spots in Sicily for beaches, restaurants etc.... 😬Is it not?

Ok that's good to know! We're not going during school holidays thankfully but definitely don't want anywhere overcrowded and touristy...

I've seen a gorgeous little apartment in Ortigia but felt that if we stayed there, it would probably only be for a couple of nights as it's more of a city break?

Ok thank you for the advice 🙏Did you stay anywhere for 6-7 nights that you would recommend?

Sorry, it was a short trip to just one location. We did not have a car. I’ve heard good things about Palermo.

We stayed in Castelmolla (sp??) near Taormina many years ago - the hotel was sort of carved into the hillside and there was a lovely little square where you could eat with views of Etna. (Also a very strange bar with a large collection of penis ornaments 😂 - I wonder if it’s still there!)

We did 4 nights in Ortigia and 6 in Taormina and felt the balance was right. Loved both places. From Taormina we did the greek theatre, Godfather Tour, Castelmola and the v interesting Bar Turisi, Alcantara Gorge, cable car to beach. Stayed in Le Terrazze del Teatro Greco in Taormina and Le Tre Campane in Ortigia. Both were lovely. We didn't have a car though.

Bar Turisi @MissAmbrosia- that’s the one! I can’t believe it’s still there in its full glory (just check out the ‘penis gallery’ on the website). It’s over 20 years since we were there on our honeymoon!

We stayed in Giardini Naxos which has beaches with sunbeds and is a nice hotel resort. There is a bus to Taormina and Catania. From there we visited Syracuse/Ortigia and Mount Etna. And pottered for two days in Taormina and the little place above it in the hill.

We're doing a week end of March and staying 4 nights Cefalu and 3 in Taormina.

Okay, I’m not sure you are looking at the news at all, or at least as it relates to Sicily. The coastal eastern part of Sicily has been absolutely devastated in the last five days by storm Harry. The beaches from Syracuse all the way round to Messina have been swept away, promenades fallen into the sea, roads destroyed. It’s a disaster area. I think the eastern part of the islands is going to really struggle this coming summer, and possibly for many years to come as they don’t exactly have lots of money in Sicily.

If you go east for Etna, then I would stay inland, and potentially think about a visit to one of the Baroque towns en route (I love Noto). However, on the west side you have places like Trapani and San Vito lo Capo. The beach at SVlC is gorgeous!!

If you want somewhere quieter how about Favignana? It’s a short ferry ride from Sicily, and you can get everywhere by bike rather than hiring a car.