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 😊

✈☀🍷

We stayed one Oct half term in Alcamo in a private villa called Perla del Mare and did day trips to Erice/Trapani, Segusta, Scopella, Monreale/Palermo & San Vito Lo Capo. We did the east in a separate week at Easter with a base at Taormina and visiting Syracuse/Ortigia, Villa Romana del Casale, Isola Bella.

I did 2 weeks in Sicily with a car moving around a lot & it was amazing! We flew into Palermo & out of Catania.
If you’re flying in & out of Palermo I would focus on the west side of the island. A few nights in Palermo, San Vito Lo Copa, Marsala or Trapani, Favigana, Argigento for the Greek ruins, Cefalu & then back to Palermo.

This is what we did in 2023. No hire car we used the train.

Palermo 2 nights (enough). Make sure you find the area where it’s lively at night and full of locals. Teens still talk about it.

4 nights Cefalu. Try and get somewhere with a pool beach tiny and packed.

3 nights Taormina - busy but stunning

5 night Syracuse- don’t miss this absolutely brilliant city. Do tour of Greek and Roman ruins.

Dont Stay in Catania it’s a dump. Flew back from there

Oh gosh so many ideas!! Thank you everyone so much 🙏

Ok so I am now thinking that Castelmola and San Vita Lo Copa are going to be better bases for exploring Palermo, Taormina, Etna etc... We'll maybe give Cefalu a miss if it gets super busy 🤔

So maybe:
3 nights in Ortigia / Syracuse
4/5 nights Castelmola (for Etna, Taormina etc)
4/5 nights in Trapani / SVLC

Does that sound like a good plan?

It sounds like there are SO many amazing places to visit. I wish we had longer 😭

Which did you prefer?? I love the look of Trapani and Scopello but also Ortigia and Taormina 😍

@Starlight1979
I preferred the West side of Sicily. We didn't have time for Marsala & Agrigento since we only had a week there but with 2 weeks, you would have a more leisurely time.

Oh I've not even heard of these places?? I don't think 2 weeks is even going to be enough tbh!

We stayed near the Alcamo marina and the villa was a holiday home yards from the beach. If I was you, I would have 2 bases - one week on the NW and one on the SW. Just remem ber that the sea water in June won't be as warm as the water in Sept/Oct

Taormina rates as one of my best ever holidays although it was some time ago! Would love to go back some day. Enjoy OP x

Not much advice, but just to say we spent a week there last October and absolutely loved it. We were in a villa near scicli which is south east, near all the beautiful baroque towns. Syracuse, specifically ortigia was one of the most amazing places I have ever been. The weather was great in October (I think we were lucky) but it didn't feel at all busy. And although it's not beachy there are lots of swimming spots off the city walls which were gorgeous.

Having said that i don't have advice, we stopped briefly in cefalu (we drove down from palermo) and although it was also really beautiful, it was much much busier. Felt like a bit of an Instagram destination with people taking turns to be photographed with particular views. As pp have said I'm not sure I'd be desperate to stay there.

But also do look at the news about cyclone Harry. I'd seen the landslide on the news, but had no idea how much if an impact it had had on the coastline in general. I'm sure the bigger resorts will be repairing and restoring for this next season, but some smaller destinations might take longer.

Right I have booked an apartment in Ortigia for 3 nights and a hotel in Taormina for 3 nights (those seem to have the most mentions in terms of where to visit!)

I think we might forgo Cefalu @MsSampson a lot of people have told me it's really busy and "influencer friendly" and that's definitely not us 😅

Just one more to choose for the final week. Preferably closer to Palermo for the flight home.. I'm thinking SVLC, Trapani / Erice or Scopello...??

How about Sellinunte for the ruins and beach. It has a couple of hotels

Watching with interest as I want to go to Sicily again - we went last year in late September. We stayed in Scopello and travelled up to San Vito La Capo for a short stay.

Scopello beautiful but gets very busy on the main road and beaches leading off it, people visiting the Tonnaro. Scopello village beautiful and not crowded when we went, gorgeous bars and restaurants. We went down the road to just outside Castellemare del Golfo town beach which not crowded and beautiful for sitting all day and swimming. We had a villa overlooking the bay at scopello near Zingaro reserve - so quiet and secluded, suited us perfectly and could walk to the village in the evening.

San Vito Lo Capo is also gorgeous and would recommend. Great food festival

edited to add: we had a car, easy run from Palermo airport

We used these people for a tour with a wine tasting - was lovely.

Hi all,

Right, I have a (semi) concrete plan for this holiday and just wanted to see (if anyone was still around!) what your thoughts are on this...

3 nights in Ortigia
5 nights near Cefalu (a few miles away) in an Agriturismo / vineyard place
5 nights halfway between Trapani / Erice
2 nights in Palermo

Our flights were actually changed by the airline so we've managed to bag an extra day which is amazing.

What do Sicily lovers / experts make to this plan?