Yeah, September is nearly over and autum is here... This year the summer in Galway, literally, has passed us by :( We did not have that week of nice weather that we were all looking forward: high temperatures (with 22ºC we are more than happy), sunny days (when we look like plants doing the photosynthesis), when everyone is having fun and enjoying some drinks by the Spanish arch... But instead of talking of how depressing this can be, I would like to talk a little bit about the summer holidays we had in Sicily! We had a great time and more importantly, we enjoyed the lovely weather!! 
In this post I will tell you how we organized the trip (you can see the map below) and which places I would definitely recommend if you are planning to visit Sicily someday!! Also, I want to share with you some photos I took along the trip. Everything was so nice that I could not leave the camera at home for a moment!! Jon was not very happy about that...
In this post I will tell you how we organized the trip (you can see the map below) and which places I would definitely recommend if you are planning to visit Sicily someday!! Also, I want to share with you some photos I took along the trip. Everything was so nice that I could not leave the camera at home for a moment!! Jon was not very happy about that...
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| 1- Aeroporto di Palermo Falcone e Borsellino, 2- Scopello, 3- Trapani, 4- Isola di Favignana, 5- Erice, 6- Marsalla, 7- Sciacca, 8- Corleone, 9- La Scala dei Turchi, 10- Agrigento 11- Enna, 12-Taormina, 13- Piano Provenzana (Mt. Etna), 14- Cefalú, 15- Modello |
We arrived to Palermo's airport from Dublin. We planed to stay 7 nights, which we divided as following: 2 nights in Trapani, 2 nights in Sciacca, 2 nights in Taormina and the last night in Mondello, close to Palermo's airport.
We decided to book our accommodation through AirB&B. We have never tried it before, but we had a good experience for very reasonable prices. We also rented a car for the week (a nice and small Fiat 500, which I loved). Then, I realized that we were not the only ones... absolutely EVERYONE in Sicily had one!!. Also, I was surprised to see so many old Fiat Panda, seriously, every 3rd car was a Fiat Panda! We used to have one at home when I was a child, but we can hardly see one in Spain anymore. Sicily must be like the paradise for the Fiat Pandas...
We decided to book our accommodation through AirB&B. We have never tried it before, but we had a good experience for very reasonable prices. We also rented a car for the week (a nice and small Fiat 500, which I loved). Then, I realized that we were not the only ones... absolutely EVERYONE in Sicily had one!!. Also, I was surprised to see so many old Fiat Panda, seriously, every 3rd car was a Fiat Panda! We used to have one at home when I was a child, but we can hardly see one in Spain anymore. Sicily must be like the paradise for the Fiat Pandas...
DAY 1
Directly from the airport, and from a really awful weather in Galway, the first thing we wanted to do was to GO FOR A SWIM!!! We stopped in Scopello on our way to Trapani. This was a really nice place, with crystalline waters perfect for snorkel, and a quiet enough place. Unfortunately, it is a private site and we had to pay 3€/person to get in, but it was totally worth it!
Trapani
After a nice swim in Scopello we went to Trapani, where we collected the keys of our first apartment. Trapani is a nice town located on the west coast of Sicily. It has a beautiful ancient city center in a baroque style. It is also famous for its salt pans and the windmills, unfortunately, we couldn't visit them.
DAY 2
There are ferries that can bring you from Trapani to the Egadi Islands, including the island of Favignana or Levanzo. They leave Trapani every hour or so, and the trip cost 36€ return, and only lasts about 30-40 minutes. Also, you don't really need to spend the night over there, as there are ferries coming back as late as 7-8pm.
We decided to visit Favignana, the biggest island, which has a small and quaint fishing village. There, we rented bikes to explore the island for only 5€/day (we could also have rented motorbikes but we prefer to do a bit of exercise to burn all the pasta and pizza we were eating). To me, Favignana has the most beautiful beaches and coves of all Sicily. The colour of the water is amazingly blue and it was so transparent that we could see our own shadow. This was definitely one of my favourite places of the whole trip! I recommended it 100%!
We decided to visit Favignana, the biggest island, which has a small and quaint fishing village. There, we rented bikes to explore the island for only 5€/day (we could also have rented motorbikes but we prefer to do a bit of exercise to burn all the pasta and pizza we were eating). To me, Favignana has the most beautiful beaches and coves of all Sicily. The colour of the water is amazingly blue and it was so transparent that we could see our own shadow. This was definitely one of my favourite places of the whole trip! I recommended it 100%!
Isola di Favignana
We came back from Favignana about 5.30pm and we decided to visit Erice, a small medieval town, located on a mountaintop, quite close from Trapani. Indeed, there is a cable car from Trapani that brings you up to the top (for 9€ per person) but we decided to take our car instead. Erice is known for its traditional pastries and desserts, as well as the ceramic decorations.
Erice is located 750m above the see and it can be a bit cold at night even in summer (advice: don't forget to bring a jacket..!). We were walking through the cobbled streets of Erice when suddenly we were surrounded by this dense 'smoke', which, we initially thought it was a fire, but we were not able to smell anything... So, basically, it turned to be a sudden fog that surrounded the town, like in ghosts films!
Erice is located 750m above the see and it can be a bit cold at night even in summer (advice: don't forget to bring a jacket..!). We were walking through the cobbled streets of Erice when suddenly we were surrounded by this dense 'smoke', which, we initially thought it was a fire, but we were not able to smell anything... So, basically, it turned to be a sudden fog that surrounded the town, like in ghosts films!
DAY 3
The next day, we drove towards Sciacca through the east cost, passing through Marsala region, which is know for the vineyards and wine.
Sciacca (pronounced as Shack-a) is a historic town with a fishing port, situated on the southern coast of Sicily. Sciacca isn't a particularly touristy town, but this is the beauty about it. It has a historic centre with interesting churches and buildings which date to the sixteenth century, plenty of seafood restaurants and a nice panoramic piazza where we had a few beers viewing the sunset.
Sciacca is famous for its ceramic production. I was amazed at the beautiful streets and stairs of ceramic with different colours and motifs.
Sciacca (pronounced as Shack-a) is a historic town with a fishing port, situated on the southern coast of Sicily. Sciacca isn't a particularly touristy town, but this is the beauty about it. It has a historic centre with interesting churches and buildings which date to the sixteenth century, plenty of seafood restaurants and a nice panoramic piazza where we had a few beers viewing the sunset.
Sciacca is famous for its ceramic production. I was amazed at the beautiful streets and stairs of ceramic with different colours and motifs.
Sciacca
Corleone
From Sciacca, we decided to do a quick visit to Corleone. When I say quick it means quick! We went there, had a coffee and then we came back! Corleone has nothing very special, but we were happy to see a different landscape, more countryside, with lots of vineyard fields.
Those that like the film 'The Godfather' will know why we went there... Well, Corleone is the birthplace of the fictional character Vito Andolini (Corleone). However, we were surprised to see that Corleone it's a quite developed town, nothing to do with the film. Indeed, most of the scenes from 'The Godfather' were filmed in the villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò, located in the province of Messina, because Corleone was too developed at that time and would not be suitable for the purposes of the story of the film. Nevertheless, Corleone is known as one of the hotbeds for the Mafia and the Corleonesi clan.
Those that like the film 'The Godfather' will know why we went there... Well, Corleone is the birthplace of the fictional character Vito Andolini (Corleone). However, we were surprised to see that Corleone it's a quite developed town, nothing to do with the film. Indeed, most of the scenes from 'The Godfather' were filmed in the villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agrò, located in the province of Messina, because Corleone was too developed at that time and would not be suitable for the purposes of the story of the film. Nevertheless, Corleone is known as one of the hotbeds for the Mafia and the Corleonesi clan.
DAY 4
The next day we drove towards the Valle dei Templi, in Agrigento (The Valley of the Temples). This is an archaeological site with one of the most outstanding site of Greek architecture and art (don't get confused, it is not Roman architecture!). The Valle dei Templi is one of the main attractions of Sicily, as it is included in the UNESCO Heritage List. The entrance costs 10€, and also you can pay 3€ to visit a 'mediterranean garden', with lemon and orange trees, tomatoes, medlar trees, olive trees, etc. (It wasn't very special for me since we can find all of that in Valencia).
On the way back from Agrigento we stopped in 'La scala dei Turchi' (or 'Stair of the Turks'). Really impressive place! It is a rocky cliff with the shape of a staircase formed by marl, a sedimentary rock composed mainly by calcite and clays, which gives a characteristic white color. This place is also included in the UNESCO Heritage List. A must seen!
Agrigento & La Scala dei Turchi
DAY 5
Early in the morning we left Sciacca and drove towards Taormina. We took the road that passes through the middle of the Island. This trip is about 3.30h, so we stopped in Enna for a break.
Taormina is a beautifull small town at the province of Messina. It is located at about 200m above the see, settled on the hill of the Monte Tauro. From the 19th, Taormina has become one of the most turistic destinations of Sicily. As soon as you arrive, you feel surrounded by a charming atmosphere, where the past and the present co-exist at the same moment. Walking through the streets of Taormina, you can find many Sicilian memories, including palazzos, churches and the splendid Greek Theatre, with amazing views to the bay of Naxos and Mount Etna. I really liked this place!
For those that would like to try the Sicilian cuisine, you can find plenty of restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias, pastry-shops, bars and gelaterias. I recommended you to visiting the Bam-bar, famous for its tasty granite made of many different fruits.
Taormina is a beautifull small town at the province of Messina. It is located at about 200m above the see, settled on the hill of the Monte Tauro. From the 19th, Taormina has become one of the most turistic destinations of Sicily. As soon as you arrive, you feel surrounded by a charming atmosphere, where the past and the present co-exist at the same moment. Walking through the streets of Taormina, you can find many Sicilian memories, including palazzos, churches and the splendid Greek Theatre, with amazing views to the bay of Naxos and Mount Etna. I really liked this place!
For those that would like to try the Sicilian cuisine, you can find plenty of restaurants, trattorias, pizzerias, pastry-shops, bars and gelaterias. I recommended you to visiting the Bam-bar, famous for its tasty granite made of many different fruits.
Taormina is also popular for its natural beaches, such as Isola Bella.
As its name suggest, it is a small and beautiful island (today a natural heritage site)
situated just below Taormina. You can access the beach by funicular for 6€,
enjoying the views down the hill.
The island connects with the rocky beach through a narrow path that often is covered in water, specially when there is high tide (advice: keep your shoes far away from the shore or when you come back after a swim you won't be able to find them...). The water is really clean and transparent and you feel like you are swimming in the middle of the nature! Another beauty of Sicily!
Isola Bella
The island connects with the rocky beach through a narrow path that often is covered in water, specially when there is high tide (advice: keep your shoes far away from the shore or when you come back after a swim you won't be able to find them...). The water is really clean and transparent and you feel like you are swimming in the middle of the nature! Another beauty of Sicily!
Isola Bella
DAY 6From the beautiful beaches from Taormina we went to a place with a landscape that looked like from another planet. Mt. Etna (3,350m) is the most active volcano in Europe, and it is still in an almost constant state of activity. Mt. Etna also turns into a no-frills ski resort during the winter months.
There are two ways to get around Mt. Etna:
- From Rifugio Sapienza (Etna south). You can pay for a trip on a cable car (up to 2500m) and then take a 4x4 vehicle which brings you close to the summit crater (all about 63€).
- From Piano Provenzana (Etna north) you can take a 4x4 vehicle until 2900m and then walk to the summit crater at 3,300m (for 60€).
From the top you can observe stunning views of the valley, the forest and the impressive solidified rivers of lava formed after the eruption of 2002, which gulped most of the Piano Provenzana region. We also stopped in other craters where we could feel the steam and heat coming from from vents.
Overall the trip is a bit expensive, but I guess we won't be visiting the most active volcano in Europe, many times in our life...
Overall the trip is a bit expensive, but I guess we won't be visiting the most active volcano in Europe, many times in our life...
Mt. Etna
DAY 7
In our last day, we drove towards Palermo. It's a trip of about 3.30h so we stopped in Cefalú for a swim. It looked like a really nice place, but we didn't have time to visit the town.
Rather than spending our last day in the busy Palermo, we prefered to spend our last night in a quieter place, where we could enjoy our last swim and the last hours of sun (totally Irish style).
Modello, was convenient because it was really close to the airport. However, when we arrived there, we found that it was a really busy place during the day. Most people from Palermo to Mondello to spend the day in the beach. I didn't particularly like Mondello. Only in the evening, when everything quieted down, we could enjoy a bit of peace and a nice sunset.
Mondello
DAY 8
After a really nice week in Sicily, we went back to Ireland, :( at least well rested and with higher vitamin D levels!
I hope you have enjoyed this post and if you have any questions or want some advice do not hesitate to contact me, I will be happy to help!
See you soon!
Claris ♥
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