Sicily
3
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Sicily is the most complex and layered destination in Italy. The largest island in the Mediterranean has been conquered by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and Bourbons, and every ruler left extraordinary monuments. The result is a culture entirely unlike mainland Italy, with Arab-Norman architecture, Greek temples older than the Parthenon and a street food culture that is among the finest in the world. This 3-day route covers the extraordinary sweep of Sicily. Palermo's chaotic markets and extraordinary Arab-Norman buildings. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, the finest collection of Greek ruins outside Greece. And the eastern triangle of Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, and the extraordinary hilltop city of Taormina with its Greek theatre above the sea.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Palermo (PMO) or Catania (CTA)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 130 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
PALERMO
MORNING
THE BALLARÓ MARKET AND ARAB-NORMAN PALERMO
The Ballaró is the oldest and most extraordinary street market in Palermo, a tightly packed labyrinth of stalls selling every variety of Sicilian produce, street food and noise in a neighbourhood that still feels genuinely Arab. Eat arancini (rice balls), pane ca meusa (spleen sandwiches, the most confronting and delicious street food in Italy) and panelle (chickpea fritters) directly from the market stalls. Then walk to the Cappella Palatina, the extraordinary 12th-century royal chapel of Roger II with Byzantine mosaics covering every surface in breathtaking gold. Drive: 10 min walk to hidden Palermo
MIDDAY
THE ARAB-NORMAN CHURCHES AND HIDDEN QUARTERS
Palermo's Arab-Norman buildings are UNESCO World Heritage Sites unlike anything else in Europe. The Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti has five Arab domes over a Norman structure in an extraordinary garden. The Cathedral of Palermo has been Arab mosque, Norman cathedral and Baroque church simultaneously reflected in its extraordinary hybrid architecture. Find the Fontana Pretoria, a 16th-century fountain so indecent when unveiled that Palermitans called it the Fountain of Shame. Drive: 15 min walk to Vucciria
AFTERNOON
VUCCIRIA, THE MARKET THAT NEVER SLEEPS
The Vucciria market transforms by afternoon from a food market into one of the most extraordinary street party scenes in Italy. The streets around the Piazza Caracciolo fill with locals drinking, eating and socialising in a labyrinth of medieval streets. Find the Oratorio di Santa Cita, a Baroque masterpiece by Giacomo Serpotta containing the finest stucco work in Sicily, hidden in a side street and visited by almost nobody.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Palatine Chapel ceiling in the Royal Palace is the most extraordinary ceiling in Italy. A wooden muqarnas (honeycomb) ceiling from the Islamic tradition painted with extraordinary Norman and Arab figurative scenes from the 12th century. An entirely unique fusion of two cultures in a single extraordinary space. Entry approx 12 euros combined with the palace.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Spinnato, Palermo The finest traditional cafe in Palermo since 1860. Extraordinary pastries and the finest granita di caffè in Sicily. | Lunch: Street food in Ballaró market Eat standing up in the market. Arancini, panelle and a glass of local wine for under 10 euros. The most authentic lunch in Sicily. | Dinner: Osteria dei Vespri, Palermo The finest restaurant in Palermo, in a beautiful courtyard. Outstanding Sicilian cuisine using the island's extraordinary produce.
DAY 2
VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES AND COAST
MORNING
MIDDAY
SCALA DEI TURCHI, THE WHITE STAIRCASE OF THE MOORS
The Scala dei Turchi is one of the most extraordinary natural formations in the Mediterranean. A gleaming white marl rock staircase descending directly into the turquoise sea, formed by the layered erosion of the soft white rock. The colour contrast between the chalk-white cliffs, the golden sand and the deep blue sea is extraordinary. Arrive before 10am for the finest light and fewer people. The beach below is one of the finest on Sicily's southern coast. Drive: 1.5 hour drive to Syracuse
AFTERNOON
ORTIGIA, SYRACUSE'S HIDDEN ISLAND OLD TOWN
Ortigia is the ancient island city of Syracuse, one of the most extraordinary cities in the ancient world. The Duomo is a Greek temple converted to a church, the original Doric columns still visible in the exterior walls. The Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring emerging on the island waterfront, was sacred to the Greeks and is still surrounded by papyrus reeds. Walk the labyrinth of Baroque streets to find the extraordinary hidden courtyards of this ancient city.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Regional Archaeological Museum of Agrigento houses the finest collection of Greek sculpture in Sicily, including the extraordinary Efebo di Agrigento, a young athlete from 480 BC of extraordinary beauty. Entry approx 8 euros and visited by a fraction of those who walk the temple ridge outside. One of the most important Greek sculpture collections in the world.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar at Valley of Temples Coffee before the site opens at 7:30am. Leave before the tour buses arrive after 9am. | Lunch: Trattoria dei Templi, Agrigento Outstanding traditional restaurant near the temples. Local lamb, ricotta and Nero d'Avola wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Don Camillo, Syracuse The finest traditional restaurant in Syracuse, serving since 1953. Outstanding fresh fish and local pasta.
DAY 3
ETNA AND TAORMINA
MORNING
MOUNT ETNA, EUROPE'S LARGEST ACTIVE VOLCANO
Mount Etna at 3,350 metres is Europe's most active volcano and one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the Mediterranean. The cable car from Rifugio Sapienza ascends to 2,500 metres and authorised guides lead walks to the summit craters from there. Even without the summit, the landscape of black lava fields, volcanic bombs and the extraordinary view over the entire east coast of Sicily is extraordinary. The vineyards on the lower slopes produce some of Sicily's finest wines from vines growing in volcanic soil. Drive: 45 min drive to Taormina
MIDDAY
TAORMINA, THE MOST DRAMATICALLY SITED CITY IN SICILY
Taormina sits on a cliff 200 metres above the sea with views of Etna behind and the Calabrian mountains across the strait. The Teatro Greco is a Greek theatre from the 3rd century BC converted by the Romans into an amphitheatre, with an extraordinary backdrop of Etna and the sea that makes it possibly the most spectacular ancient theatre setting in the world. Still used for performances. Entry approx 10 euros. Drive: 30 min walk around town
AFTERNOON
TAORMINA'S HIDDEN SIDE
Walk away from the Corso Umberto shopping street and find the extraordinary hidden Taormina. The Villa Comunale gardens, created by Lady Florence Trevelyan in the 19th century, have extraordinary views and almost no visitors. The medieval quarter behind the cathedral contains extraordinary Byzantine and Arab architectural fragments. End at the Castelmola village above Taormina, 350 metres higher with the finest view in eastern Sicily.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Gole dell'Alcantara, a narrow basalt gorge carved by the Alcantara river through an ancient lava flow below Etna, is one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes in Sicily. The geometric basalt columns lining the gorge walls are extraordinary. Entry to the gorge approx 6 euros. The river water is icy cold even in August. A completely hidden gem.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar near Etna cable car Stop for coffee at Rifugio Sapienza before the ascent. The mountain air and volcano views make any coffee extraordinary. | Lunch: Ristorante Corsaro, Etna The finest restaurant on the slopes of Etna. Local porcini mushrooms, volcanic soil wine and spectacular views. | Dinner: Ristorante La Giara, Taormina The most celebrated traditional restaurant in Taormina. Fresh fish, pasta alla Norma and local Etna wine. Book ahead.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Palermo, Night 1 Hotel Palazzo Conte Federico, a 12th-century palace still inhabited by the count. Approx 130 to 200 euros per night. Syracuse, Night 2 Hotel Gutkowski, Ortigia. Beautiful boutique hotel on the island waterfront. Approx 110 to 170 euros per night. Budget Option Palermo: B and B Ambasciatori from approx 60 euros. Taormina: Hotel Villa Schuler from approx 90 euros.
Top Tips
1. Valley of the Temples opens at 7:30am. Arrive at opening and leave before the tour buses at 9:30am.
2. Scala dei Turchi is best before 10am. The white cliffs glow in the morning light. Bring non-slip shoes.
3. Etna summit visits require a licensed guide above 2,900 metres. Book in advance from the cable car station.
4. Pane ca meusa (spleen sandwich) in Ballaró market is the true test of commitment to Sicilian street food.
5. Taormina Corso Umberto is beautiful but touristy. Walk left or right off it immediately.
6. Sicily's Nero d'Avola red wine is extraordinary and costs almost nothing at local trattorias.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day