Looking for your input on Sicily

[Sidney]

We spent two weeks in Sicily in 2004, (Palarmo, Syracusa, Etna areas) and are returning at the end of March for slightly over five weeks. We drove to many of the major sites, and while we will return to some, I am looking for suggestions for less well known places of interest to visit on day trips from or in the towns where we will be staying. Archeological sites, small museums, markets, shops, specific little "great moment " discoveries you made. Nice spots just to hang out, relax, enjoy simple local food. We will spend approximately a week in apartments in each of these places: Palarmo (fly in/out), Marsala, Syracusa (Ortigia), Scicli, and Mazzarina. Outside of Palarmo we will have a car. Lots of suggestions in guide books, but I would like personal opinions. We did not see the western side of the island on our last visit. Can you share your favorite memories with me?

 

[Ian Sutton]

One way to have something different / break the trip up, would be to start as planned in Palermo, then get the ferry to one of the Aeolian Islands for a week of island hopping (each has it's own charms). From there tale the ferry to Milazzo (or Palermo) to pick up the car for the rest of the trip.

Failing that, there may be day/evening trip excursions from Palermo to see the natural 'fireworks' of Stromboli.

 

[Pauline]

We spent a week in Scicli a couple of years ago and loved staying there. Many scenes from the Young Montalbano TV series were filmed there. You can have pizza in the restaurant that they used in the show. It is a lovely town. We also went to the seaside town used in both Montalbano series.

Nearby Ragusa and Modica are nice towns. I found Noto, the most well known of these Baroque towns, to be overrun - but it was still beautiful.

I have some details in my Trip Report.

@Jim Zurer also wrote a Trip Report for Sicily.

I have a few of the things we saw on the main site - Day Trips - Sicily. You've probably seen these. I have a few more to add to Day Trips.

 

[Sidney]

We spent a week in Scicli a couple of years ago and loved staying there. Many scenes from the Young Montalbano TV series were filmed there. You can have pizza in the restaurant that they used in the show. It is a lovely town. We also went to the seaside town used in both Montalbano series.

Nearby Ragusa and Modica are nice towns. I found Noto, the most well known of these Baroque towns, to be overrun - but it was still beautiful.

I have some details in my Trip Report.

@Jim Zurer also wrote a Trip Report for Sicily.

I have a few of the things we saw on the main site - Day Trips - Sicily. You've probably seen these. I have a few more to add to Day Trips.

Ian and Pauline, thanks for your replies. I enjoyed reading about Scicli in your trip report Pauline.