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Sicily Accommodations

konradd

New Member
Hi Everyone
We will be going to Sicily in February for about 4 days
Thinking of staying in either Syracuse,Catania or Taormina
Any suggestions
Would it be be better to break up the 4 days 2 in a different city
Any highlights in the area?
Thanks so much
Konrad from Canada
 
With just four days, I'd be inclined to stop in one place rather than have the hassle of packing up and transferring. The three places you mention are all on the east coast of Scilily. Catania has the advantage of being central to the other two but is much bigger and busier.

You can probably easily fill the whole time in either Taormina or Syracuse. With a car it will take about 2.5 hours to drive between the two - possibly a bit too far for a day trip????

There are loads of anciuent remains and lovely old churches to find in both Taormina and Syracuse (including Ortygia). You could easily fill at least a day exploring either place. Mount Etna is just over an hours drive from Taormina. There is also along the east coast to explore too.

I stopped in Hotel Excelsior Palace just outside the old town in Taormina. It had great charac ter and was very comfortable. Trip Advisor reviews here.
 
We did 8 days in the fall, split between Syracuse and Palermo. We did day trips from Syracuse and found the location to be very good. We went to Catania for a day and it seemed a lot busier and more congested than Syracuse (we were near the water in Syracuse and only transited the main city on our excursions). Cut off the column in the attachment for the days, but can see each day's activities where the odd indents take place in the table. We flew from Pisa to Catania and used rental car from Catania to Syracuse.

We were in Messina and Taormina several years ago on a cruise stop. The main attractions of Taormina were the amphitheater and the view of Etna. IMO, there is much more variety and attraction using Syracuse as a base (and you can still see Etna from Catania).
 

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In response to your post, I've eventually got round to writing travel articles for Ortygia and also Taormina. Hopefully you may find them helpful in deciding where to stay... They have lots of photos as well as information about things to do and see in both places. I spent about two days exploring Taormina (as you can probably gather, I like churches). I spent a day around Ortygia and could have spent longer there. I didn't have chance to visit Syracuse.
 
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In response to your post, I've eventually got round to writing travel articles for Ortygia and also Taormina. Hopefully you may find them helpful in deciding where to stay... They have lots of photos as well as information about things to do and see in both places. I spent about two days exploring Taormina (as you can probably gather, I like churches). I spent a day around Ortygia and could have spent longer there. I didn't have chance to visit Syracuse.
Thanks so much Eleanor a.Great photos and information
We love Churches also
 
If you love churches, you will be spoilt for choice!

Do try and visit the Cathedral in Ortygia - it is so completely different to any other I've ever visited and you can really still feel what it was like as a Greek Temple. I was disappointed I didn't get into the Basilica of St Peter the Apostle.
 
If you love churches, you will be spoilt for choice!

Do try and visit the Cathedral in Ortygia - it is so completely different to any other I've ever visited and you can really still feel what it was like as a Greek Temple. I was disappointed I didn't get into the Basilica of St Peter the Apostle.
Thanks again
Looking forward to it
 
My memories of the 3 weeks we spent in Sicily several years ago has become vague on specifics. However, I do remember being fascinated by the houses of worship that changed hands from religion to religion over generations. I remember several (I think in Palermo especially) where each religion built on top of another without destroying what came before, resulting in holy places where Muslim mosaics could be viewed alongside Christian figures, Greek architecture and even remnants of a synagogue's existence. So many cultures passed thru Sicily and churches can be a great way to view this history. Obviously, so can the food.
 

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