Sicily Trip Report

We have vacationed in Sicily for the last two years and have enjoyed discovering the many diverse attractions contained on that island and eating some of the most delicious meals we've had in Italy.

In May, 2005, we visited Ortigia, the oldest part of Syracuse, which contains many Greek and Roman ruins. Ortigia is a penninsula from mainland Syracuse, just a mile in diameter, and is a concentration of beautiful architecture, cafes, restaurants, and many, many sea views. We also stayed in Taormina and visited Castelmola above Taormina. The setting of Taormina is spectacular, as is its amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean.

This year, we spent 12 nights in Sicily, arriving in Catania on Sept. 7. After spending a night in Catania and three nights in Santa Venerina in the foothills of Mt. Etna, we headed west, stopping in Agrigento, Caltagirone, Piazza Armerina (to see the Villa Casale Romana, famed for its mosaic floors), and Selinunte, and then Trapani before going on to Segesta, and then Monreale above Palermo.

In Santa Venerina, in the foothills of Mt. Etna, we stayed at a lovely agriturism, Tenuta San Michele, which is part of the Murgo Winery , where we also had a marvelous meal, accompanied by their excellent wine. The town of Santa Venerina has a couple of excellent restaurants, too.

While visiting Caltagirone and Piazza Armerina, we stayed in an agriturism recommended by the Gigliotto agriturism, (Gigliotto was full the night we were there.) We ate dinner at Gigliotto, which was delicious and bountiful and accompanied by their wine. They were very accommodating, too, to adjust two courses for my husband who has a serious nut allergy. Typically, an agriturism offers a set meal, not a choice per course.

In Trapani, we stayed in the outskirts and enjoyed touring Trapani and Erice (took the funicular from Trapani - a great ride and great views), and a wine tasting in Marsala, as well as visiting the salt flats with windmills and the offshore island of Mozia, once a Phoenician trading center.

While in Trapani, we visited the Pizzolungo agriturism, where we plan to stay on a future visit, http://www.pizzolungo.it.

All three of these agriturisms are situated in excellent locations for touring; all have excellent family management and are attractively decorated and very well maintained.

Trapani is the departure point for the Egadi islands, which include Favignana and Marettimo, which was recently made more famous by Jamie Oliver, the English chef.

Trapani was a lovely surprise - much more attractive than I anticipated. Its historic center is filled with beautiful Baroque architecture, many restaurants, and cafes. I also loved its sandy golden beach where I swam one afternoon. We also traveled to Marsala for an excellent wine tasting at the Donna Fugata winery.

Catania was another handsome surprise. Its historic center is beautiful with many lovely piazzas. Its duomo gleams. I had read many descriptions of Catania being grimy but didn't find that to be true, at least not in the center which we toured one afternoon and one morning. (We only spent one night in Catania.) I would like to spend more time there.

We found Palermo much more attractive and much cleaner and safer feeling than I anticipated. It contains a wealth of art, fine churches, and other outstanding buildings, including oratorios decorated by the artist Serpotta, who sculpted cherubs, women, and other figures and scenes out of stucco. (There is more information on this website about Serpotta's fine work in Palermo.) In two days of touring, we only scratched the surface.

Monreale is a charming town in addition to being home to one of the finest churches in Sicily with its spectacular mosaics. Monreale has one of the most active passeggiatas I've seen.

There is so much natural beauty, including so many recreational opportunities of swimming and hiking, and so many architectural treasures and such great food in Sicily that I understand why more and more people are traveling there. (I've never tasted such delicious oranges or eggplant prepared in so many ways or such consistently excellent bread. The pasta seafood dishes were excellent, too.)

In the meantime, there are far fewer tourists there than the major tourists attractions in Italy.

The exception is Agrigento and Taormina, although the "Valley of the Temples" is so large that we never felt crowded while viewing any of the temples. Taormina was packed with people on its main street but the other streets did not feel especially crowded. In general, we found the lack of tourists a pleasant change.

Sicily has so much to offer. We feel we have just scratched the surface and are looking forward to returning. I wish you the best in Sicily if you decide to go.

by Suzy Kane