I’m going there this summer. I’ve read various guides here and there but I’m wondering what others actual impressions of it were. Never been to Europe before, save for a few days in the London England area about 25 years ago.
Thanks.
Driving along the coast is so beautiful. The beach at Giardini-Naxos is near the destination of Taormina, which has a spectacular view and an ancient Greek theater still in use. You can climb Mount Etna fairly easily, but wear an old pair of shoes because walking in the fresh volcanic ash will permanently ruin them. Watch out for sulfur dioxide at the caldera’s rim. You can see at least half of the island of Sicily from up there. When I visited Monreale with my grandmother, she quoted a proverb to the effect of if you visit Palermo but don’t visit Monreale (in the hills just above Palermo), then you haven’t really seen Palermo. Monreale has a world-famous Norman cathedral, which was seen in the film Brother Sun, Sister Moon.
Two places not to be missed (which I’ve missed, unfortunately) are Erice and Enna. Erice for the jawdropping scenery and Enna for its Greek mythology and topography; it was considered the navel of the world, since the Mediterranean was considered the middle of the earth, Sicily is in the middle of the Mediterranean, and Enna is at the center of Sicily.
Segesta and Selinunte have the Greek temples, one of which was a scene in the film The Sicilian.
Palermo has remarkable Norman architecture with an Arab basis and beautiful gardens in the Arab style.
Syracuse is gorgeous. The marble at sunset. Mmmmmm.
I’m in Erice right now! You are right that the views are beautiful. There are a few sights to see in the town, but they can be done in half a day. Currently, it is cold and windy, but filled with Italian middle schoolers every day.
It is famous for its science center (Ettore Majorana) which is very monastic, very conducive to contemplation and discussion. There are half a dozen restaurants that feed the visitors at the center for “free” (you sign for your meal).
I’ve been twice, once almost fifteen years ago, and more recently two years ago.
I just commented the other day in this thread about one of the best dishes I’ve ever had, which was in Erice . . . and a lot of highlight meals of my life were on those two trips to Sicily.
Depending on what kind of traveler you are, you can certainly spend a whole trip in a major city and be happy, or you can travel a bit. This last time we spent 9 days in Palermo in an airbnb, and had an amazing time. Two days were beach excursions (one day we took the bus to Mondelo, which is a modern beach resort town, and the other day we took the train to Cefalu, which is more of an “old town” beach town), and the rest of the time we spent walking the city. Gardens, museums, restaurants, dance, music . . . it’s all there.
My impression of Palermo (the “old town” anyway, which is quite massive) is that you really feel that it is both thriving and decaying at the same time. Young people running art co-ops and shops, modern shops and restaurants, and very contemporary-feeling businesses inside and alongside crumbling and dilapidated buildings/infrastructure/institutions.
I can’t wait to go back.
This is example 2,437 of why I love the Dope.
“Hey, tell me about Sicily”
“Don’t miss Erice!”
“Dude, I am in Erice RIGHT NOW!”
Tom Scud and I were in Sicily last September. We spent a week there before moving on to the mainland but were both left wishing we had spent much longer! And of course the food was awesome.
If you’re into Norman cathedrals don’t miss Cefalu, which has a gorgeous setting and some of the most spectacular mosaics in the world.
Another place for Greek temples is Agrigento on the south coast, in fact it had about nine though only two or three are more than ruins.
Palermo is run-down but in a picturesque rather than a dangerous way.
If you like seafood you’re in for a treat - the menus are very heavy on local fish (or there’s always pizza).
I found it easy to get around by train (though I did have the spooky experience of being the only person on the train coming back to Palermo from Trapani).
Lucky you! I have this never-ending fascination with Sicily and keep longing for the chance to return someday. Hoist a marsala for me over there.
Say hi to Commisario Montalbano for me. You’ll find him somewhere on the southwest coast, around Porto Empedocle; or so I’m told.
Seriously, only from watching that show I want to go to that part of Sicily and eat the food and just walk around in those (apparently) ancient streets. I envy you your trip.
Enna is amazing. Not too many tourists get to it because it’s in the center, up on a mountaintop, and far away from the coasts. You can look down on the lake where Hades dragged Persephone down to Hell…and also down on Castigleone, an equally beautiful city on a smaller mountain, where they make pottery that is Da Shit. I served dinner on some of it tonight.
Do NOT miss Cefalu. It is set between the sea and a HUGE rock, which dwarfs the kickass Norman cathedral. If you are a fan of weirdness, Cefalu is also the city where Aleister Crowley built his mystical Abbey of Thelema, a den of 1920s drugs n’ sex depravity so notorious that Mussolini kicked him out of the country.
Great seafood, too!
Last year we went on a Southern Italy tour that included Sicily.
I agree that Erice is not to be missed. It was rainy and cloudy when we went, and even then it was magnificent. We marveled at the craftsmanship that went into the street. Horrible on motion sickness though!
Also really enjoyed Agrigento. You are able to see really well preserved ruins without all the crowds of Greece. We went in June and it was still too cold to swim, but it was a cute oceanside community past its heyday.
Palermo was meh, IMO. It’s very disheartening to see graffiti marring all the beautiful buildings.
Many thanks for the posts so far. Enna sounds so very tempting but is alas un-fittable to even our loose itinerary, mostly due to time. I really wanted to see the Cava Avoca too.
I’m actually very curious as to what any of you thought of the overall “vibe” there as a whole: The people, the land. That stuff.
I second the Valley of the Temple near Agrigento as a must see.
Taormina is pretty, but kind of over-priced IMO, so be careful about not being ripped off. literally kept running into Dolce and Gabbana to give you an idea. The (nearby) Etna was spectacular, though. If you do go to Taormina a fun tip is the bar Turrisi in the village Castelmola, which sits just inland - great views and a fun theme of what the Silicians call “minchia”, I.e. lots of cocks, but not in a pornographic way, just old fertility statues and the like. A great conversation starter.
And remember to have arancini/e - rice balls with filling. The e or i ending differs according to where you are in Sicily and to them has major Importance - there are longstanding arguments about which name is “correct”. I can never remember which region has which name and so I kind of mumble.