This is a great island for trekking, beaches and mud baths. They even organized my day trip to Mt Etna. Pack walking boots and water, then follow road signs from Avola and keep driving up, and up. sicily nightlife taormina Rooms with shady terraces are in sleek, modern wings sympathetic to the creamy stone of the old house, and theres a garden with a folly and grotto. Theres plenty to appeal on the coast, too. Where to Stay in Sicily: The Aeolian Islands, Who Paid for What in this Where to Stay in Sicily Post, Scotland Itinerary 10 days: The Scottish Highlands for Boutique Hotel Lovers, Innsbruck Highlights: What to do on an Innsbruck Layover, Taormina: Take an early evening stroll through the old town, Things to do in Syracuse Sicily: Day trip to Noto, Syracuse: Early evening wander around Ortygia, Syracuse: Go to Le Vin De Lassassin Bistro for dinner, Where to Stay in Sicily The Aeolian Islands: Salina, The Aeolian Islands: Take a Boat trip to Stromboli, Sicily Where to Stay The Aeolian Islands: Hotel Signum, The Aeolian Islands: Have a Granite in Lingua, The Aeolian Islands: Have a sunset drink at the Hotel Santa Isabel terrace bar, Activities to do in Sicily from Adrenaline Hunter, 26 Top Things to do in Inverness Youll Love, 7 Fantastic Wineries on Santorini Youll Love, 6 Best Things to do in Vorarlberg, Austria Youll Love, 16 Fantastic Things to do in Grenoble Youll Love, 15 Remarkable Castles in Ohio You Should See at Least Once. We then settled in to watch the volcano on Stromboli bubbling away. There are tourists around, but they are nowhere in number near Taormina, Palermo or Noto. I added in the next chapter a list of day trips from Catania. This was fantastically convenient. From Trapani, you can also get a 45 minutes ferry to the Island of Favignana, one of the best places to stay in Sicily for snorkelling and diving. After spending my 20s and 30s as a Marketing Director who made use of every vacation day travelling the world I am now a nearly full time travel blogger who focuses on unique adventures in interesting places which end with a high thread count on the sheets and a decent glass of wine! This Syracuse restaurant has a fantastic menu with great service and a great wine list. I would stay in Taormina for a week, no worries. And a final fun fact one of the owners of Hotel Villa Angela Sicily is the lead singer of the Simple Minds Jim Kerr. In fact, in July and August, I would probably not even suggest a visit during the day. taormina Catania is hard to love at first sight: noisy, trafficky, and built of dark volcanic stone. And each has a lovely balcony.

You do need to book the Hotel Villa Angela shuttle during peak times. Try Kalliope (Via Consiglio Reginale) for pizza and fish tuna with mint is a standout or Le Comari (Piazza San Giuseppe) for exquisite vegetarian food. Parking (3) is by a bar on the lip of the canyon and the 45-minute walk to the bottom makes the clear pools, waterfalls and smooth rocks for lounging even more inviting. This is one of the most common question that I get. I highly recommend hiring a car whilst in Sicily to get around. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set.

Its definitely the perfect place to stay in Sicily for couples. Again the first world problem of too many fantastic options in the Aeolian Islands reared its head. The best time to go is early evening kick-off about 30 minutes before the sunset. This beautiful little town 40km away from Syracuse is full of beautiful pale-colored buildings. Because in 1693 this part of Sicily suffered a catastrophic earthquake that completely destroyed entire towns. The staff at Hotel Villa Angela Taormina is lovely very friendly and helpful. Privacy Policy, Hi! But in time, the charms of this studenty city emerge. The Taormina main street is really the best place to go I didnt find as many good stores in the back streets. Planning a trip to Turkey? Skip that, and any place will be awesome in its own way. Most of the attractions are within 1 hour by bus or rented car, or a short ride with a cable car. It gets lively after 9pm and food is organic and mostly vegetarian. My suggested place here is Fontane Bianche, one of the best coastal towns for a long and wide beach with shallow water. It is isn't it Gennaro - one of my favourites! The best is just to wander around the maze of stairs and lanes and get surprised by the small tiny squares here and there. Its a small one with mostly flights from within Italy (but its opening up to international tourism). There was almost a ceremony in the pouring of the Malvasia wine and it was absolutely delicious.

The north and north-west coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, like San Vito Lo Capo, but also in this case you will not be alone. Trekking among the lava flows, Etna Nord. If youre looking for another beautiful place to visit in Italy youll enjoy my post on 14 things to do in Rimini and around Rimini. Read about the 14 Things to do on Lanzarote you must not miss and the Best Place to Stay in Lanzarote and dont miss my post on 12 Beautiful Spain Famous Landmarks. sicily Running shoes are enough for this walk. I would stay max 2-3 days in Catania. There are so many bars, restaurants and clubs to spend the night till the early hours in the morning. Parts are open only to those who pay 13 to take a lift past a tacky dinosaur museum, but up the road is a 1.50 public entrance. However, the mountain looked very steep and the scenery quite same same so not sure how interesting a trek it would have been. In a week or more, I would book in the Ortigia Island, if travelling with my partner only, or Fontane Bianche with the kids (beautiful beach). Owner Vittorio Moschella at Borgo san Rocco, Modern art in bedrooms at Esperia, Milazzo, Bologna city guide: what to see plus the best bars, restaurants and hotels, 10 of the best attractions in Emilia-Romagna: readers travel tips, How to cook, and eat, like an Italian: a foodie week in Puglia, Italy on a budget: live la dolce vita at affordable restaurants, hotels and spas, Europes hidden coasts: the Maremma, Italy, 10 of the best restaurants in Italy: readers tips, gardens endowed by a mistress of Edward VII.

In Milazzo, La Casalinga (Via dAmico 13) is a homely trattoria known for fishy specialities. I was then quite jealous of the head torches I could see as we were in our boat. There are A LOT of boat trip options available in Salina. San Filippo in the former Jewish quarter offers free tours of its crypt and three levels of Greek-built tunnels plus a medieval mikvah, or Jewish ritual bath. taormina italy possibly chic stay visit homes holiday most Where should I stay in Sicily for the first time? Catania itself is more city than Palermo, more chaotic but still a beautiful destination to visit and possibly be based. But past the huge oil refinery is a welcoming port with a ninth-century castle, and beyond that an 8km peninsula of pretty shuttered houses and silvery-sand beaches (Punta Mazza and Punta Cirucco are the best). Which part of Sicily has the best beaches? Breakfast is basic (coffee, fruit and pastries) but its great value and two rooms have little roof terraces with 270-degree sea views. Hotel Gutkowski Sicily has a great restaurant where you can get dinner and a fab breakfast. The bar at Hotel Santa Isabel is usually quite busy but you should still score a seat definitely the place to go and watch the sun come down in the Aeolian Islands. Wondering in the old centre with your partner will be a unique experience. Street snacks include 2 cones of freshly fried whitebait, and oysters with a glass of fizz (5). In Taormina, restaurants with a view charge matching prices. The cuisine is an intoxicating mix of Italian, Arab, Greek, Spanish and German influences, the scenery breathtaking at almost every turn. This was for a few reasons. Go early to bag an outside table and enjoy mixed grilled fish or pasta with rocket and prawns (mains from 10). Taormina is a ridiculously gorgeous town. Having said that I had of course forgotten that you start the climb quite a bit above sea level where it was much cooler and this would have been fine to climb Mt Etna in summer. Lingua is a tiny town on the island of Salina. The old town of Ortygia is the place to stay, eat and wander. There are also some of the nicest souvenir shops I have everseen. Taormina is a beautiful romantic town to visit and experience, certainly to share with many other tourists but this does not take anything away from its beauty. My preference would be Taormina. The breakfast is buffet style in a colourful room. Anyway as you will see in my next highlight I did eat at Hotel Signum Malfa and it was amazing. If, on the other hand, you want to see sites solely in the north, then Taormina makes more sense. It was a bit difficult to see but we did see something. If you are travelling with your partner and you want to stay only in one place then I would suggest. If you are using only public transportation, then you will be happy to know that there is a train line that connects Catania to Siracusa/Ortigia, Noto and Ragusa. The east coast has the most popular beaches. Obviously, you can build your own trip that goes through a few or all of these areas. catania sheraton hotelthe Malfa is definitely the place to stay within Salina. On our first trip to Italy in October 2010, we flew nonstop Chicago to Rome, then immediately boarded a jet to Catania. The look of much of south-east Sicily is a result of a huge earthquake in 1693. In Agrigento, you should book your accommodation at the Terrazza di Empedocle. Catania is a city and Taormina is a town. The only airport in this region is in Trapani. Milazzo, round the corner on Sicilys north coast, is for most a jumping-off point for the Aeolian islands. The rooms are super clean and of good size. If you can, plan at least one night in Noto and one night in Siracusa/Ortigia Island. Dont miss Ortygias famous fountain and the main square. You can also take a flight to Palermo and from there you can catch a bus or rent a car (1.5-2 hours). Sicily is actually quite a large island with a lot of towns to visit. The beach at Isola delle Correnti, south of Portopalo. Ordinary homes in streets north of the centre house residents probably bemused by the designer shades and mankles, and theres a grocery here for normal-priced picnic supplies. Homemade six-inch-long macaroni in tomato sauce is Italian food at its simplest and best. This where to stay in Sicily post does contain affiliate links. It is very light physically just wear fairly sensible shoes. We were back in port and a quick stroll to the hotel by about 10 pm a lovely lovely experience. It wasnt cheap but we were in a group of 4 so we could split things (was about 280 euros). My question is should we stay in Taormina like I had planned ,or Catania with a day trip to Taormina? Interested in visiting some other off-the-beaten-track places in Europe? We were in Syracuse in August and it was very hot so we took an outside table. Check out my Post on 9 Unique Things to do in Sicily. For this reason, I would personally suggest spending more than just a day in the area. I know I just said how wonderful Taormina was, but there are lots of wonderful places on the mainland too, that will take less time and effort to reach. In this guide, you will find the 7 best areas to stay in Sicily you either travel with family or a romantic gateway as a couple, for the best beaches or the historical sites, nightlife or just a chilled out time, and so many other options, In the section below you will most probably find the answer to your question. Sellers on Via Trento and side streets around deal in delicious things: men at an upturned crate prepare spiky sea urchins with their bare hands, a fishmonger pares steaks off tuna, and stallholders preside over mounds of melon-sized aubergines. Stay at Hotel Villa Angela Read reviews on TripAdvisor Book Now. It has a fantastic mix of classic Italian names you know like Furla and Coccinelle and super cute local stores filled with handmade shoes and handbags. Its the perfect destination to stay if you are on a short trip like a long weekend. In shoulder season, though, it is possible to enjoy high style in Sicily for only a little more. Catanias at its most fun near the university, in Via Crociferi and narrow Via Penninello, where the Internetteria serves craft beers and affordable cocktails to Catanias tattooed, pierced and bearded residents. This is definitely the place to stay on Malfa. At its tip is a geological marvel: from where the road ends near a cluster of restaurants, walk for 20 minutes through olive groves to Venuss Pool, an almost circular natural pool of clear, sun-warmed water, swimmable even in winter. My hot tip is Ortigia. And best of all they put on some very tasty snacks. Light reflecting off churches and palaces, views of craggy mountains and blue sea, smells of orange blossom, oregano and mint Sicily is an inspiring place, particularly for northern Europeans. Flights provided by easyJet, which flies to Catania from Bristol, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester from 25 one way. Oh, and of course we had some wine. With a mixed antipasto, steak or massive pork chop, salad and local wine, the bill for two was under 30. Here are the best areas to stay in Sicily starting from Palermo in an anticlockwise direction: I would personally suggest staying either on the east coast or the north coast. Its also a great town to be based on if you are planning just 5-6 days in Sicily. A great destination for a secluded getaway for couples, Alicudi and Filicudi if you are looking for more of an isolated place. Where to stay with family and kids? The food was amazing simply wonderful clean flavours. Spend the money on food instead at Rosso Peperoncino, in an alley behind the cathedral, serving ravioli with ricotta, almonds and pistachio (9), or orange salad with leeks. From here you can wander the summit of Mount Etna Sicily on your own. I also suggest a day trip to Marsala, a nice small town famous for its fortified wine. Either way, it's very easy to get around from the airport by bus - either to Catania city center, or north or south. Such a strong wish to visit this intriguing island with such vivid food culture and history left by thousands of different visitors from afar. Theres so much to see and do around Siracusa that its worth settling into a villa for a few days, which can be very affordable outside of August. The Old Town is absolutely stunning with plenty of small lanes, hidden stairs, secret corners and small family restaurants offering amazing food. Heading to the Cinque Terre? True sophisticates flock to Marzamemi, a fishing village long known for good seafood that has now been thoroughly discovered, its ancient core home to shoals of restaurants, bars, boutiques and even a concept store. You can choose between a train (every 90 minutes) or a bus (every 30 minutes) to get into the city centre (40 minutes trip). Giardini Naxos is just 5 km from Taormina and 40 minutes by train to Catania. Mount Etna is quite stunning. With all due respect to Catania and the other parts of Sicily, you could do far worse than staying in Taormina. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Isle be there Isola Bella island and beach, Taormina. You could visit all the other Aeolian islands, you could hop on the main ferry, you could pretty much go anywhere again spoilt for choice is the theme of these Italian islands.

And if you are visiting Sicily why not make sure you see more of amazing Italy? She has plenty of tips, even on places off the radar. About your stay, if you are looking for a family-run b&b then Medusa is one of the best in the city, in a beautiful historic building, a short walk from many attractions. There are rough areas in both Palermo and Catania, like in any city in the world. However, Le Vin De L assassin Bistro was one of our best meals. Id love to help you find your next memorable vacation. However, most of the accommodation in Taormina is outside of the pedestrianized town. Oh, my gosh the ricotta in Sicily. Serving great-value meals to farmers in Francavilla di Sicilia since 1947, Trattoria Rapisardi (Via Roma 63) looks like a pine-clad greasy spoon but the food belies this image. And dont miss the food streets and market located close to Hotel Gutkowski. Probably the most beguiling is Ragusa, its new (18th-century) town on one side of a gorge and old Ragusa Ibla, rebuilt on site by stubborn traditionalists, on the other. Thanks for the comment - I will have to check out La Isola Bella when I return to Sicily next year - thanks for the tip! Some other great Boutique Hotel Options in Taormina are: Stay in a turn of the century villa carved into the cliffs at Villa Carlotta, For a more lavish experience in Taormina check out or the grand villa at The Ashbee Hotel. What is the most beautiful part of Sicily? If I could do that, I would too. The tour bus took us up to the base of Mt Etna with a stop for Sicilian food products on the way. taormina Boutique Hotels As we were there in August and it was very hot I had decided against climbing to the top of the volcano (there are many day trips that offer this from Salina). I tried to group the best areas to stay in Sicily based on location. If you have a rental car, then take the local trip (1h30m) to see the Villa Romana del Casale, one of the most preserved ancient sites in Italy, dating back to the 4th century. The boat took us to Stromboli about one hour before sunset. Indeed I saw many people climbing from the cable car. It is a lovely outdoor bar with cocktails and a nice wine list. Mondello Beach is one of the most beautiful in Sicily, long and wide, with shallow water, perfect for some time with the kids, mixing some sunbathing time during the day with a city exploration, either in the early morning or late afternoon. Take the 200 steps down gorge walls dripping with oleanders and prickly pears to huge smooth rocks that look like Henry Moore sculptures. With baroque palaces, fine beaches and Mount Etna, the Ionian coast is home to most of the islands crown jewels underpinned by glorious local food and drink. They have some good specials from time to time. baia taormina hotel sicily Read more reviews on TripAdvisor Book Now. Read all about Paxos Greece as well as the best Paxos restaurants and Paxos beaches. They also appear to be considerably cheaper here than they are in London so stock up. I went with their signature tuna dish and it was amazing! That would give you one day in each city (Catania is a big city unlike the compact Taormina). The trip was organised by Best Holidays in Italy, with accommodation provided by hotels mentioned. We headed out mid-afternoon. Im Amanda, an Australian who has been living in London for over 16 years. Planning a trip to Gran Canaria? Start your visit to the city with the unique Fish Market, so noisy so characteristic. Flying into Catania Airport from Pisa and out of Catania Airport to come back home. 2022 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. It is rather hilly and you do want to be somewhere where you are able to walk to the main street and to the beach. The city offers plenty of attractions to wander around (keep reading below for my suggestions) and also the possibility for a few day trips either with organised tours or on your own (just 50 minutes trip to Cefalu train station, for example). Their breakfast was the highlight of the breakfasts on my Sicily trip. Thank you all for your comments. The location is perfect for exploring the city and the Valley of the Temples. Its Palazzo della Cultura on Via Vittorio Emanuele II has an excellent Escher exhibition until 17 September and it stays open until midnight on Saturdays. Half-way along, 10-year-old Esperia (doubles from 75 B&B) is a design hotel with decor in beaten metal and poured ceramic by local artists. I would highly recommend heading to some of the foodie/deli shops nearby and grabbing some local wine and cheese and meat and having pre-dinner drinks on the terrace it is lovely. The tour buses to Mt Etna stop not very far from the Elios, should you wish to go there. It costs nothing to gaze out to sea from Piazza IX Aprile, or from the gardens endowed by a mistress of Edward VII, then climb steps off Via Circonvallazione towards Madonna della Rocca chapel to enjoy free views of the amphitheatre. It can be really hot. ight reflecting off churches and palaces, views of craggy mountains and blue sea, smells of orange blossom, oregano and mint Sicily is an inspiring place, particularly for northern Europeans. Check out how to make the most of 24 hours in Milan. It was very difficult to decide where to stay in Sicily when it comes to these lovely islands. I have to say there isnt a lot in Lingua Salina a cute little waterfront that is worth a stroll.

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