SPECIALISED ITINERARIES
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Itineraries
1. In and around Palermo
It is perfectly possible to have a great stay in Sicily using Palermo as your base. Nothing on the “mainland” is more than a couple of hours’ drive from anything else.
So what are the Palermo must sees?
You can compartmentalise architecture neatly into Arabic/Norman Palermo, Baroque, Belle Epoque/Liberta styles with a couple of fascist bits thrown in. Mornings (early starts) are a good idea for these visits as churches etc open quite early (7ish), whereas things do tend to shut in the afternoons – fortunately this no longer includes the main attractions.
So I'd suggest architecture in the morning and museums/galleries in the afternoons.
If you are there during opera season then add in a visit to the opera in the evening. The opera house is quite wonderful, as is the Sicilian audience. The productions are usually excellent.
Monreale cathedral is a must. This is best visited in the morning as the light is less hazy and you can see the exterior detail more clearly. And that of the cloisters. Allow a couple of hours + travelling time (taxi about €15).
Palazzo Abatellis (the art gallery) holds an important collection. If you are more into ethnography then add palazzo Mirto and a visit to the Liberta houses – they are up the other end of town so if you do the latter then add in a little retail therapy too – that’s where all the ritzy shops are.
I also think that a visit to the Serpotta sculptures rewards you – again, a morning is enough to view and admire the humour and talent of this remarkable artist.
The Villa Igeia
No stay in Palermo is complete without some time enjoying the delights of the Villa Igeia.
If you want a room with the sun flooding in all afternoon ask for 103 – 107. The best are 105 and 106. 216 is above 106 and is a huge room with a cathedral-like ceiling. Suite 303 is just beautiful, but no terrace. There is little to surpass sitting on your terrace sipping your Bombay-Campari (with ice), engaging in desultory conversation and watching the sunset. You may even be favoured with a gattorpardu in the clouds (as in the last page of text in the book) – or silvery moonlight that will smother you in its white caress. You can peep down onto the cocktailers, or even wedding functions – and enjoy the music floating up from the pianist below.
Needless to say, Villa Igeia is a Bad Princess© recommendation. There are rooms to suit all budgets, but try to stay for a few days, sightseeing in the morning and relaxing by the pool/spa in the afternoons having lunched at the garden trattoria. The freshest of fish and seafood – or whatever you want. And the coolest of Concierges, who will do everything for you, including provision of excellent taxi services for an hour or a day.
Beaches
If you are tempted by that fabulous Mediterranean blue sea, then best to factor in a trip to the beaches.
People recommend Mondello beach but if it’s summer then it’ll be terribly crowded and of course there aren’t any waves. Mondello is close to Palermo – you need to get a cab – and a return one – and there are fine restaurants, gelato bars and so on. A good close by option.
I’d choose to link my beach experience to another adventure, so I’d go west to the Erice/Trapani/Mazzara del Vallo region and link in some wine touring, some good eating and some sightseeing – even a trip onto Motya or out to the Egadi Islands on a boat. As well as the swimming recommended in the book.
Alternatively, one of the most glorious beaches to swim at is Triscina along the coast from Selinunte. Selinunte is a good 2 hours drive from Palermo but it is a stellar attraction if you enjoy archaeology; allow a couple of hours at the site then head further west to the beaches which you can see from Selinunte, and indulge. These are all seaside resorts along this part of the coast so you won’t be short for refreshments, though parking will definitely be an issue.
Cefalu along the coast from Palermo also rewards a one day visit with sights, great dining, and good swimming. Remember this if you are driving to Messina, Taormina or Syracusa.
Or what about the SE? You could drive to Villa Casale – a real must-see in Sicily – invest some good time there then proceed right down towards Pozzallo then Marzameni and have swims in the little bays and eat local produce nearby.
Or beach + food? Then you simply cannot go past Siculiana Marina and the totally terrific Lo Scogliera. At 2 hours’ drive from Palermo, you could easily link this to a visit to the temples at Agrigento, then drive up the SS west to the restaurant. I would ring them in advance to let them know that you are coming. This is an easy day’s outing and you get to see a lot of the countryside as well the coastline. Drive down by the inland roads and back by the mafia route.
For the truly intrepid, dive in off the cliffs at the end of Milazzo headland – but you might have to swim a way to find your way to clamber out again. If you have a boat, however ... .
And finally, if you want to remain based in Palermo then it is easy to organise day trips to the Aeolian Islands or to Ustica, which is quite close. In summer, ferries run – or you can charter your own boat for somewhere around €1000.
Luxury boat hire: then again, why not hire Pamfy for a weekend or a week? Fulvio can suggest an itinerary for you or take you where you want to go. This is a delightful option for you, combining your food and wine sabbatical with the most privileged swimming in the Mediterranean and a completely individualised agenda. A reminder of his details:www.taorminaluxurycharter.com or +39 339 686 8047.
2. The Sicilian unique
“The” attraction if you are even just remotely interested in ancient history has to be Villa Casale. A visit here is a unique experience at least because of the sheer scale and quality of the mosaics, and the fact that they are all in place just as they were a couple of thousand years ago – as is the Villa. The Villa can be visited without hassle from Palermo; allow a couple of hours at least within. And remember the stallholder scam.
If you are in Sicily at Easter then I think that my recommendation for a festival would have to be the dancing devils at Prizzi in the west. An interesting experience indeed.
Other notable festivals include the chocolate festival at Modica, the tomatoes festival at Pachino (always check the websites for exact timing), the bread festivals in the west, and, if you are there at the right times, the huge celebrations for Santa Lucia and Saint Agatha.
A “Leopard” focus: this brings in the sights and sites of the novel, a stay at the palazzo and a rewarding trip to the sights and delights of the inland.
3. Taormina
Taormina tends to be a destination in itself. You can have a perfectly fine time here in one day and certainly discover all the sights, but it is (and has been for 100+ years) a tourist destination, so to live it up, plan for a couple of nights. There are 3 new 6 star hotels here now so if you want beachfront or beach access set up camp in one of those. If you want tradition and to be in the centre of the restaurants and bars, choose the San Domenico Palace. Definitely join everyone else and have a gelato from the shop opposite the Wunderbar, and of course a sunset cocktail with everyone else at the Wunderbar too.
You are only about 1.5 hours up the road from Syracuse so it’s sensible to plan a day out to there and Ortigia too, if you don’t fancy heading further south to stay.
4. Basing yourself in the west
There are lots of great reasons to do this! If it’s summer you can do the sightsee-in-the-morning-beach-in-the-arvo thing, but, as you’ll read, the sights on the left hand of the island are most rewarding, plus you can do some winetastings, marsala touring, olive oil tasting, glorious home visiting, excellent dining and some of the most wonderful castles and archaeological sites. I’d recommend staying at The Becchina Estate for a few nights, using this as your base, and taking in Castelvetrano and Caltabellotta as your town visits. You can do their olive courses and cooking programs as well. Gabriella is a delight.
Buon viaggio!
jane