Sicily Road trip: Palermo –> Cefalu –> Giardini Naxos –> Taormina –> Syracuse –> Catania

Ten days, six towns and driving on the other side of the road… Was I crazy? How could I possibly enjoy packing up my stuff every couple of days to drive to another town? Easy, it’s Sicily! I can’t recommend a road trip around Sicily enough. Sure, driving in a foreign country is daunting, but apart from briefly navigating busy narrow streets in the towns, the highway was a breeze. The only thing stumping us was the toll gates. We quickly realised as you approach a toll booth, collect a ticket and hang on to it. At the next toll booth you come to, insert the ticket to calculate the cost of your fare (usually only a few Euro). But enough about that. In true Sicilian style I’ll get straight to the point.

PALERMO

First stop, the city’s capital, Palermo. Apart from being one of two cities you can to fly into, Palermo is a great place to base yourself for day trips. Unfortunately severe jet lag and hubby catching a cold prohibited us from making our planned day trips to Monreale and San Vito Lobo. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect as the guide books suggested the city was unsafe and friends told me you either love it or hate it. After a day of paranoia, holding on tight to my handbag, discreetly taking photos and swiftly making our cameras disappear, we quickly realized this was like any other city in the world. Have your wits about you and you will be fine.

I’m a sucker for a Red bus tour. They’re a great way to get your bearings in a new city, learn a bit of history and a great way to get around, especially when you’ve only got a couple days.

Highlights:

Palazzo dei Normanni / Palazzo Reale & The Palatine Chapel

The Markets: La Vucciria Market (most famous Palermo market); Ballaro Market (primarily a food market)

Eats:

Sicily is famous for a variety of different dishes. To tantalise your tastebuds you MUST try:

Granita – flavoured ice drink, the perfect thirst quencher on a hot day

Arancini – rice balls, typically stuffed with cheese and meat. Check out Kepalle where you’ll find an array of flavours varying from cheese and porcini mushrooms, to barbecue sauce and pork chops, or if you feel like something sweet there’s even cream Nutella!

Cannoli – tubular pastries stuffed with sweet ricotta.

Pasta Alla Norma – Catania dish of fried eggplant, tomato and salted/smoked ricotta

Pane e panelle – famous chickpea fritters

Crocche – potato croquettes

Quaglie – eggplants cut lengthwise and fanned out to resemble birds feathers, then fried

Next stop, Cefalu.

CEFALU

Now this is the place to relax and enjoy the simple things i.e sun, beach, Sicilian wine, food and scenery. Just a little over an hour’s drive from Palermo, this charming beachside town had me instantly smitten.

Highlights:

La Rocca (The Rock) – For fantastic views and a bit of history, climb La Rocca. It’s a relatively easy walk, just be careful on the way down as it can get slippery. Entry is 4 euro and you can reach the top in 30-60 mins, depending how many times you stop to take in the stunning vista.

Il Lungomare, “the Promenade”: the seafront promenade is popular for an evening stroll, as is the main street, Corso Ruggero. You’ll find plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail as the sun sets.

Spiaggia Di Cefalu Beach: The turquoise water is pristine and clear at this crescent-shaped beach, making it one of the most popular beaches.

Stay:

La Plumeria Hotel : Located in the heart of Cefalu on the main street, Corso Ruggero, just a short walk to Piazza Duomo and the beach.

Time to jump back in the car. We’ve got a 2 hour drive to Giardini-Naxos, a small fishing village.

GIARDINI-NAXOS

Unfortunately our time was limited here. Instead of spending our day sailing the crystal clear waters to see the blue grotto, we spent the day driving back to Cefalu to pick up something my husband left at the hotel.  Needless to say, we didn’t make that mistake again!

TAORMINA

The view alone is worth visiting for a day trip. Knowing that this popular tourist town can be quite pricey (and busy), we chose to rent an Airbnb apartment in Giardini-Naxos, a short 13 minute drive away.

Highlights:

We only had a couple of hours before we had to hit the road again, but we made sure to briefly stop and take in the beauty of Isola Bella as it’s on the way to Taormina.

Teatro Greco (The Greek Theatre) – Taormina’s premier attraction. Handing over 10 euros will immerse you in history and offer you unbeatable, breathtaking views that include Mt Etna. It’s pretty spectacular seeing the largest active volcano in Europe looming in the distance.

Back in the car we go. We’ve got a 1.5 hour drive ahead of us.

SYRACUSE

I’m sorry Cefalu, I’ve taken a mistress and her name is Syracuse. A timeless beauty steeped in history, it’s hard not to fall in love with this charismatic town.

Stay:

I highly recommend renting an apartment from a site like Airbnb. Syracuse is such a charming, beautiful town, you’ll want to stay in Ortigia. It’s the historic centre and most atmospheric neighbourhood.

Highlights:

Wander around the tangled maze of atmospheric alleyways. With over 2,500 years of history around you, don’t forget to look up and admire the architecture and stonework.

Piazza del Duomo –  Surrounded by restaurants, cafes and gelateria, at the heart of this magnificent main piazza is the cathedral, built on top of the ancient Temple of Athena.

 

Take a stroll along the Lungomare to the Byzantine castle that overlooks the sea, then take a dip in the crystalline Ionian Sea or take in the sun from the bathing platform.

Eat:

Ortygia is the best place to eat. Its narrow lanes are full of trattorias, restaurants, cafes and bars. Piazza del Duomo is a popular spot with great pizzerias, as is the seafront around Fontana Aretusa where you can enjoy a drink/dinner while watching the sun set.

Caseificio Borderi – If there is one place you MUST go, it’s this. Expect a line out the door, but trust me when I say it’s worth the wait. Watching the theatre of Andrea, the sandwich master, do his thing is part of the fun, plus you’ll be treated to sampling some of the freshest Sicilian ingredients like ricotta, mozzarella or salami.

Gran Caffe del Duomo – Typical Italian fare, reasonably priced, great pizza and pasta.

Gelaterie Stecco Natura – An array of gelato/icecream flavour combinations, these delicious ice pops are perfect on a hot summer day, not to mention all natural and gluten free varieties.

Viola Bakery Cafe – If you’re staying in the area, it’s a good place to pick up a pastry or coffee before you set about your day.

Vecchio Pub 1979 – Great place for a drink and snack. If you’re lucky you’ll get the prime seat at the hole in the wall where you can people watch.

CATANIA

Our road trip concluded with an hour long drive to Catania Airport to drop off our rented car and catch a flight to Rome. Despite our initial hesitations at driving in a foreign country, on the opposite side of the road to what we are used to, we were pleasantly surprised how easy it was.

With such great food, beautiful scenery and fascinating history, 10 days is not nearly enough to see all that Sicily has to offer. It’s enough to make you want to plan your next trip there though!

The Other Sally xx