The Perfect Sicilian Road Trip

Last year I was contacted by a British couple who were looking to book a two week holiday to Sicily. Flying into Catania they were going to hire a car and drive around the island ending their trip relaxing in Taormina. They asked if I could help to design a road trip itinerary for them.

I love a road trip hence why we drive four times a year from London to Sicily with Daisy our dog.

Sicily is Italy’s largest region and is also it’s most varied, there are offshore islands, endless coastlines, rugged mountains, fields and volcanos with wonderful history and architecture influenced by the many powers who have invaded the island.

With more than 1000 kilometres of stunning coastline and beautiful countryside Sicily is perfect for a road trip. From the autostradas alone you feel the ever present Mount Etna, you are surrounded by abundant orange and lemons groves, you see the shimmering turquoise clear sea, farmhouses and villas and every now and again you might get a glimpse of an ancient Greek temple in the distance.

It was the perfect challenge for me and I had 14 nights to play with.

Therefore here is what I believe to be The Perfect Sicilian Road.

Day 1 - Catania

Arrive at Catania airport and collect hire car. One night in Catania.

Catania is Sicily’s second largest city and well worth an overnight stay to prepare for your road trip. There are lots of monuments to discover, boutique shopping on Via Etnea and there are plenty of lively restaurants and bars for an evening meal.

Day 2 – Catania to Siracusa

Early morning visit to La Pescheria fish market with the option of joining a Street Food tour or join a cookery class and learn how to make Arancini, a typical street food of Sicily.

Drive southwards along the Ionian coastline to Siracusa, where you can discover the gorgeous island of Ortigia with its beautiful Baroque cathedral and mythical Fountain of Aretusa. A visit to the Archaeological Park is a must where you will see its beautiful Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre, the Altar of Hieron II and the fascinating Ear of Dionysius. There is also a museum displaying artifacts found in the area.

One night in Siracusa.

Day 3 to 4 – Siracusa to Ragusa

After breakfast in Siracusa drive west towards Ragusa.

Ragusa is divided into two parts Upper and Lower, the city was divided in two after a devastating earthquake in 1693. Ragusa Ibla (lower) is beautiful with wonderful palazzos and churches, it is also recognisable as the filming location for the television series Inspector Montalbano, Sicily’s famous TV detective.

Two nights in Ragusa.

I recommend a two night stay in Ragusa as it is in the perfect base to visit the nearby towns of Noto, Modica, Scicli and the pretty fishing village of Marzamemi. This part of south eastern Sicily also has stunning beaches with crystal clear water.

Day 5 – Ragusa to Caltagirone, Piazza Armerina to Agrigento

Leaving Ragusa drive towards the town of Caltagirone famous for its production of Sicilian ceramics and stairway Scala Maria del Monte, each of the 142 steps is decorated with colourful majolica tiles. Caltagirone is the perfect stop for lunch.

Continue to Piazza Armerina where you can visit Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman villa with the best preserved and most extensive set of Roman mosaics in the world.

Head onwards to Agrigento.

Day 6 – Agrigento to Palermo

Spend the morning in the Valley of the Temples which is home to Greek temples which stand against the backdrop of the distant Mediterranean Sea. They are as awe inspiring today as they must have been over 2500 years ago.

Leave for Sicily’s capital city Palermo for two nights.

There is enough time to discover the capital and enjoy dinner.

Day 7 – Palermo

After visiting the famous street markets of Palermo early morning, there is plenty of time to visit nearby Segesta, Erice and Trapani.

Segesta is famous for its Greek doric temple and Greco-Roman theatre, Erice is a hill top medieval village which is very Arabic, it overlooks the town of Trapani. In Trapani you can visit the working salt mills.

Day 8 - Palermo to Taormina

Leaving Palermo a visit to Monreale is a must. On the hill Sicily’s Norman King William II built the mosaic encrusted monastery and cathedral that proved to be the last and most splendid of the Norman’s monuments in Sicily.

Head along the Tyrrhenian coastline to Cefalu to stop for lunch. The town was once inhabited only by fishermen and is now a major tourist resort. There are picturesque streets with a harbour and beach.

After lunch continue your journey to Taormina where on the northern coastline autostrada you will spot the Aeolian Islands which appear out of the sea like mysterious apparitions and you pass by the City of Messina which if you have time is also worth a quick stop at.

Day 9 to 14 – Taormina

As Sicily’s first resort Taormina was an obligatory stop on the Grand Tour, Taormina has welcomed visitors for centuries. The town draped with bright coloured bougainvillea and geraniumns offers breath taking views, the ancient Greek theatre and terraces overlooking the Ionian Sea.

In Taormina you will find beautiful historical hotels with tempting swimming pools and there are enticing beaches below the town reachable by cable car.

Taormina is the perfect location to explore the volcano Mount Etna and go wine tasting to sample the delicious wines of the region.

Excursions are also available to the Aeolian Islands.

Other experiences include boat trips, spa's, cookery classes, hiking, horse riding, scuba diving, walking tours and for movie fans, a Godfather Movie Locations tour.

Day 15 - Taormina to Home

Enjoy your last moments in Sicily, drop hired car off at Catania airport.

Arrive home and plan next trip to Sicily.

_________________________________________

I designed this itinerary to cover the jewels of Eastern Sicily and the islands Capital City. But there are many more wonderful places to discover on the Western side of Sicily and beyond.

Thank you for following White Almond Private Sicily, my philosophy is to share the delights of Sicily through culture, history, food and the people using my own experiences of living in Sicily and travelling around Sicily. All photographs are my own.

Sicilian Road Trip photo gallery