It’s bucket list time and we knocked off one that is high on both our lists- Sicily. We couldn’t wait to get out of Northern Europe’s brutal winter for a few days to bask in the Italian sun. We decided to do a tour of the island’s perimeter for the highlights, starting in Trapani. Over the next few days we would see Marsala in wine country on the west coast, Catania, Taormina and Cefalu.

Marsala

We had only one night in Marsala as it is an easy 15 minute drive from the airport in Trapani. We found the cutest little airbnb right next to the sea and meandered into the city for an amazing dinner. Sicily is any seafood lover’s heaven but we started our holiday with an amazing seafood pasta and a local eggplant dish called, “caponata”, which became a dinner regular for the rest of the trip. The next day, we visited two vineyards, Donnafugata and Cantine Florio. We didn’t have an opportunity to do a wine tour but we did some tastings of the local Marsala wine and brought some tasty bottles home.

Agrigento 

On our route from the west to the east, we stopped in Agrigento to admire the Valley of the Temples. This UNESCO site is located at the base of the city with gorgeous views of the Sicilian landscapes. This a must-visit so be sure to plan for 2-3 hours, minimum. We opted to drive our car at the bottom of the hill, take a taxi to the top and walk back down to the bottom. However, walking up and down isn’t such a hike if you decide to leave your car at the top of the hill.

Catania / Noto / Syracuse

The route we did on the first day was a bit aggressive but we knew we wanted to spend the majority of our time on the East side of the island. We stayed two nights in Catania to keep us central to other amazing locations: Noto, Syracuse and Mt. Etna. Catania was nice to visit but it fails in comparison to other Sicilian cities.

Noto was a recommendation from our cute airbnb host in Marsala as an alternative to Syracuse. I love local suggestions we decided to make Noto a priority before Syracuse. Maybe it was the time of year or maybe it’s just how the city is all of the time but we were not really impressed. We stayed enough to walk the main shopping street and have a cannoli.

Syracuse was super lovely!! When we arrived, we were immediately regretful we spent too much time in Noto. The largest greek theatre in Italy is in Syracuse but sadly we didn’t get to see it. Winter seasons mean shorter opening times and our long stay in Noto meant we would miss this. But, as the theme of this blog, we didn’t let it spoil our day and just enjoyed walking the city.

Taormina

We could not love Taormina enough. Our number one city on our road trip and we can’t wait to get back and spend more time. A huge benefit to being in Sicily during the off season is you have the space and time to see everything you want without the bustle of all the people. We walked the city and fell in love with every little street, the second largest Greek theatre in Italy and a beautiful garden right inside the heart of the city. Tip: We booked Villa Sara and for 50 euro a night can have a stunning view of the city and Mt Etna plus breakfast. Oh and the owner is a doll.

Godfather route

Hands down our favorite part of the trip was seeking out the sites of famous Godfather film locations. Why? It was the most beautiful drive and we were immersed in gorgeous landscapes deep in the Sicilian hills. We cheated a little and googled popular Godfather tours to find the city names just outside Taormina. On our way out, we went to Savoca and Forza d’Agro to find the church where Michael was married and to enjoy a tasty lemon frozen treat at Bar Vitelli.

Cefalu and Palermo

On our last night, we decided to stay in the coastal city, (ok let’s be honest, they are all coastal cities) Cefalu. Our hotel couldn’t have been any closer to the water and we imagined how nice it would be to sit on the balcony when it gets warmer.

In Palermo, we had just a few hours before our flight to see the sites. Neither of us were too keen on spending so much time here so we went straight to the street market for local red oranges, cannoli and arancini.

Sicily is amazing and you should plan at least four days if you want to do a big tour. When we go back, we know exactly where we will spend our time: East coast and Taormina 🙂