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Melissa’s Sicily Cheat Sheet

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Melissa's Sicily Highlights

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Indagare’s Most-Booked Hotels in 2022

Madagascar Baobabs Sunset courtesy Anjajavy Lodge.

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Where To Stay in Sicily

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Top Tables Sicily

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Sicily Sojourn

Palermo

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Southeastern Sicily

Taormina & Mount Etna

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This world-renowned archeological site is a must for travelers interested in Greek history. Divided into an eastern and western zone, the 3,000-acre park boasts eight temples, including the stunning Concordia Temple (the model for the UNSECO logo), which has survived largely intact since 430BC. Fascinatingly, the structure was built on a layer of clay, probably purposefully chosen by its Greek builders, which made it resilient to the earthquakes that felled most of the surrounding temples. These were restructured piece by piece and now frame Concordia as glowing examples of Greek architectural and engineering feats.

The setting is spectacular, and, unlike many archeological sites elsewhere in Europe, Agrigento is practically unguarded, allowing visitors free access to roam among the temples. If you bring a picnic, you can have lunch in the lush the beautiful Garden of Kolymbetra. For a more glamorous meal, reserve on the terrace of the <a title="Villa Athena Restaurant" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/sicily_region/sicily-sicily_region/southeastern-sicily/restaurants/villa-athena-restaurant/">Villa Athena</a> with dead-on temple views.

Archeological site at Agrigento: Valley of the Temples, Sicily, Italy

Agrigento: Valley of the Temples

There are eight late Baroque towns in Sicily’s southeast, but the main ones to visit are Noto, Ragusa and Modica. After an earthquake practically leveled these towns in 1693, they were rebuilt in a style that mimics the late Baroque of mainland Italy and yet mostly features a completely unique expression of Sicilian tastes and sensibilities. Most impressive are the cathedrals at the heart of these cities, built like the rest of the towns with tufa stone, which glows like honey in the afternoon light. The towns can be toured in a day (the drives between each is about 30 minutes).

Noto is a lovely little spot for lunch or a late afternoon passeggiata (don’t miss a coffee, gelato or granite at <a title="Caffè Sicilia" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/sicily_region/sicily-sicily_region/southeastern-sicily/restaurants/caffe-sicilia/">Caffè Sicilia</a>), while Modica and Ragusa are good places for dinner (Ragusa has an acclaimed two-Michelin star restaurant, while Modica’s restaurants are rustic trattorias).
<h2>Driving Times</h2>
<ul>
<li>Noto — Modica: 45 minutes</li>
<li>Modica — Ragusa: 25 minutes</li>
<li>Ragusa — Noto: 1 hour</li>
</ul>

Aerial View - Baroque Towns: Noto, Modica, Ragusa , Sicily, Italy

Baroque Towns: Noto, Modica, Ragusa

One of Sicily's most-visited sights is the intimate chapel at Palermo's Norman Palace. Commissioned by Roger II in 1130 (but recently restored), the chapel is a breathtaking, multi-tired room of floor-to-ceiling mosaics, inlaid marble floors and a stunning, painted wooden ceiling. It truly feels like walking into a precious jewel box and should not be missed on a trip to Palermo.

The rest of the palazzo is also worth a visit (when it's not used by the Sicilian Parliament, it's open to the public), as are the ancient Phoenician walls on view in the cellar. But the gilded star is, undoubtedly the cappella, the brilliant work of Byzantine Greek craftsmen brought to Palermo by Roger II in a forward-thinking way of collaborative interior design.

Indagare Tip: Since it is the city's prime attraction, it pays to come right when the palace opens, especially since only a limited amount of people are allowed in at a time. Alternatively, come around lunchtime when the crowds thin out.

Interior View - Cappella Palatina (Palazzo dei Normanni),Sicily, Italy

Cappella Palatina (Palazzo dei Normanni)

Anyone staying in or passing through Palermo should stop at Monreale. The town's massive cathedral is one of the world's best examples of Norman architecture, and its interiors—the entire interior surface save for a few small marble areas—are decorated with mosaics. The tiny pieces, painted on a gilded background, come together to depict recognizable scenes from the Old Testament. I could have spent hours looking at the detailed scenes, down to incredibly precise facial expressions (particularly striking: Adam and Eve's look of shocked dismay when they are banished from the Garden of Eden). Considering the size of the cathedral and the tools (and scaffolding!) available to 12th-century artisans, Monreale is simply mind-blowing.
<h2>Driving Time</h2>
Palermo — Monreale: 20 minutes

Interior View - Monreale Cathedral,Sicily, Italy

Monreale Cathedral

A one-hour drive south from the Catania International Airport, historic Syracuse was the first city settled by the Greeks in 733 BC. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has one of the world's best-preserved Greek theaters, as well as an impressive Roman amphitheater. Close to the Greek Theater, don't miss the Latomie del Paradiso (stone quarries), which is where the limestone used to build the city was extracted and which were also used as prisons in ancient times. The quarries are surrounded by incredibly beautiful gardens of magnolia and citrus trees, and the temperature here is a fraction of that the sun-exposed Greek theater, making it a nice conclusion to a visit. Don't miss the enormous cave called Orecchio di Dionisio (Dionysius's ear) with its cool echo.

The small island of Ortygia, the starting point of the ancient city, is one of Sicily's most picturesque places, especially its car-free Piazza del Duomo, sculpted entirely out of the white sandstone that the region is famous for. If you're staying here, either at the <a title="Hotel Gutkowski" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/sicily_region/sicily-sicily_region/southeastern-sicily/hotels/hotel-gutkowski/">Gutkowski</a> or <a title="Algila Ortigia" href="https://www.indagare.com/destinations/europe/sicily_region/sicily-sicily_region/southeastern-sicily/hotels/algila-ortigia/">Agila</a>, you can reach all restaurants and shops in the city on foot. From Taormina, Syracuse can be done as a day trip, albeit one with a lot of time spent in the car.
<h2>Driving Time</h2>
<ul>
<li>Catania International Airport to Syracuse: 1 hour</li>
<li>Taormina to Syracuse: 1h30min</li>
</ul>

Crafting At Syracuse & Ortygia ,Sicily, Italy

Syracuse & Ortygia

See & Do

Honeymooners, couples and families looking for luxury in the heart of Taormina will find it at Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina, Sicily.

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Grand Hotel Timeo, A Belmond Hotel, Taormina

This lovely villa, located on Teormina's pebble beach, is the more casual sister property to the Grand Hotel Timeo.

Beach view - Belmond Villa Sant’ Andrea, Sicily, Italy

Belmond Villa Sant’ Andrea

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These seven UNESCO-protected islands, rising from the vivid blues of the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, are each completely different in character and style. But all share an uncontested spot on our list of some of the Mediterranean’s best summer destinations.

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Aeolian Islands

With its warm Southern Italian climate and miles of beautiful beaches, this region known as "the kingdom of drought and stones," located in heel of the boot, remains blissfully under-the-radar. Its ancient seaside villages and white-washed cities and towns, along with verdant vineyards and valleys and acres of olive trees and wildflowers, ensure abundant opportunities for exploration.

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Puglia

Rome is a place where ancient history and contemporary life breezily coexist, where you can sip cocktails at a trendy bar while gazing upon a temple colonnade from the year 145 (that would be at Salotto 42, on Piazza della Pietra). Italy's bustling, chaotic Rome continues to inspire today’s visitors precisely because of its many faces: historic, cultural, religious, culinary, contemporary.

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Rome

Great Combinations

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Penny Herscher, member since 2016

Get inspired with unique insights about Sicily from the Indagare editorial team and community.

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