A Perfect Tour of Sicily

Day 1

Taormina

Make Taormina your base for two nights. This is Sicily’s most sophisticated resort, in a dramatic setting overlooking Mount Etna. Amble along the Corso soaking up the views, and lunch at Al Duomo. Take the cable car down to Mazzarò for a dip in the sea, and check out evening drama, music and film at the Greek Theatre.

Day 2

Mount Etna

Either join a 4-wheel drive or trekking tour from Taormina or hire a car to explore the foothills of Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. For the ascent take a picnic and head for the Rifugio Sapienza cable car and an optional guided drive and walk to the summit. Return to Taormina for sunset cocktails and volcano views.

Day 3

Catania

Spend a day in Catania (buses go from Taormina, trains from nearby Termini-Giardini station). Ignore the urban sprawl and enjoy the vibrant centre with its great street markets and grandiose palazzi and churches. Lunch at the atmospheric Osteria Antica Marina in the fish market.

Day 4

Siracusa

Head south to Siracusa. Visit the Archaeological Park of Neapolis, then take a bus or taxi to explore the seductive island of Ortigia. A short boat trip around the island later, join the passeggiata (evening stroll) along the seafront and then dine at Archimede.

Day 5

Val di Noto

Explore the World Heritage Baroque cities of the Val di Noto. Start at Noto, whose Corso Vittorio Emanuele is flanked by glorious Baroque palazzi and churches. Take a dip at the Lido di Noto, or the quieter Riserva Naturale di Vendicari, with sandy beaches and a wealth of birdlife. Drive to Módica and combine sightseeing with retail therapy (excellent shops here) and gastronomy. Ideally, spend a night or two in the lovely Palazzo Failla Hotel and dine in its gourmet restaurant.

Day 6

Scicli and Ragusa

Spend a leisurely morning in Scicli, a beautiful little Baroque town. Drive north to Ragusa, following signs for Ragusa Ibla, where old world charm prevails. Visit the Cattedrale di San Giorgio and the restored heart of town.

Day 7

Agrigento

Head west to Sicily’s greatest archaeological site, Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples. Wander among evocative Greek temple ruins and picnic in the Kolymbetra Gardens. Dine in modern Agrigento or splash out at Villa Athena with stunning views of the Temple of Concordia.

Day 8

Enna and Villa Romana

Head inland to the hill town of Enna. Drive south to Villa Romana del Casale to see the finest in-situ Roman floor mosaics in existence. Check out ceramic workshops at Caltagirone before returning to the coast at Catania.