*** Travel to Sicily Is Hot: Visit Palermo and Taormina (Free Italy Travel Advice) ***
Sicily is hot. Travel agents and tour operators report a growing number
of travelers are choosing this Italian island, especially those who
have visited mainland Italy a few times, as their next destination.
The air connections to Sicily from every major Italian city, especially Rome and Milan, can have you basking on the beach
or running among ruins within hours. And it's the perfect
add-on for a romantic sojourn or a family vacation; Italians especially
love little ones and school-age children can get an up-close history
lesson by visiting Sicily.
An island the size of Vermont, Sicily is Italian of course, but
that's a relatively recent development. For thousands of
years, Sicily was under the domination of outside forces including
Greeks, Arabs, Romans and Normans. Their influences are layered
throughout the Sicilian lifestyle — from the architecture to
the cuisine — and combine to create a complex and fascinating
place.
Although it would take a lifetime to fully explore Sicily, a few
days in Palermo and the surrounding area and/or a visit to the Sicilian
resort of Taormina and its environs will give you a feel for the true
diversity the island has to offer in both the manmade and natural
environs.
Palermo
Arriving in Palermo,
you will join a long line of outsiders who for
centuries have descended upon the city, except your visit is probably
on more friendly terms. Thousands of years ago, there were the Sicels,
Carthaginians and Arabs, followed by the Greeks and Romans.
The
Vandals, Goths and Byzantine Greeks had their turns before the Normans
arrived by the first millennium, subsequently ruling the area for seven
or eight generations. Then came the Spanish Bourbons and Austrians, and
well, you get the idea. Spend some time walking around the city (do be
careful about pickpockets, however) taking in the mix of historic
architecture and modern life.
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Like many Italian cities, Palermo has a number of churches, many worth
visiting. Tops on your list should be a chapel — Cappella
Palantina (Palazzo dei
Normanni). About half the
size of Rome's Sistine Chapel, the chapel on the first floor
of the city's royal palace is filled with brilliant Byzantine
mosaics from the 12th century. Experts say the only places in the world
that have better examples of this art form are Istanbul and the Italian
city of Ravenna.
The city's cathedral, Cattedrale di Palermo
(Corso Vittorio Emmanuele), also should be on your list.
If you can only visit one museum, be sure to explore the Regional
Archaeological Museum (Piazza Olivella, 24). The dusty
rooms are stuffed with artifacts from the prehistoric to Roman eras.
Traveling with children? Take them to the International Puppet Museum (Piazzetta Niscemi, 1), which proudly displays the
Sicilian folk art of pupi, or puppets.
Add on Agrigento
Don't come to Sicily without visiting Agrigento,
once one of
the most important cities in Magna Graecia
and home to the Valley of
the Temples. It is considered
one of the best monuments of the ancient
world. There are also a number of ancient temples here and you can see
everything during a day trip from Palermo.
Taormina
If you're ready for a slower pace or eager for a romantic
getaway, head to the east coast of Sicily and the resort town of
Taormina.
Set up on cliffs above the sea, Taormina is well equipped for
the tourists' passions of eating and shopping; the best
options are along the main drag, Corso Umberto I.
Although Taormina is
charming, it certainly isn't undiscovered. In the summer
months especially, when cruise ships stop at Taormina and tourists are
here in force, the streets can seem a bit crowded.
A must-see is the city's Greek
Theater,
built in 3 B.C., where children will especially love climbing the
well-preserved
structures; kids and adults alike will want to sit and contemplate the
truly spectacular views of the sea below.
If the water is calling you, head to the beach. Just a few miles south
of Taormina, Giardini Naxos
offers some of the most beautiful beaches in eastern Sicily, combining
Mediterranean vegetation and sparkling blue water. History buffs will
want to know this town was also the site of the first Greek colony in
Sicily, founded in 735 B.C.
Staying in Taormina puts you in close proximity to the most active
volcano in the world, Mount Etna.
Although the crater is dangerously active, hiking is permitted along
the solidified lava surrounding it. There are also private
companies offering guided
walks along the volcano, some
led by volcanologists.
Whether you are more at home on dusty, volcanic hiking trails or
inside, surrounded by ancient artifacts, Sicily has something for
everyone, all presented in a uniquely Italian, or rather, Sicilian way.
As J.W. Goethe wrote in Journey
to Italy, “To have
seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to have not seen Italy at all,
for Sicily is the clue to everything.”
— Dream of Italy editor and publisher
Kathy McCabe originally wrote this article for
Global Traveler Magazine.
Where to Stay
Hotel Principe Di Villafranca
Visitors laud this small boutique hotel for its excellent and attentive
staff. The hotel offers a great location in Palermo's
shopping district, filled with restaurants and stores. The
city's main sights are a little farther away, but within
walking distance. $$$
Via G. Turrisi Colonna, 4
Palermo
(39) 091 6118523
Palazzo
San Domenico
What could be more romantic than retreating to a luxuriously
transformed 15th century monastery offering sweeping ocean views?
That's what the San Domenico offers as well as so much more.
Considered one of Italy's best hotels, the San Domenico has
hosted everyone from Churchill to Mitterrand and is well worth the
splurge. $$$$
Piazza Toselli, 8
Taormina
(39) 0942 613111
Villa
Fabbiano/Hotel Villa Carlotta
Before you get confused,Taormina's Villa Fabbiano recently
reverted to the historic name of the hotel, Hotel Villa Carlotta. Under
either name, the stone-clad villa hotel offers charming accommodations
and excellent service. Recently refurbished, the hotel's 27
guestrooms are surrounded by lush gardens and boast ocean views. Villa
Carlotta also has an excellent restaurant. $$$$
Via Pirandello, 81
Taormina
(39) 0942 626058
Where to Eat
Antica Focacceria San Francesco
This inexpensive, historic cafe (1834) is family friendly and a local
favorite. Their specialty is focaccia farcita
(flat bread stuffed with fillings), but you can also get panini, rice
balls and other Sicilian specialties. $-$$
Via A. Paternostro, 58
Palermo
(39) 091 320264
Il Mulinazzo
This elegant restaurant 45 minutes from Palermo has become a
destination unto itself. It is frequently called the best restaurant in
Sicily. Chef Nino Graziano and wife Sabine Bour serve up delicious,
fresh food complemented by an international wine list. $$$
S.S. 121, Localita Bolognetta Nord
Villafrati
(39) 091 8724870
La
Giara
La Giara has been serving visitors to Taormina since 1953. The simple,
yet incredibly elegant dining room, evoking the feel of old-time
movies, boasts large windows and even grander views. Come here for a
special meal. $$$
Vico La Foresta, 1
Taormina
(39) 0942 23360
How to
Get To Sicily
Palermo's Aeroporto Falcone e
Borsellino lies 19 miles east
of the city. Catania's Aeroporto Fontanarossa, four miles
from town, is the most convenient to Taormina. Overnight ferries
connect Sicily to Naples, Genoa and Livorno. The ferry from Villa San Giovanni,
just outside the city of Reggio di Calabria
on the tip of Sicily's boot, takes less than an hour to
arrive in Sicily. You can take your car onboard. Some of the ferry
companies include Tirrenia and
Traghetti
You also can take the train from the mainland to Sicily. The journey
from Rome to Palermo is about 12 hours. Trains
stop at Villa
San Giovanni where they are
rolled onto large barges for the one-hour trip to Messina,
where they resume riding the rails. If you take an overnight train,
chances are you will be asleep when the transfer takes place.Photo
credit: Pietro Motta, flickr.com
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