Visit Sicily, the biggest island in Italy

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Day 1 Catania

I landed around 3 pm and everything went normally. From the airport to the center I took a bus that takes about 15 minutes and costs 4 euros. It's just that the center was not well indicated and we made a detour through the station area until the bus left us 10 minutes from the Dome Square. Accommodation was 5 minutes from the Dom on the boulevard Vittorio Emanuele II so we arrived quickly, but on a scorching sun and a temperature of 35 degrees.



B&B Elmi was for 4 nights a good choice in Catania in relation to the location, conditions and price on the booking. After receiving our room we chose a 2-3 hour walk to get used to the city.



We visited the St. Agatha's Cathedral in the Dome Square, we walked on Via Etnea the main commercial boulevard of Catania and we had a snack at the traditional restaurant Savia. Opposite is the beautiful Bellini Park with its urban gardens where we made a stop, and after dark we returned to the accommodation.

Day 2 Taormina

After breakfast we walked to the central station area. Somewhere in the diagonal of the station there are two bus stations with connections both in Sicily and in the rest of Italy. We left the Interbus bus station at 9.30, and the road lasted a little over an hour and a half and also due to the congestion on the highway. Taormina Bus Station is a 10-minute walk from the resort’s old center.



The first stop was at the Greek Theater near the center. The entrance cost 10 euros / person and was worth it for how well the amphitheater is preserved, but also for the panorama to Etna and the sea. I stayed in the theater for almost an hour, after which I walked for 2 hours through the streets in the pedestrian area. The beautiful part of the old town is very well preserved, Taormina being a real pearl of Sicily. We passed through the central square on April 9 and nearby we served a delicious ice cream.



We returned on the route that descends from Taormina to the beach for the second objective Isola Bella. We reached the island very easily by gondola. The beach near Isola Bella was rocky so we didn't intend to stay especially as it was very crowded. I crossed the deep sea to my knees on the "path" that connects with the nature reserve. We took the cable car back up because the road on the road was difficult and from there we took the bus to Catania. Once we arrived we walked to the center and near Bellini Park we got our supplies from the Crai supermarket. After we went through the room to change we took a walk through the central area on Crociferi Street and ate an ice cream at Prestipino. We also climbed the terrace of the Elephant Hostel because we were recommended the splendid view of Etna, but at night we could not distinguish the mountain.

Day 3 Etna

It was the earliest day because at 8 I knew we had to be at the AST bus station because the only public bus left for Etna. I was looking for the ticket office somewhere on a side street and surprise ... there were a lot of people in line and bus tickets sold out. To get rid of the hectic world, the seller told us that tickets could only be bought from the driver subject to availability. After a round trip of another 30 minutes between the bus and the ticket office and many rebellious passengers who remain outside, the ones from AST provided two more buses and everyone left satisfied to Etna. The road lasted less than 2 hours with a stop at Nicolisi of 20 minutes. As you pass the locality area and start the mountain road with serpentines, the landscape becomes less and less common. For tickets I paid 6.6 euros per person, a much too convenient price compared to the 35 euros of the tourist bus.



The final station in all cases is at the Sapienza refuge - 1900 meters. The guide in the bus, because to our surprise we found out that the bus of the public transport company also had a guide, he presented us so convincingly the variant of an excursion with the volcanic guide, that we concluded that it was worth the not low price - 75 euros per person for cable car and 5 hour trip up to 3000 m altitude. At the Sapienza refuge we were equipped with boots, backpack, jacket and helmet and after the group of 20 tourists was formed for English guidance we set off with Francesco, our guide on Etna.



Up to 2500 meters I climbed with the cable car and I had quick access being with the group. The transport capacity is enormous, simultaneously circulating over 60 cable cars each with a capacity of 6 people. Up to no more than 15 minutes. From 2500 to 3000 meters the maximum altitude allowed for hiking we traveled a 3-hour road through all sorts of slopes, valleys and crater edges dug by volcanic lava in thousands of years. The selenarian landscape and the novelty of the place are hard to surpass as an experience for a tourist. It was fully worth it because on your own you can't venture throughareas that only guides know, to get to places until recently active and to see landscapes from a completely different spectrum.



On the way down we were pressed by time and we hurried our pace because the last bus to Catania leaves at 16.30. We arrived on time, but with some emotions and we left impressed by the unique experience we had on Etna. On the way back I did a little over an hour. From the bus station I went straight to the accommodation because I could feel the layer of dust everywhere and we were black worse than after a day spent in the mine. In the evening I went out to a restaurant near Piata Domului and then for an hour I walked a few streets in the central area.

Day 4 Syracuse

I left around 9 o'clock from the accommodation and I took the bus from Borsellino Square. It was punctual at 9.35 and at 11 o'clock we arrived in Syracuse. There are two important areas to visit - the archeological park Neapolis and Ortigia - the central district of Syracuse, an island connected to the rest of the city by 2 bridges. Since it was too hot to venture through the Greek site we went straight to Ortigia. Here I spent almost 3 hours of free walking on the chic streets looking for shade and beautiful places. We reached the area of ​​the castle located at the edge of the island, we visited the Dome and we cooled off with ice cream. If the connections were good and the road was shorter, maybe we would reach Noto, but at 3 pm we didn't have suitable options, so we returned with Interbus to Catania.



From the bus station we took tickets to Sais for the next day bus that took us to Palermo (14 euros). In the remaining half of the day I visited what I had not managed to score in the last days: Ursino Castle, Benedettini Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena and walk on Via Etnea as long as the tourist area. We returned and after another ice cream served at Prestipino we returned to the accommodation.

Day 5 Departure to Palermo

After breakfast on our visit to Sicily we went to the Roman Theater for a while, but we did not enter and then we took our luggage and left for Borsellino station. At 10:35 we left for Palermo and after two and a half hours of highway we arrived at the central bus station in the capital of Sicily.



I went to the accommodation on foot and after 15 minutes I was at Casasicilia Carlo V, B&B where I had planned a long stay - 9 nights (after the hosts the longest period booked by someone there). In the afternoon we walked through the central area to discover as many objectives as possible after receiving great guidance from one of the owners of the B&B and many leaflets and very helpful maps.



In 2018 Palermo was the cultural capital of Italy and in terms of information materials they were very good. Before leaving to visit we bought a set of 20 tickets for which we paid 23.5 euros valid every 90 minutes from the validation that we were going to use for the trips to Mondello beach. Then we got our supplies from a Lidl on Via Roma. Palermo has proven to be a big city with many objectives that can easily occupy the 3-day program. It is much more tender than the smiling Catania. We went on the route Via Roma - Via Vittorio Emanuele - Quatro Canti - Capadonia gelateria with stop ? - Cathedral - Villa Park - Royal Palace back to Via Maqueda - Massimo Theater - Politeama - Giardino Inglese and return on Via Roma to accommodation.

Day 6 Palermo

We chose to continue our walk through Palermo and on Saturday to go to Mondello because we could not otherwise cover all the objectives we wanted to visit.



After breakfast I went on foot on the Garibaldi Park route where I took pictures of Balcescu's bust, discovering from a later documentation that he died in Palermo at only 33 years old of tuberculosis. Also in this park is the largest ficus in the city with a diameter that slightly exceeds the secular trees in our country. Very close is the port and from there we reached the XIII Victims Square. Nearby is the Oratorio di Santa Cita, a special church-like objective that is distinguished by its impeccably white marble sculptures (4 euros entrance).



From here we went through the Vucciria area and went out to the post office, and then we continued the route to the Massimo Theater, which we set out to visit. Every 30 minutes there are guided tours (8 euros per person) that take you through the history of almost a century and a half of the third largest theater in Europe. The interior is sumptuous and I would dare to say more beautiful than the Scala in Milan that I had the opportunity to visit 3 years ago. Worth the tour. From here after a break for a few pictures I went back to Capo Square. The program was coming to an end, but there were still plenty of stalls selling everything you could find in a market. The narrow streets led us to the Cathedral and after a few more pictures we stopped at the Royal Palace. Known for the unique Norman Arabic style that you meet only in Sicily, I chose to visit the main attraction of the Palatine Chapel Palace and the Royal Apartments, but also an extemporary archeological position included in the basic ticket of 12 euros. The tour lasted a little over an hour, but it was worth it because the palace stands out with a special architecture and richly decorated interiors.



From here we went back to the church of San Giovani degli Eremiti and then to another objective in the same register Zisa Castle. On the way we made a stop at Pasticeria Cappello where we served both local pastries and canoli and gelato with some authentic flavors and at much lower prices than in the central area. The road to the castle passed through a dubious neighborhood at first sight with many colorful people sitting on the chair and watching the passers-by. But it has been confirmed to us that for tourists Palermo is a safe European city. We arrived at Zisa Castle which is not visited so we were satisfied with some pictures on the outside. From here we returned to the central area passing by the Palace of Justice. Then on Via Maqueda to Quatro Canti, the Pretoria Fountain and further to the churches of San Cataldo and Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio. Near the station area we entered Via Roma and after a stop at the Rinascente store we returned to the accommodation after 8 pm.

Days 7-8-9 Mondello

The next days were beach and relaxing at Mondello. The beach is wide, but most of the sun loungers are private only for tourists staying at certain hotels. There are also free areas and right at the entrance to the sea, the free area where tourists put their towels is respected. After a beach tour we reached our luck near the end of the center of Mondello resort and there we stopped at a beach with orange shadows Ombelico del Mondo ?. Several packages of umbrellas and sunbeds for all tastes and beautifully landscaped beach with all facilities. We paid daily for 2 sunbeds by the sea with parasol, without umbrella 16 euros. The route to the beach was according to the same pattern with 101/102 to Piazza Don Luigi Sturzo station and then with 806 to Mondello. During the week we happened to arrive in 30 minutes, but on the busiest days the road takes an hour.

Day 10 - Headache

It is a well-known resort and a rather visited objective for those who arrive in the Palermo area. A former fishing village with a wide beach that currently has the status of a resort with about 15,000 inhabitants. I got there by train which took 50 minutes (11.20 euros round trip / person). At Cefalu, following the same pattern, we headed towards the center, took the streets in the pedestrian area in search of something new and visited the cathedral built on the same predominantly Norman Arab style. After getting tired, we stayed at the beach for a few hours.



It should be noted that the prices here are higher, and at the beach even exaggerated for how accessible Sicily is - 30 euros / day 2 sunbeds + umbrella. In the afternoon we walked a little on the seafront, until we found a terrace because the sun was burning and we were hungry. We came across a Radio Deejay promotional show where they gave Mc Flurry for free so we cooled down.



After another walk through the central area we returned to the train station and at 17.20 we left for Palermo. We didn't bother to go up to Castel Diana because the sun was too strong. In Palermo we stopped at Lidl for small shopping and returned to accommodation. In the evening I took another center tour and ate ice cream at Capadonia.



Days 11-12-13



I also spent them on the beach in Mondello. We really wanted a long vacation and a perfect combination of visiting and relaxing and we came out. In Mondello we did a tour of the resort in one afternoon and we reached the Capo Gallo reservation. It is worth walking through the reservation (1 euro / person entrance), and the landscape with the mountain by the sea leaves you speechless. We reached the lighthouse just at sunset and the panorama was fairytale. And in Mondello, right near the center, don't miss the ice cream from Brioscia. For us it is in the top 3 ice creams enjoyed in Italy.



On the last day I had breakfast and around 10 I took the bus to the airport. We had a very warm goodbye from the hosts of the B&B who offered us an attention as a sign of gratitude for the long time spent with them. The bus took about 50 minutes to the airport and cost 6 euros.



I left more than an hour late due to an air show on Baneasa that upset the flight schedule of flights to and from Otopeni. But we landed in the best conditions at 6 pm after the first experience with Ryanair.



We leave behind the longest vacation abroad, one in which we did everything we set out to do, rested well and enjoyed an authentic part of Italy. A beautiful area for those who know how to appreciate it, but sometimes dirty, noisy and with another level of civilization that for the pretentious can leave much to be desired.

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