KLouis

I watched a somewhat older RAI Montalbano film yesterday: every time I watch one of those, and especially the credits (same great pictures in all films of the series) I say to myself that it's time to visit Sicily again! The same reaction when I read the Montalbano books (I read all of them!), but unfortunately after Camilleri's passing there won't be any new ones...

annaschummi

I am a huge fan of Montalbano, that is why visited all film locations. Was there when they were filming new episodes 5 years ago.
Love this part of Sicily.

13901

Zingaretti did a cracking Sicilian accent in that TV series, that’s for sure.

KLouis

My wife, who in spite of numerous attempts never learned to speak Italian, also loves the RAI series (mind you, they're dubbed in Greece, extra for her! ). Of course, I try have to forget that the individual episodes are based on Camilleri books (sometimes, strangely enough -or not-, one episode is based onthe combination of two different stories) since several "features" of the books have been changed/deleted/invented/inserted. Nevertheless, I read somewhere that even Camilleri, supposedly, loved watching them before his vision deteriorated a few years before he passed.
@corky: watch a couple of them, you'll then understand why you have to visit Sicily.

TA

I visited Sicily 20 years ago as a backpacker on my own, and went on a kind of train loop of Catania, Siracusa, Taormina, Palermo, Erice (amazing mountaintop views), Trapani, ferry to Levanzo (tiny island, bluest water I'd ever seen).

It was a wandering journey through places that were quiet, less touristy, with lots of atmosphere, and not packed or rushed to squeeze in the sights like the usual Italy destinations. In some places I was an oddity as a tourist. In 2 towns I got off the train, friendly grandmothers tried to take me by the arm and show me around (and offer me to stay in their rental apartments). I remember seeing great ocean vistas from rocky cliff towns, and endless fields of yellow grass / wheat on the train rides.

The food was great. It was a leisurely, soak-up-the-Italian atmosphere trip.

If you're on a tour, I wonder if you would be better off going some place with more usual tourist sights -- that what tours are best at, bringing you between many places you might not be able to see as efficiently on your own. I didn't get the feeling that Sicily had the kind of places I would go on a tour for -- there are a few distinctive and very nice sights but you could equally get more of those elsewhere in Italy (and in the end, do you care whether it's specifically Sicily or, for example, Florence you're seeing historic sights in?). For Sicily, it seems in my memory to be the kind of place that, if you go, you want to explore on your own and live it for a few days, not be led from place to place.

But those are my memories of it, has been a long time...

beltway

ijboel

JMN57

I don't know if they still allow this but you can buy a pass at the Cathedral that lets you climb on the outside all the way to the top of the cathedral. After we did it, I was shocked that they would let you do it as it is not very "manicured". Certainly not handicap friendly. But the views from the top of the Cathedral (which is situated on top of a hill/mountain) overlooking the Gulf of Palermo is quite spectacular.

beltway

joelIB

miciogatto

You will enjoy Sicily for many reasons:

GREAT FOOD EVERYWHERE: don't miss Sicilian cannoli, cassata, Pasta alla Norma, any fish and much more!
7 UNESCO HERITAGE SITES
BEAUTIFUL BEACHES
LUXURY ACCOMODATION IN SOME AREAS SUCH AS PALERMO, NOTO, TAORMINA AND ON THE ISLANDSArchaeological Area of Agrigento: it worth staying at Villa Athena, right in front of the temples, with private entrance



Villa Romana del Casale - a Roman villa at the foot of Monte Mangone





Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands): Panarea, Stromboli, Vulcano, Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari and Salina, can't say which one is the best - great accomodation at hotel Signum or Capofaro Locanda & Malvasia on Salina - Therasia resort on Vulcano




Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) - great accomodation at Il San Corrado di Noto in Noto





Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli - all these towns worth visiting

Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica - try to find a hotel in Ortigia, the old part of the city - Ortea Palace hotel or grand hotel des etrangers






Mount Etna - organize an excursion to the volcano and stay at Monaci delle Terre Nere




Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale - stay at the newly refurbished Villa Igea in Palermo



for any further information I am at your disposal!

travelmad478

We are on our last full day of a 10-day spin through Sicily right now. Stayed in Palermo, Castelbuono, Taormina, Bronte, Piazza Armerina, Licata, Siracusa, and Catania and did tons of touring through the towns, sights, and countryside between them. The countryside we drove through was pretty varied as we wandered around the island—I do wish Sicily would build pullouts on roads that have beautiful views! The island is definitely worth visiting, though some places like Taormina are pretty choked with tourists even now in mid-September (and it’s still quite hot—though for us, as residents of New Orleans, not untenably so). The food is great, and we are staying in some truly delightful pensiones and Airbnbs for shockingly low prices. We rented a car as we were leaving Palermo and dropped it off as we entered Catania. Driving is not bad for the most part, but I do wish there were an “avoid cobblestone streets” setting on Google Maps—you can really get yourself into some interesting situations when you hit those!

I would recommend either learning just a bit of Italian or becoming familiar with how to use Google Translate, because most people’s English is either nonexistent or as terrible as my Italian. (I can understand a good amount of spoken Italian and read pretty much anything, but I don’t know how to conjugate any verbs, so I can barely talk. When I do, it comes out Spanish )

JMN57

Add arancini...

beltway

[IB is evil]

travelmad478

Yes and yes!

fanostra

Go. You will love it. I have been all over northern and central Italy but only to Sicily once. I was in a similar state of mind but fell in love with it, and looking forward to returning. Spent a week in Trapani which exceeded all expectations. Took Vespas around the countryside visiting villages, national parks, seashore, ruins, etc. Visited islands off the coast. Incredible food. Friendly people. Very different than northern regions for sure.

travelmad478

I am also chiming in to say that Sardinia is pretty lovely too—we’re currently road-tripping around that island for 8 days. The wine in particular is stupendous and SO CHEAP, the beaches are wonderful, and it’s dramatically less tourist-infested vs. Sicily. Great food here too! I think I like it better than Sicily.