With the turquoise sea, plenty of beaches, historical sites, wonderful food and friendly people, Sicily is an all-around perfect destination for a holiday and even better, a holiday road trip. Sicily is actually quite a large island so in order to reach where you want, when you want (without depending on public transport) having a car is the most convenient way for getting around. With that additional freedom, you also don’t have to worry about staying in a place you’re not particularly thrilled with, but that makes it convenient for getting around. Rather, all along the coast of the island, one can opt to rent and stay in a beach villa while on holiday, even for short periods of times.
Here are 5 stunning locations that travellers should not miss while on a road-trip across Sicily:
1. Palermo
Palermo is the capital of Sicily and has a Sicilian style ‘hustle and bustle’ to it. While visiting Palermo, be sure to visit the Palace of the Norman as well as the Palermo Cathedral. For a stunning panorama, you can make your way up to the roof of the cathedral. Around town, there is also the Ballaro Market where you can pick up some affordable and fresh food to take along with you on your journey and the Foro Italico, a public garden you can stroll in down by the sea, as well as the close by Palermo Botanical Garden. You can also plan for an evening out at the opera at Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele!
2. Cefalù
Cefalù is one of the most popular locations amongst travellers to Sicily, and for good reason! It is a quaint fishing village that runs right along the Tyrrhenian Sea and has La Rocca, a massive rock formation, which provides the village with a scenic backdrop. While there, leave yourself enough time to relax on the sandy beach, hike the 290 meters up La Rocca for some views, and visit the Duomo.
3. Agrigento
Agrigento is a well-known city in Sicily due to the famous Greek site there. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento is a site that draws visitors from all over the world. Though it is the main draw in Agrigento, it is not the only site to see! There is also the archaeological museum and the church of Santa Maria dei Greci.
4. Taormina
Taormina is a city that exudes more of a luxurious feel to it. While there, you can visit the Ancient Theatre, the Duomo di San Nicola, Chiesa di San Pancrazio, Public Garden of Taormina, and Palace Dukes of Santo Stefano.
5. Syracuse
Syracuse captures the historic beauty of Sicily in a beautiful way. A favourite in Syracuse is the Piazza Duomo, one of the most beautiful squares in Italy that will take your breath away. A few other sites to see are: the Ear of Dionysius, Greek Theatre and Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime. Between visiting the sites, be sure to stop by Ortygia market for some food!
These are 5 absolutely must-sees in Sicily, but there are many other beautiful places that are worth visiting. One of my favourite parts about a road trip is that you have the freedom to stop wherever you’d like and surely, you’ll get some recommendations while on your trip that you can then check out!
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