Wandering the Old Towns of Eastern Sicily

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
7
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
9
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
6
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
5
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
5
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
7
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
67 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
192nd/454
Top 40%
continent
Europe
country
Italy
Length of time
1-2 days
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$160 (typically $80 - $230)
Time of year visited
June
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Christian site Old town UNESCO world heritage site
All Tags
Beach promenade Bustling restaurants City Walls Hilltop towns Local villages Romans Volcanoes
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

Eastern Sicily is stunning and its old towns are the best and most concentrated in the world.  If you’re looking for cute, narrow cobbled streets, with bright flowers spilling over balconies and beautifully tiled old houses, jaw-dropping views and idyllic restaurants, this is the place.  This firmly ticks the dream image you likely have of Mediterranean-cute.

 

 

Table of Contents

Which Old Towns to Prioritise

 

Quite simply, the best Old Towns anywhere in the world.  Beats anywhere else in Italy, beats Spain, the Dalmatian Coast, beats Latin America.  The standard is outrageous.  But you can’t necessarily do them all, so I would prioritise as follows:

 

#1 = Taormina

It’s daft busy and super expensive, but there is a reason. The streets are perfect, the views of Etna spectacular, and the amphitheatre outrageously impressive – you don’t need to be a history geek – the views alone justify the trip .

Top tip – it is really easy to break away from the crowds, just branch off 1 street along from the main arteries and you tend to have the place to yourself.  The difference was dramatic and really made the visit for us.

 

Bright colours of Taormina's Piazza Santa Domenica

Bright colours of Taormina’s Piazza Santa Domenica

 

The "other side" of Taormina . . . disgusting 

The “other side” of Taormina . . . disgusting 

 

#1 = Syracuse

The main town is meh, but the peninsular of Ortygia is special with perfect sea surrounding it; the combination of tight atmospheric streets and large piazzas; and, critically, a genuine feel to it rather than being a place dominated by fellow tourists.

Top tips – 1. Get there before 2pm for the fish market (it doesn’t just sell fish); 2. Walk through the Jewish Quarter on your way between the eastern and western shoreline; 3. The Spaggia Diana nel Forte on the eastern shoreline is a cracking spot for sunbathing and swimming.

 

The narrow streets of Syracuse's Ortygia

The narrow streets of Syracuse’s Ortygia

 

#3 Ragusa

The drive along the road that enters the town from the east is worth the trip alone.

 

The views on the drive up to Ragusa, Eastern Sicily

The views on the drive up to Ragusa 

 

Just before the entrance to Ragusa's Old Town

Just before the entrance to Ragusa’s Old Town

 

The quieter side of Ragusa

The quieter side of Ragusa

 

#4 Modica

Beautiful town built into a gorge.  We stayed in a place up the small hill (Via Rosso) so had a magical view – be sure to wander up there. The centre itself is straightforward to navigate and charming.

 

Views down towards central Modica from the balcony on Villa Rosa as the sun is setting from a scorching day

Views down towards central Modica from the balcony on Villa Rosa as the sun is setting from a scorching day

 

#5 Noto

Lonely planet labels Corso Vittorio Emanuele as “Sicily’s most beautiful street”. Yeah not far off as it’s pretty grand, and be sure to visit the side streets in the evening for the best bits.

 

Noto and "Sicily's most beautiful street"

Noto and “Sicily’s most beautiful street”

 

Catania – don’t bother

It’s got some grand bits and of course is the city many people fly into in eastern Sicily, but it’s basically a big southern Italian city and to prioritise it ahead of those above is nonsense.

 

Catania's amphitheatre - worth popping in if you are staying in town

Catania’s amphitheatre – worth popping in if you are staying in town

 

Extra Tips

 

Avoid summer

Sicily has the hottest recorded temperatures anywhere in Europe – 48.8 Celsius / 119.8 Fahrenheit next to Syracuse August 11 2021 – and the summers seem to just be getting hotter.  When you combine the crowds in the summer holidays – all of Italy goes on holiday in August, as well as half of Europe – it can become a touch unpleasant.

Aim for May / June and September / October.  Far more pleasant and will make a huge difference.

 

The moment you feel how hot the floor is in summer and realise probably best to get the dogs to the beach - Ragusa

The moment you feel how hot the floor is in summer and realise probably best to get the dogs to the beach

 

Beaches

It’s southern Italy so the beaches tend to be pebbled, rammed and generally a bit gash. Definitely hit them for an hour or so to refresh yourself from wandering around in the heat, but don’t plan a day around them.

We particularly liked:

  • The Spaggia Diana nel Forte on the eastern shoreline of Syracuse for a great city-vibe beach.
  • Primosole Beach is a very long sandy beach stretching almost all the way south from Catania to Syracuse.  Heaps of beach bars.
  • Fiordo di Brucoli for a far more laid back, real Sicily vibe as the small estuary empties into the sea.

 

Spaggia Diana nel Forte was a fab place to cool down when walking through Syrcause

Spaggia Diana nel Forte was a fab place to cool down when walking through Syrcause

 

Be sure to also visit Mount Etna

Super dramatic views from just about anywhere in Eastern Sicily.  But is’s also worth the trip up to the volcano itself.  There are various options for how to do this ranging from just driving up to the visitor centre and getting a feel for the vibe, through to doing the full-blown day tour of getting up to the crater.

My suggestion though is to go to the starting point where the cable car starts (Funivia dell’Etna), take the cable car up which is cool, and then have a wander from there around 400m / 1300 ft to the east.  You get to experience walking through the volcanic rock, have incredible views across Eastern Sicily and basically to yourself.  Way better.

 

Mount Etna views just 400m to the east of the end of the first Gondola and largely to yourself Mount Etna views just 400m to the east of the end of the first Gondola and largely to yourself 

 

The Rest of Sicily

 

Gosh what a beautiful place Sicily is.  Oodles of (crumbling) history, some of the most beautiful Old Towns anywhere on the planet, and natural beauty abound.  A true highlight of Europe.  If visiting for the first time, this is how I would think about prioritising your visit:

 

#1 The Old Towns of Eastern Sicily – Taormina, Syracuse, Ragusa and Modica are world-beating.  This is the highlight of Sicily.  Wow Factor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

#2 The Aeolian Islands – UNESCO world heritage listed idyllic island group, with atmospheric villages, world-class dessert wines, volcanoes and all within a 1hour ferry of the mainland.  Eastern Sicily is the star, but this isn’t far behind.  See the The Aeolian Islands entry for more tips.  Wow Factor ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Views of Lipari Town and Stromboli in the distance - Aeolian Islands

Views of Lipari Town and Stromboli in the distance – Aeolian Islands

 

#3 Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples – simply one of the top preserved ancient ruins anywhere in the world.  So good that the UNESCO logo is based on it.  Slightly out the way but worth it even if not a history enthusiast.

 

Agrigento's Valley of the Temples - Temple of Concordia

Agrigento’s Temple of Concordia

 

#4 Western Sicily’s coastline – Scopello is picture-perfect, the mountains dramatic and Trapani lovely to walk around.  If visiting the west, prioritise this over Palermo.  Wow Factor ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

IMG_1990

Following the coastline by Scopello in Western Sicily 

 

#5 Palermo – it’s nice, it really is.  The Via Maqueda is full of history, and nearby Monreale’s Cathedral and walks along the cliffs by Mondello are cool . . . its just not as cool as those above.  See Palermo and surrounding towns for tips.  Wow Factor ⭐️

 

The super long street markets of Palermo’s Via Maqueda

 

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

Other Beautiful Old Town Experiences

Historic Seville
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nights out and soaking up Havana
⭐⭐⭐

Jerusalem for a day on the Sabbath
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Arequipa old town
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Zanzibar’s 5 highlights
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Soaking up the Cartagena Old Town
⭐⭐⭐

Pintxos in San Sebastian
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Wandering Dubrovnik’s Old Town City Walls
⭐⭐

Bologna – Italy’s gastronomic capital
⭐⭐⭐

Driving through the White Towns of Parque Natural Sierra de Grazalema
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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