sicily guide

I'm going to start this off by saying I know it seems strange to be talking about travel in the middle of a pandemic but I can't tell you how nice it was to get away and forget about the whole thing for a little while. I know most won't be in a position to travel right now so go on and file this one away for better days.

Sicily was spectacular. It was a combination of beautiful beaches, ancient history, some of the best produce I've had and tip top people. 

In this guide I'm essentially just going to talk you through where we went and what we ate. It's not an exhaustive guide (I'll be back for sure!), think of it as a few recommendations from someone that has been there, had a fab time and wants to share the love.

CEFALU

An hour by train from Palermo, Cefalu is a little town on the beach that feels like you have stepped back in time. Granted, all of Sicily feels a bit like that but there is something quite charming about Cefalu and its mixture of locals and tourists coming to capture a piece of the magic. 

Things to do

Spend an afternoon swimming and walking the length of the beach and wind up at the pier right on the end. From here, make your way up through the town to the cathedral and have an aperitif in front of the church. 

Get up early one morning and head to the Rocca di Cefalu. On your way there, wind your way through the streets of the town to get a flavour of what life looks like sans the Summer crowds. If you're lucky you may catch the local fishmonger literally pedalling his catch through town, trading fish for cash with the local Nonnas. Unfortunately the path was closed when we were here but all reports are that it is definitely worth slogging it out to the top for some exceptional views over town. 

Put on your walking shoes and head out of town to Kalura beach. It's a about a 45 min walk East out of Cefalu heading past the marina. We stumbled across this completely by accident when we were out for a walk one morning and it was one of the best days we had. The beach is in a little cove right next to some ruins perched on the edge of the cliff. Spend the day swimming and sun baking before heading back to Cefalu for a late seafood lunch. 

Where to eat

The best meal we had in Cefalu was at La Botte on Via Veterani. It's tucked into a side street and serves delicious Sicilian food al fresco on the footpath. You must try the spaghetti alla vongole... I had one just about every day when we were in Sicily and this was best one I had. 

Get an ice-cream at Saint Lucia – super creamy and delicious. If you're extra hungry, do as the Sicilians dow and get your ice-cream sandwiched into a brioche.

Head to one of the restaurants on Via Carlo Ortolani di Bordonaro (the street going up from the pier). It doesn't look like it but all these restaurants have huge terraces overlooking the ocean once you walk through to the back. We tried Ristorante Al Porticciolo and had some beautiful oysters there.

MENFI

If I'm being completely honest, Menfi in itself is nothing special. A small agricultural town sitting up on a hill straddling farmland and the beach, you wouldn't call it beautiful or charming. La Foresteria Planata on the other hand, is gorgeous. A family owned winery set in the hills behind the beaches of Menfi, it is everything you could hope for in a relaxing break.

Things to do/where to eat 

If you do one thing, book a stay at La Foresteria Planata Estate (https://www.planetaestate.it/en). Everything about this place is so considered, from the perfect positioning of the pool so that you can sit on the edge and watch the sun go down to the reading nooks dotted throughout the grounds in case you need a bit more peace and quiet. You can spend your days lounging by the pool drinking Italicus Spritz's or take the bikes provided down to the beach and relax at the beach club affiliated with the winery.  It goes without saying that you should have a meal at the Estate's restaurant while you are there. We had a beautiful meal overlooking the vineyard – drinks on the terrace to start watching the sun set over the hills followed by a dinner that showed off the best produce the region has to offer...think the freshest raw tuna with smoky eggplant and sea urchin roe dolloped over ricotta ravioli topped with mint from the garden. It's a meal we won't forget for some time. 

TAORMINA

Ahhh Taormina, where do I start. This town is seriously stunning, perched up on the cliffs above the ocean and filled with beautiful old churches and archways. A town this pretty is bound to be busy and it did feel more touristy than the other places we visited but there is a reason it was so busy.  It's lovely.

Things to do

Head down to Isola Bella for a swim. Try and go early since this beach gets CROWDED. It is beautiful though so well worth a visit but try and time it so you're there before the crowds come in. You can catch a cable car back up to Taormina once you've had enough sun and salt for the day.

Taormina is quite close to Mt Etna and we couldn't resist the opportunity to check out an active volcano. We organised a tour with Etna People and had a great morning walking through the lava fields nervously looking up every time we heard the volcano make a great big rumble. It was a pretty cool experience although next time I would do the summit tour where you get much closer to the top (but also pay a lot more for the privilege). 

Go shopping! The main street of Taormina (Corso Umberto) is filled with boutiques stuffed with antiques, fresh linen, jewellery...you name it. I bought a beautiful linen tablecloth embroidered with lemons (because Sicily, duh) at 'Sugar Spice', a little shop staffed by ladies that make all the products themselves. 

Check out the Teatro Antico, a Roman amphitheatre that was build in the third century BC. It is seriously cool and has an awesome section where you can see what it would have looked like in its hey day. It really makes you appreciate how well the Romans lived and how much history Sicily has. 

Where to eat

Try out the pizza at Pizzeria Villa Zuccara – tucked away off the Corso Umberto, this place does the best pizza in Taormina. We had a porcini mushroom, honey and walnut pizza that was out of this world and definitely the best pizza we had in Sicily. Order a carafe of the house red and settle in to watch local families argue over who gets the last bite. 

Osteria da Rita was recommended to me by a friend and did not disappoint. It's homey in the best way possible – from the complimentary bruschetta to start through to the huge bowls of pasta we devoured after a long day at Etna. The food was great, people were friendly and it sits in a great little alleyway off Corso Umberto. It's just good. 

Get a gelato from Gelatomania (terrible name, I know) and head down to the Piazza IX Aprile for some great views and people watching. Plonk yourself down on one of the stone benches next to the church and spend an hour or two watching the world go by. 

It would be remiss of me to talk about a trip to Sicily without mentioning Palermo. We only had a couple of hours here but I think it's definitely worth spending a little bit of time there, if only for an hour or two. The food markets are incredible - we stumbled across one and spent some time wandering back and forth, listening to the stallholders yelling out their deals for the day and staring open mouthed at the huge swordfish on display while chomping down on huge arancini's the size of my fist. Great day out.

Sicily is a place of contrasts – beautiful beach resorts one minute and the harsh barren land of the interior the next. Old Nonnas buying fish next to tourists taking photos with their iphones. The fresh Italian flavours we know so well mixed in with traditionally Arab ingredients like couscous, sultanas and mint. I didn't quite get it, but I know I'll be back for sure.