Going to Sicily on Tuesday! I can hardly wait - two weeks in Giardini Naxos near Taormina on the east coast. We spent a week there in April two years ago (travelogue) and have longed to return ever since.

It is so beautiful with the bay and the hills. Strolls along the seafront promenade hand in hand, the hills with Taormina and Castelmola rising from the sea, moonlight over the bay, delicious food at local restaurants and - not to forget - Dame Etna in all her might.

We’ll have an apartment maybe 15 metres from the sea, and when you open the door to the balcony you’ll hear the gentle and rhythmic splash-splash of the surf. When I hear that, my brain goes into pure alpha mode.

We have no specific plans except leisure and maybe trips to Taormina, Castelmola, Siracusa, Agrigento, Randazzo (Sunday market), Gole dell'Alcantara or Catania. Not all of them - these are just options. The cold top and sulphur fumes of Etna do not attract us. Does anyone have other suggestions for interesting daytrips (or less than a day) to a pair of slow travellers who do not drive a car? Worthwhile places accessible by public transportation in max 2½ hours?

And by the way: in April we noticed no mosquitoes. My wife was very pleased, because she is allergic to mosquito bites (swells terribly, gets sores – ghastly). Does anyone know if Sicilian mosquitoes are well behaved or not in May?

We spent two weeks in Sicily in March of 2005, and two of my favorite places were Cefalu and Palermo. Taormina was great, too, but since you've been there, I don't need to tell you any more about that.

I loved, loved, loved! Cefalu and was sorry to leave after two days. It has a mellow small town 'vibe' to it, along with a beautiful beach area and great restaurants. If you're into hiking you can climb "La Rocca" to the church at the top. We'd taken the train to Cefalu from Palermo, so I know it's on the rail line - but don't know about train connections from Giardini-Naxos.

Another town I liked was Adrano - again, sorry, but I don't know about accessability by train. On our last day in Sicily we left Taormina and drove through the small towns encircling Mt. Etna; we stopped for lunch in Adrano. Great architecture, a pretty palm-tree lined public park, and wide waterfront. We used the Sicily TCI guide for details of the small towns. One we missed that I would have liked to visit was Bronte - famous for its almonds.

Have a wonderful time! Sicily is one place in Italy I really long to return to...

Click on the link for my Sicily photo journal.

Eric where did you rent your apartment from? Could you put up a link?

I second the recommendation for Cefalu....I loved it. I stayed several days in Taormina once, and I noticed at the bus station (just below town, I'm sure you've been there) there are bus trips each day to a special place or places. Don't know if there's one to Cefalu (it's probably a very long train trip, although it does have a train station) but you might check. See my trip report, 'A Week in Sicily'. I actually went to Cefalu from Palermo. Also, check out 'Best of Sicily' website for ideas.

Thanks for the input. I'm afraid Cefalu is a bit too far (3½ hours according to Trenitalia) however Adrano should be possible by bus - I'll look into that.

Dragonpat: we got the apartment at Villa Pamar through a package tour agency. It doesn't seem to have any www, and I suspect it is vacant for "individuals" in winter only. I wrote a rewiev in 2006: Villa Pamar

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Dragonpat: we got the apartment at Villa Pamar through a package tour agency. It doesn't seem to have any www, and I suspect it is vacant for "individuals" in winter only. I wrote a rewiev in 2006: Villa Pamar

I'll read your review.
I am hoping to go to Giardini-Naxos in Jan-Feb 2010 when my duaghter graduates.

Why don’t you take a tour with the local CircumEtnea train?
You can visit Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo using this small train.
For the train station, time table and tickets you can visit their web site at: Circum Etnea

not sure you'll be near enough but san vito lo capo and the coast line around Trapani is really interesting. It might be worth hiring a car for a day and they don't cost much.

Thanks for the tip Stefano. The Circum Etnea train sounds like a splendid way to get around.

Here's a picture of Villa Pamar from somebody'sblog

Methinks....that this is the travelogue of Eric who started the post!! Coincidentally, and a nice little travelogue it is too!

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Villa Pamar

How much does it cost per night? or is there a weekly rate?

Dragonpat asks about the rate at Villa Pamar. First of all I think apartments are for one or more weeks only. They obviously have a deal with one or more package tour operators in the summer season (April to October is my guess). However I don't know if they have a few apartments "free". I remember two years ago I saw a leaflet in the reception offering long term stays during the winter months at fair prices, however I cannot remember how much - as a working person it was out of the question (but not my dreams though!), so it wasn't saved to memory.

I went to the homepage of Startour (the Danish branch of TUI), where we bought our trip. It seems that Pamar is almost sold out this summer, because it took a while for me to find a time with vacancies. The prices were with airfare included, but the price difference between 1 and 2 weeks for a one room apartment is ca. 375 euro for two adults. For a two room apartment the difference is about 590 euro. August/September is about 135 euro more expensive than late September and October. For sea view we have paid 336 euro extra for two weeks (two room apartment).

I guess a private person would have to pay more, but the above is an indication of the price level. As they have no website, I guess one must write or phone to inquire. The owner is (or was) a Swede, so he'll certainly speak English.

Beato te, Eric! I spent 2 weeks in Taomina, studying Italian, last month, and it was wonderful (as you obviously know). I second the Cefalu' reommendation, and I wonder if it's shorter by bus than train. Several years ago my husband and I, based in Cefalu,' drove for a day trip to Taormina that didn't seem too long.

On this trip, we ended our journey with a stay in Modica, from which we toured Noto and Ragusa Ibla. They are closer than Agrigento to Taormina, and if there's any way to get there, I highly recommend them. Each, particularly Noto, is a gem. Should you meet somebody who drives, you should know that cars can be rented in Taormina, and the driving to and in these towns is quite easy.

A Taormina eating recommendation is Trattoria da Nino, just across from the cable car station in Taormina. Also Gelatomania, near Porta Messina, is regarded by locals as the best. And I must concur! Buon viaggio.