Syracuse – lots of things to see around here. A city with heaps of history.
Noto – A bit touristic, but certainly beautiful no need to spend more than 24h here.
Taormina – the city where White Lotus is set. Probably the most high end place in Sicily. But beautiful city high up on hills overlooking the ocean.
Castello degli schiavi – The Godfather house, (right outside Taormina)
Stair of the Turks – a gorgeous natural beach
Monreale Cathedral in Palermo – This is a church where the inside is entirely covered in gold. The small city just by Palermo is Monreale and has a stunning view.
Catacombe dei Cappuccini – these catacombes are a bit eerie since some are embalmed. So not for the light hearted.
Eriche – the city of 100 churches, a fortified city on mountain. Spanish quarter are a must see. This is an ancient city (far away from Ragusa but should be on your list)
Mount Etna (more on that below)
Small cities worth a visit:
Mount Etna is a must see, particularly the Etna Nord (the north side). There are heaps of things worth seeing.
First of all, Mount Etna is well known for its wine. So have some. We loved the sommelier at this place (and there wine: La Riserva Bistrot – Etna.
There is a gorgeous little city called Castiglione di Sicilia, with a terrific castle: Castello di Lauria. View the sunset from this castle, and there is a quaint little restaurant here where you’ll have a great meal: La Cantina di Monsignore.
Have a cheeky pastry at one of the BEST pasticcerias in Sicily: Monforte Dolci Esperienze – and please have something with pistachios.
If you are keen for a unique beach head over to: Le Gurne dell’Alcantara. There is a public entry further up, which is way cheaper. be aware water is very cold. There are also heaps of adventures you can do here, like water rafting and climbing up the volcanic rack, suss out this hectic deep helm.
A restaurant that came highly recommended by multiple people, but were fully booked so we didn’t get to try it is: Trattoria LinguaGrossa – it serves traditional Sicilian food, and we will try this out nex time around too.
When we got stranded in Sicily we stayed at the Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, and it was a dream! Highly recommended. We also stayed on the more rustic hotel on the south side, which served amazing food – and the Italian running the hotel spent heaps of time in Australia. But the Bosco Ciancio only has 10 rooms. This place is perfect if you want some quite time.
