The Perfect Eastern Sicily Itinerary: Food, Views and Baroque

This 10-day Eastern Sicily itinerary is the exact one we followed on our latest trip to the beautiful island in Southern Italy.

We visited many of the highlights, from hiking Mt Etna to admiring Taormina’s Greek Theatre and getting lost in Ortigia’s backstreets. We enjoyed excellent food and wine with plenty of breaks for Aperol Spritzes in sunny piazzas.

Sicily is a large island, so unless you have two weeks or longer, it makes sense to focus on either the east or west side of the island.

Eastern Sicily is the best choice if you are flying into Catania Airport or if you want to see Mt Etna, learn about the ancient Greek history of the island, or admire the best Baroque architecture.

In this guide, I share the best things to do in East Sicily, along with recommendations on where to stay and eat, and a map of all the places we visited.

Although we rented a car for this East Sicily road trip, you can visit most places by public transport (tips below).

Contents

• Our 10-Day Eastern Sicily Itinerary at a Glance
• Alternative Sicily Itinerary Ideas
• How to Get Around East Sicily
• Eastern Sicily Map
• Our Eastern Sicily Itinerary in Detail
• More Sicily Posts

Our 10-Day Eastern Sicily Itinerary at a Glance

• Fly into Catania Airport.
• Taormina (including Mt Etna) – 3 nights staying at Villa Sara B&B.
• Syracuse (with day trips to Noto, Ragusa, Modica) – 6 nights at A Casa di Clara apartment.
• Catania – 1 night at Suite Inn Catania.

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Alternative Sicily Itinerary Ideas

7-Day Eastern Sicily Itinerary

If you only have a week in Eastern Sicily, you can easily follow our route, but reduce the time in each place. We explored at a fairly relaxed pace so you could fit more in with limited time.

Here’s what I would suggest:

• Taormina – 2 nights (or 3 if you want to visit Mt Etna).
• Syracuse – 4 nights
• Catania – 1 night (or skip it if you don’t love big cities).

If You Have More Time

If you have more than 10 days in Sicily, I would consider exploring other parts of the island.

Agrigento is a must if you are into Greek history, and there’s lots to do in Palermo and the west coast—see my Western Sicily highlights from a previous trip.

While it takes more time and effort to get there by ferry, I also love the Aeolian Islands—hiking an active volcano on Stromboli and relaxing on peaceful Salina.

If you are visiting in summer, you might prefer to stay on east coast Sicily and have some leisurely time at the many beaches.

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How to Get Around East Sicily

We rented a car to explore these Eastern Sicily towns and are happy with our decision. It saved us time and gave us more flexibility.

We used Booking.com car rentals to search for the best deal and ended up with Locauto, who have a branch in the terminal at Catania Airport. It was excellent value at the end of March, and we had no problems with them.

That said, driving in Sicily is not for nervous drivers. Local drivers can be aggressive, and the narrow streets of the towns are confusing. Simon didn’t find it difficult, but he has lots of experience driving in Italy.

I recommend renting the smallest car (we had a Fiat Panda) to make parking and narrow roads easier.

Parking is difficult and expensive in Taormina and Ortigia (the old town of Syracuse), so we chose accommodation with onsite parking just outside the town centres.

Make sure you don’t drive in ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) restricted areas in the old towns. It’s always easier to find car parks in the newer parts of town and walk in. I have suggestions below.

It is possible to use buses and trains to explore Eastern Sicily, but you’ll need more patience and always check schedules in advance (Sunday services are especially limited).

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Eastern Sicily Map

This map shows all the places we visited on our Eastern Sicily road trip.

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Our Eastern Sicily Itinerary in Detail

Day 1: Taormina (3 Nights)

• Catania Airport to Taormina Drive: 1 hour 15 minutes / 69km (43 miles).
• Without a Car: Take the Etna Trasporti bus from the airport in 1.5 hours.

Our first destination was Taormina, a chic hill town overlooking the coast that has been a beloved holiday destination for centuries.

It has become even more popular recently since the second season of The White Lotus TV show was filmed here at the stunning San Domenico Palace, Four Seasons Hotel.

Toll Warning on the Drive to Taormina

Our flight arrived at Catania Airport (CTA) at 11.15am (we flew with Easyjet from London Gatwick) and we were on our way by noon after picking up our luggage and rental car.

It’s a relatively easy drive to Taormina, but we couldn’t see a thing in the pouring rain and fog. We knew visiting Sicily at the end of March was a risk, but this was worse than we expected!

We also had a mishap on the toll road. The only toll road on the island is between Catania and Taormina. We knew that you pick up a ticket as you enter the road (look for the lanes marked ‘Biglietto’) and then hand it in as you leave the highway to pay.

However, when we pulled up, a woman was standing next to the ticket dispenser, who handed us a ticket and said we had to pay €5 because the machine wasn’t working.

This didn’t feel right to us, but we were tired and didn’t know how to argue against it. We just handed over a €20 note and were given change (!). As soon as we drove away, we knew we’d been scammed.

As expected, when we left the toll road at Taormina, we had to pay €1.80 when we handed over our ticket (cash only in some lanes).

While it wasn’t the most expensive scam, it is something to be aware of. We drove on the toll road three more times after this and never had the same issue.

The drive off the highway into Taormina is winding with stunning views (on a non-foggy day).

If you don’t have accommodation with parking, there are large paid car parks at Parcheggio Lumbi (with a free shuttle bus to the centre) and Parcheggio Porta Catania (the closest to the centre).

Villa Sara B&B

Taormina is pricier than other parts of Sicily, with some exclusive hotels that cost over €1000 a night. Thankfully, there are some good deals to be had at B&Bs for under €100.

We stayed at Villa Sara B&B, where our simple but comfortable double room had a stunning view of the sea and Mt Etna. In better weather, the large balcony would be a fantastic place to relax and enjoy a drink.

Host Domenico is very friendly. He gave us tips on the area, helped us park in his small garage, and provided a tasty breakfast.

The only downside is the location, which is up steep steps from the centre of town. It’s a solid 10-minute climb and feels like a workout. For us, it was worth it for the views and onsite parking.

It does book up months in advance, though. Check availability for Villa Sara here.

A Foggy Afternoon in Taormina

Set on a hillside, Taormina is all about the views—down to the Ionian Sea, up to snow-capped Mt Etna (Europe’s tallest and most active volcano), with lush green hills and terracotta-roofed villages in between.

So it was disappointing that in the fog and rain, we couldn’t see any of it!

We set off down the stairs into the centre anyway and had an excellent late lunch at La Bottega del Formaggio, a cheese shop/deli with a dining room where you can sample their products and local wine.

Our vegetarian tagliere (platter of small bites) was the best we had in Sicily, with delicious cheeses and vegetables. We loved our local Spadafora Syrah, too.

After a wander around town, we escaped the rain and spent the night in our room with a bottle of that Syrah and snacks.

Day 2: Taormina

Thankfully, the fog cleared by mid-morning so we could finally see Taormina’s famous views—spectacular even on a rainy day.

We spent the day exploring Taormina on foot. Here were our highlights:

• Chiesa Madonna della Rocca – Worth the walk up to see the views from this chapel built into the rock.
• Bam Bar – The famous granita lives up to the hype.
• Teatro Antico di Taormina – This ancient Greek Theatre has the most stunning views, and you can sit on the stone seating and imagine watching a play back in the 3rd century BC.

• Villa Comunale di Taormina – Beautiful public gardens.
• Belvedere di Via Pirandello – Stunning view down to Isola Bella.
• Wandering the backstreets and admiring the succulents on the balconies.
• Pizzeria Villa Zuccaro – Excellent pizza. In better weather, you can dine under lemon trees in the courtyard.

Day 3: Mt Etna and Taormina

• Taormina to Rifugio Sapienza Drive: 1 hour 15 minutes / 57km (35 miles) each way.
• Without a Car: Take a tour from Taormina, such as this Etna summit and Alcantara tour with Etna People.

Mt Etna is an East Sicily highlight and you can experience the volcano in many ways—visiting a winery on its slopes, doing a DIY walk at lower elevations, taking a cable car, or doing a guided hike to near the summit.

The north side of Etna is slightly closer to Taormina, but fewer tours were running in early spring, so we visited from Rifugio Sapienza on the south side, the most common access point to the volcano.

We did this Etna Volcano: South Side Guided Summit Hike with Ashara. We drove ourselves to Rifugio Sapienza up the winding mountain road, met up with our tour group, and took the cable car to 2500 metres (you could also do this by yourself).

If you want to hike to the summit, you must be with a guide for safety. However, due to eruptions, it hasn’t been possible to get to the summit for years, but they’ll get you as close as possible.

We hiked to a crater at 2900 metres. It was a fairly strenuous climb (in the snow!), so I only recommend it if you’re fit and used to hiking.

Alternatively, you could also take a 4WD bus from the top of the cable car—these big groups ended up at the same point as us.

The advantage of hiking was enjoying some stunning scenery on the way up and visiting a lava cave (where we could feel the heat radiating from the rock) on the way down.

Our conditions were pretty extreme, and we ended up hiking through a snowstorm. It was an adventure!

Etna is well worth a visit, whichever way you choose to explore.

Back in rainy Taormina, we were cold and exhausted, so after a drink at Re di Bastoni Pub (the best negroni of the trip), we had a casual dinner of arancini and parmigiana at Da Cristina.

Day 4: Castelmola and Syracuse (6 Nights)

• Taormina to Syracuse Drive: 2 hours 45 minutes / 122km (76 miles). (It’s usually 2 hours).
• Without a Car: Train from Taormina Giardini Station (around 2 hours if you get a direct service) or bus.

Castelmola

We finally saw some blue sky on our last morning! We took advantage after checking out by driving up to Castelmola, a village even higher up the mountain than Taormina.

This medieval hamlet is a picturesque place to wander, but with achy legs from Etna, we mostly enjoyed the spectacular view with a glass of local almond wine in Antico Caffè San Giorgio.

Syracuse

Our drive to Syracuse took nearly three hours, much longer than usual as we hit traffic several times.

Syracuse, or Siracusa in Italian, is on the coast of southeast Sicily, south of Catania. Much larger and flatter than Taormina, it’s known for its rich Greek and Roman history and ancient ruins.

Ortigia is an island connected to the mainland by a bridge. This is Siracusa’s old town, where it was founded by ancient Greeks, and is the most beautiful part of the city.

A Casa di Clara Apartment

Most people recommend staying in Ortigia, but parking is expensive and you can’t drive in most of the island.

As we had a car and wanted to make day trips, we chose an apartment a 10-minute walk from Ortigia that had free parking, and the location worked well for us.

We stayed in a one-bedroom apartment called A Casa di Clara in a residential building. As we were staying for six nights, it was nice to have more space than a B&B. The washing machine was useful, and the parking and location were great. Self-check-in was easy.

In summer, I think we would have enjoyed it more. In rainy early spring, we found it a bit cold and damp (despite the heating). It was also noisy on weekend nights, and the water tasted salty so we had to buy bottled water.

Although we didn’t love every aspect, it was good value and worked well as our base.

Syracuse and Ortigia

On our first afternoon, we had a lovely pasta lunch at the casual pasta shop Fari near our apartment before walking across the bridge into Ortigia.

Syracuse’s old town is a wonderful place to wander, whether along the seafront or in the maze of lanes.

We stopped for excellent gelato at Levante Gelato Artigianale; the Bronte pistachio is worth the 50-cent premium.

In the evening, we headed back to Ortigia (you’ll spend the majority of your time in Syracuse here) for wine at Enoteca Solaria (although we didn’t love our wine, the sandwich we shared was delicious) and cocktails in the stylish courtyard of Cortile Verga.

Back near our apartment, we picked up takeaway pizzas from Piano B; it was packed with locals on a Friday night. We loved their thin and crispy pizzas so much that we returned later in the week.

Day 5: Ortigia Food Tour

Although we aren’t usually tour people, we do love a food tour in Italy. They are a great way to get an overview of a city, learn some history, and of course, taste lots of delicious food.

We did this three-hour Street Food Walking Tour in Ortigia. At this time of year, it was just us with Giuseppe, who taught us lots about the city and Sicily’s history.

We tried so much delicious food (go hungry!) and visited places that hadn’t come up in my extensive research. They easily catered for us as vegetarians.

I fell in love with Ortigia on this tour, especially strolling the backstreets of the Jewish Quarter and learning to see the layers of history on the Duomo (Cathedral).

We needed a nap afterwards, though!

In the evening, we had aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks with snacks) at Piazza Archimede Caffe, which has a lovely view of the Diana Fountain (and heaters for the outdoor seating).

After such a big lunch, we had a simple dinner of arancini (rice balls) at Antica Giudecca, a takeout spot with a few tables that was buzzing with locals on a Saturday night.

Day 6: Ragusa and Modica

• Drive Time Round Trip: 2.5 Hours / 177km (110 miles).
• Without a Car: Train 2 hours 15 minutes to Ragusa and 20-30 minutes between Ragusa and Modica. Or take a transport-only day tour to Ragusa, Modica and Noto.

Ragusa Ibla

Syracuse is a good base for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Val di Noto (although you could also choose to stay in one of the towns).

A massive earthquake struck this area of southeastern Italy in 1693, and many of the towns were completely rebuilt in the Baroque style. We visited the three most popular of the eight towns.

We started in Ragusa, an easy 1 hour 15 minute drive from Syracuse. The town has a dramatic location on a gorge, with the “new” 18th-century town on one side and the old Ragusa Ibla on the other, where traditionalists preserved the medieval layout.

We parked at Parcheggio Repubblica, which is between the two. The spaces with white lines are free, the blue ones are €1 an hour (pay with the EasyPark app) or in winter, it’s all free.

We focused on Ragusa Ibla, which is a wonderful place to wander in the maze of narrow, traffic-free streets, and quiet on a Sunday afternoon at the end of March.

The heart of the town is the Baroque Duomo di San Giorgio, which overlooks the main piazza, and we admired it from many vantage points as we explored the streets.

The pretty Giardino Ibleo is worth a stroll with spring blossoms and panoramic views.

Wine bar Enoteca Il Barocco was the perfect spot for lunch. Our vegetarian Ragusa tasting platter was extensive and delicious featuring local cheeses, vegetables, and sandwiches. We liked the sundried tomato and walnut pesto so much we bought a jar from their shop.

We worked off lunch climbing the many staircases to explore the backstreets and walking around the edge of the town for views into the gorge. It reminded us of Matera, with the houses tumbling down the hillside.

We didn’t make it to Ragusa Superiore, but we did walk up the 300+ steps of Via Scale to Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale, which lies between the two.

It’s well worth the climb for the stunning view of Ragusa Ibla from above.

We absolutely loved Ragusa!

Modica

Our next stop was Modica, 20 minutes away. We aimed for this Parcheggio Gratuito (free car park) but ended up getting free street parking nearby. We had to drive through much of the town to get there, though, and it was quite confusing.

We didn’t fall for Modica as easily as we did for Ragusa, but we also didn’t have the time (or energy) to explore much.

The main attraction was its chocolate, which is unique in Europe. The Spanish brought chocolate from Latin America to Sicily in the 16th century, and the chocolate made now still resembles the original Aztec xocolatl.

Modica chocolate is dark and grainy because the sugar crystals don’t dissolve in the low temperatures it’s melted at.

We learnt about the process from bean to bar (and tasted many samples) on a tour at Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, Modica’s oldest chocolate shop.

The 40-minute tour (€10) is well worth it if you’re a chocolate lover. Check their website for times and book in advance.

We also had a quick walk up many stairs to the stunning Duomo di San Giorgio (Baroque, of course) and past Duomo di San Pietro Apostolo on the main street, glowing red in the late afternoon light.

It’s a one-hour drive back to Syracuse, where we had a quiet night.

Day 7: Ortigia

Today, we focused on exploring the lovely island of Ortigia. Here’s what we did:

• Walked down the Lungomare Alfeo on the west for sea views.
• Castello Maniace – We enjoyed the views from inside the castle at the end of the island (€6 entry), but you could just look from outside if you have limited time/budget.
• Continued walking around the coast on the east side past popular swimming spots Cala Rossa Beach and Forte Viligena.
• Lunch at Fratelli Burgio in Ortigia Market.
• Visited inside the Duomo (€2) – I prefer it from the outside, to be honest.
• Afternoon break.
• Cocktails at BOATS, a very cool bar with unique drinks (mostly tequila-based). No snacks though.
• Dinner at Trattoria La Foglia – We loved the quirky, mismatched decor and delicious food.

Day 8: Syracuse and Ortigia

Neapolis Archaeological Park

The Neapolis Archaeological Park is Syracuse’s top attraction and the main thing to do outside Ortigia. It’s a 30-minute walk from the top of Ortigia.

The vast park (€17 entry) includes a 5th century BC Greek Theatre, Roman amphitheatre, caves, and an ancient quarry where lemon and orange trees now grow. Modern sculptures are scattered around the ruins.

It gets mixed reviews, with the main complaints being the lack of information and the fact that the Greek Theatre is covered with wooden benches for performances much of the year (it did look terrible).

We didn’t have the best experience either, but we also visited during heavy rain and at 10:30 am, when it was heaving with tour groups. We thought that on a weekday in early April we’d be ok with a late start, but there are lots of school groups at this time.

I think if we’d visited on a sunny day at a quieter time (go early or late), we would have enjoyed wandering around, but it’s best to manage your expectations. It’s pricey for what it is.

Ortigia

Back in Ortigia, we had an excellent lunch at Borderi in the market. They are known for their sandwiches, but we like the platters of cheese and vegetables even more.

At 5pm we managed to get into the Teatro dei Pupi/ Puppet Theatre (I recommend booking in advance, which you can do on their website) for a traditional Sicilian puppet show (in Italian so it felt a little long). You can also visit the small Puppet Museum for an extra €1.

Afterwards, we had wine and bruschetta at Evoe wine bar and dinner at Pizzeria Schiticchio, both of which were excellent.

Day 9: Noto and Ortigia

• Drive Time Syracuse to Noto: 35 minutes / 37km (23 miles) each way.
• Without a Car: 30-minute train ride.

Noto

Noto is the most famous of the Val di Noto Baroque towns (and also featured in The White Lotus Season 2) and is an easy day trip from Syracuse.

We arrived just before 10am and parked at Parcheggio Centrale (€2 an hour, collect a ticket on arrival and pay at the machine when you return).

From there it’s just a few minutes walk to Porta Reale, the grand gateway to the city. It leads to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Noto’s main street, where you’ll find most of its major sights.

It’s a gorgeous place with many Baroque churches and palaces that glow a honey gold.

Here’s what we enjoyed in Noto:

• Chiesa di Santa Chiara – It’s worth paying €2.50 (cash only) to climb the stairs to the terrace for a view of the Duomo from above.
• Duomo – The exterior of Noto’s Cathedral is stunning. Its stairs are a good place to eat a granita, watch the world go by, and admire the Palazzo Ducezio (now the Town Hall) opposite. Part of the Cathedral collapsed in 1996 so the interior is strangely modern. It’s €2.50 (cash only) to go inside and you could skip it unless you are really into churches.
• Caffe Sicilia – Featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table TV show, this cafe is famous for its granita, and the blood orange flavour was excellent (we didn’t enjoy the gelato as much).
• Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata – Head off the main street to Via Nicolaci to see this grand Baroque palace with ornate balconies. You can sometimes go inside, but it was closed on our visit, except for one room that had a free contemporary art exhibition.
• Art Staircases – Find these impressive street art stairs at Via Fratelli Bandiera (currently it’s Inferno by Carlo Coniglio) and Scalinata Mariannina Coffa.
• Panifico Maidda – A wonderful bakery that uses ancient grains. I especially loved the sfincione, a thick pizza slice with toppings like potato, zucchini, or tomato. You pay by weight, so just indicate how much you want. There are a couple of outdoor tables, but it’s more of a takeout place.

We spent just over two hours in Noto. The historic centre isn’t very big, but you could certainly spend longer if you want to linger over a long lunch (Modica di San Giovanni looked great) or visit every church.

Syracuse and Ortigia

After a break back at our apartment, we headed out in the late afternoon to a couple of sights on the Syracuse mainland. They are skippable if you have limited time.

The Santuario di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro is currently home to a Caravaggio painting (it was previously in Ortigia). Entrance to the church is free, but you’ll need a €1 coin to light up the painting behind the altar.

A 10-minute walk from here is the start of a 6km bike path, Pista Ciclabile Rossana Maiorca, that runs along the coast with views of sea cliffs on one side and less attractive modern housing on the other. We walked a short way, but it’s probably best with a bike.

This is an untouristy area and feels a bit gritty compared to Ortigia.

It was a 30-minute walk back to Ortigia, where we had cocktails at vegan restaurant Moon and a sunset spritz at Mikatu on the Lungomare.

For dinner, we headed back for more excellent pizza at Piano B (much quieter on a weeknight, so we could eat in).

Day 10: Catania (1 Night)

• Drive Time Syracuse to Catania Airport: 50 minutes / 62km (38 miles).
• Without a Car: Train around 1 hour 15 minutes or Interbus.

Catania is Sicily’s second largest city (after Palermo on the west coast) and is known for being a more local, grittier spot than other destinations on the east coast.

There are some beautiful buildings and prices are lower here. We enjoyed our afternoon and evening in the busy city, but one night was enough for us.

We dropped off the car at the airport and took a taxi into the city (€34) as we didn’t want to drive or worry about parking. You can also take the Alibus.

Catania Suite Inn

We stayed at Catania Suite Inn and I recommend it. It has a central location, modern rooms, friendly staff, a good breakfast, and, unusually, even an elevator. We could leave our luggage before check-in.

Catania

In Catania, we had a reasonably priced spritz at Caffe del Duomo and enjoyed the view of the stunning main piazza and Duomo.

We climbed the spiral stairs at Chiesa della Badia to enjoy the view from the top (€7). You can see Mt Etna if it’s clear.

We walked down Via Crociferi for its Baroque buildings and past the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre.

We strolled through Villa Bellini Park and had a drink on bustling Via Gemmellaro.

We snacked on delicious arancini at Centumila (probably my favourite in Sicily) and topped it off with amazing pistachio gelato at Don Peppinu.

Day 11: Departure from Catania Airport

Our B&B arranged a taxi back to the airport (€25) for our flight out of Sicily.

Despite the mixed weather (a risk of going in early spring), we had a wonderful 10 days in Eastern Sicily, and I’m sure we’ll be back.

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More Sicily Posts

• 12 Best Places to Visit in Western Sicily
• The Best Food in Sicily: 18 Dishes to Try
• Exploring Peaceful Salina in Sicily’s Aeolian Islands
• A Guide to Hiking Stromboli Volcano
• Our Month Living in Palermo
• Dos and Don’ts of Eating in Italy

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