5-day Winter Road Trip in Sicily

Sicily is a famous summer destination for many Europeans and people from all over the world, but if you want to escape the crowds and get rid of the unbearable heat, maybe you should consider visiting in Winter. You will get to know the real flavour of this island when there are hardly any tourists and still the winter weather will be probably nicer than where you live. So this is what you should visit if you only have 5 days to spend there:

Day 1: Taormina and Mount Etna

Day 1: You should go to the lovely village of Taormina, probably my favorite in Sicily. Its priviledged location facing the sea from above is amazing. Plus, you get to see Mount Etna from almost everywhere in Taormina, which adds an exciting vibe since this volcano is the most active in Europe and it's usually very smoky. Driving to Mount Etna through secondary roads it's quite an experience, the landscape changes dramatically from the typical Mediterranean greens to the black rivers of old lava. There is a cable car at the end of the road that takes you to the authorized upper crater zones of the highest volcano in Europe. We loved hiking around craters and the views are insane.

Soaking up the sun in Siracusa's waterfront

Day 2: Siracusa is a lovely village in the South East of Sicily with a rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture and a lively old town located in the island of Oritigia. The restaurants and bars at the waterfront are always full of tourists and locals enjoying the 'aperitivo time' while admiring the sea views. Walk around Ortigia and don't be afraid of getting lost. The narrow streets of the old town have a special charm despite the decadent vibe.

Valley of the Temples in Agrigento

Day 3: The Valley of the Temles next to the town of Agrigento is where the Hellenic civilization settled in the 7th Century B.C. and decided to build seven temples that can still be visited today, isn't it amazing? There is an entrance fee to visit this unique archeological site and you should spend there at least 3 hours if you want to enjoy the visit with no rush. The site is bigger than you think and there 2 temples in almost perfect conditions taking into account the year they were built. Winter is the best timing to visit the Valley due to the low number of tourists and the mild weather conditions (which is totally the opposite in Summer).

Moon-like landscape at Scala dei Turchi

Day 4: Before heading to Palermo from Agrigento, we decided to stop by the famous white rock formations at Scala dei Turchi. You have probably seen pictures of this unique beach on Instagram because it is a true paradise for photographers. The white rocks create the strangest shapes and the contrast of colors makes this place a must-see. Apparently it's infested with tourists in Summer but you will probably have the place to yourself if you visit in Winter so... don't forget your camera! After that, you have a 3 hour drive to cross the island from South to North and get to Palermo right on time for an aperitivo with the famous arancini!

The charm of Cefalú

Day 5: The fishermen village of Cefalú was probably my favorite, together with Taormina. It is only 70Km East from Palermo, in the Northern coast of Sicily, and its old town is really authentic, with lots of little shops, nice restaurants and bakeries, local people having their coffee while catching up on their gossips... I really loved the Sicilian vibe. The village is dominated by a magnificent rock that rises up to 270 meters in height (the views from there are to die for). Don't miss the gigantic Catherdal (il Duomo) in a Sicilian Romanesque style that has become an iconic symbol of the island.