Follow This Itinerary to Spark Wandering in Sicily
Jolanne Luchak Stanton ’77’s exploration-centered approach to travel made Sicily magical
Do you have a travel “bucket list” a must-see checklist of the world’s greatest capitals, biggest natural wonders, and storied historical sites? I don’t. In fact, I would much rather bypass the most famous monuments and museums in favor of a more personal experience, in say, a distant town with an unusual cuisine.
As avid travelers my husband and I spent our 20s and 30s living in Asia, where we explored the region nonstop for both work and play. Then, as our family grew, the spontaneity of our carefree days gave way to the logistics of school calendars, sports seasons, summer jobs, and work schedules. With kids in tow, we carefully planned our precious vacations to take advantage of all we could see and do. Then, after the children were launched into their own adventures and we retired, it was time to envision a fresh approach to travel.
To start: We take advantage of lower prices and travel during the off season. We limit our number of stops, welcome the unknown, and, well, just wander a bit. We still research our destinations before setting out, but we only book the basics — accommodations and transportation. We pack light, opting for carry-on bags, and buy travel insurance, essential for older travelers (yes, we read the small print!). Importantly, we don’t cram the calendar in advance. Instead, upon arrival, we check out local media for events, and leverage the services of the hotel concierge to find restaurants to our tastes, local guides, performances, and festivals. As we organize each day, we always leave time to just explore and linger. Then we open our eyes and hearts to unexpected surprises.
One such surprise was a recent trip to Sicily in springtime, which turned out to be the ideal season to study Mediterranean history and culture without the crowds and heat of bigger destinations like Rome. A one-hour flight from Rome will transport you to an island rich with stories and flavors. Below is our itinerary, which I hope sparks a bit of wandering, be it along our path or by forging your own.
Palermo
We started in the capital city of Palermo, with the centrally located Palazzo Natoli as our home base. The 18th-century hotel is just steps off the Via Vittorio Emanuele and perfect for exploring the walkable city on foot.
Sneakers on, we headed to the opera house, Teatro Massimo, to join a street-food walking tour with Streaty, an Italian-run company that’s been around since 2012. In the sprawling open-air markets of Capo and Vucciria, we tested classic Sicilian quick bites like sfincione, a thick pizza enjoyed throughout the day; arancini (fried and stuffed rice balls), panelle (chickpea fritters), and crocchè (potato croquettes). The adventurous ones in our group sampled veal offal (organs), fried over hot coals on a street cart, and we all gazed longingly at the markets’ abundance of fried seafood, olives, and salads, perfect for future meals on-the-go. Along the way, we tapped into our guide’s local knowledge to glean suggestions for further exploring the city (like a recommended tour of the 19th-century opera house, recognizable from its appearance in The Godfather series).
For a peaceful afternoon break, we headed to the rooftop terrace of the Santa Caterina Monastery, home to cloistered nuns of the Dominican order since 1311 until it became a museum in 2017. Here, the bakery sells cannoli made in the centuries-old tradition of nuns. With a cannoli and espresso in hand, we sat on the low garden walls encircling the central fountain, embracing the stillness. On the way downstairs, we stopped in the church, immersing ourselves in the opulent Italian Baroque and Renaissance interior.
For dinner, we opted to skip the deep-fried street food and look for a small restaurant — the kind that updates its menu on a chalkboard — serving local specialties: seafood, pasta, burrata, ricotta, fennel, pistachios, and fava beans. Quattro Mani Ristorante features a daily fresh seafood menu. Nearby streets can still be bustling after dinner; it’s not uncommon to be swept into a lively street party on your way back to the hotel.
Remember that sometimes more well-known tourist favorites can offer low-key experiences if you time your visit right. Consider rising early and taking a short bus or taxi ride to Cattedrale di Monreale, the home to exceptional Sicilian-Norman mosaics, awash in glittering gold. The intimate images, such as Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, bring history to life in a way that seems both timeless and modern. As the disciples line up to wait their turns, their sandals drop in succession, resembling time-lapse photography.
In the evening we tried Le Angeliche for an intimate dinner, located on a quiet lane in the Capo market, near the Cattedrale di Palermo. The inventive menu can include beetroot hummus and swordfish paired with ricotta, raisins, mint, and pumpkin seeds. On the way, we happened upon a 5:30 p.m. show at the Teatro dell’Opera dei Pupi, founded in 1928 and run today by the third generation of puppeteers. Patrons get cozy in the intimate theater, sitting in tightly packed rows of wooden benches for the one-hour show. These laugh-out-loud tales of chivalry are enjoyable for all ages; plus, patrons can meet the family puppeteers after the show for a closeup look at the old world puppets.
Agrigento
From Palermo, a train through the hilly countryside stops in Agrigento near the southern coast, site of the Valley of the Temples, one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. Seven Greek temples dating from the 6th century B.C. align on a ridge, where there is plenty of open space to amble in relative solitude. As the day heated up, we ducked inside the nearby Museo Archeologico Regionale Pietro Griffo, which has an extensive collection of artifacts and temple reconstructions that surprise with their enormous scale and detail. In the evening, we enjoyed a new vista from the ridge, now bathed in the glow of sunset.
We chose to unwind at the serene Hotel Foresteria Baglio della Luna, a five-mile taxi ride from the temples. This restored 13th-century complex of courtyards, gardens, and a medieval watchtower offers peaceful vistas of Agrigento countryside. From here, it’s just a 15-minute taxi ride to Scala Dei Turchi, the stunning white seaside cliffs to the south that resemble an enormous staircase.
Book a car or, if you have the time, board a bus in Agrigento, for your new favorite destination in Italy, Siracusa.
Siracusa
Within the city of Siracusa (Syracuse) is the island Ortigia, a nearly car-free paradise with a touch of the Greek isles. Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel faces the high seawall promenade; from here, we could stroll the island’s perimeter to reach Castello Maniace, a large fortification at the crossroads of Mediterranean history for centuries. Constructed in the 13th century, it served variously as a castle, prison, and fortress for Holy Roman Emperors, Sicilian and Spanish royalty, and the Italian military until 1970. Over the seawall, we spied hardy swimmers below, enjoying the deep blue water or sunning on rock ledges. In spring, when the water temperature can hover in the 60s, it may be too cool to take the plunge yourself, so instead join a water tour at the marina to discover the coastline’s cliffs and caves by boat.
Ortigia is another historic center of Siracusa, with lanes so narrow, you can touch buildings on both sides with open arms. We made our way to Piazza Duomo, a grand square where monumental Italian Baroque architecture provides a backdrop for people watching (paired with a classic lemon granita at one of the many cafés). Down another narrow street off the square is the Museo Archimede e Leonardo, where we could operate hands-on models of Archimedes’ inventions in his own hometown.
On the mainland, the sprawling Parco Archeologico di Siracusa is just a short taxi ride away and best visited early in the day. The large park is the work of thousands of enslaved people who quarried the stone for the many Greek and Roman monuments on site, and is well worth the better part of a day to explore. Enormous caves remain and offer a respite from the sun. One of the grandest is the “Ear of Dionysius,” which refers to the legend that excellent acoustics allowed Dionysius to lurk above the cave to eavesdrop on the whispers of those he enslaved.
We capped off our days at Ortigia’s waterfront cafés with a local favorite, Campari spritz, served with a small brown bag of potato chips. For dinner, we simply would wander past tiny restaurants, often with street seating, serving house-made pasta with seafood and a refreshing fennel, orange, and olive salad. Serendipity never disappoints.
Getting there: Fly into Palermo and out of Catania to destinations in Europe and beyond.
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