Sicily Step by Step

In total, we were on tour in Sicily for five months. Are there now lots of tips on campsites? No, because we didn't see a single one. About restaurants? No, not even that. Because they were closed either because of our travel time or thanks to Corona. Most museums, churches, theaters and the like were also barricaded and boarded up.

Now you could ask yourself what we have been doing here all this time. One thing we can guarantee is that we were never bored. Because we were constantly on the road. On-road as well as off-road. From time to time we arrived somewhere. Lingering is simply part of a wealth of impressions. Because Sicily is big, very big. To be exact 25.426 km² big and therefore it is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea. But it is not only big, it is above all complex. When one thinks of Sicily, one surely thinks first of sea and beach. But 80% of its area are mountains and hills. 

We have already covered some of it in separate articles, which we link here. Otherwise, we can only give an outline of our tour here. You will quickly notice that Sicily takes time. A lot of time.

Arrival & Departure

Although the island of Sicily is located southwest off the "tip of the boot" of Italy, and thus in the very south of Italy, it is easily accessible by ferry. There are ferry connections both from Genoa, in the north of Italy, from Livorno, Genoa, Naples, also on the Italian mainland, and from Cagliari in Sardinia. These connections all go through Palermo, in the north of Sicily. In addition, there is the connection from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, in the north-east of Sicily. This is the shortest ferry connection, but also takes the most time. This is because there are 1,163 additional kilometers of road compared to Genoa. Genoa is therefore also the most famous connection.
The ferry time is about 21 hours. The cost for round trip, including double cabin and van up to 6 meters is about 550,- €. Since the prices of the various companies vary, we recommend a look at aferry. 

We personally chose the detour via Livorno. So we could still make a detour to Pisa. 

Wild & Free

In Sicily, we usually find our places via googlemaps. We like to look for quiet beaches or places in the mountains where we are all alone. When we see houses on the first piece of the road on the aerial map, we assume that the road is relatively passable. Unfortunately, this often proves to be a mistake.

Because many buildings have been abandoned and are lost places. It is really frightening how many buildings stand empty. And the road is then mostly offroad.

That's not so bad for our vehicle now, it's even fun. But it often really messes up our schedule. And sometimes it gets dark in the middle of the route. Our lazerlamps are a good help then.

But off-road driving in the dark is not really fun. In an emergency, we simply stop and spend the night. Has worked well so far.

The arrival in Palermo by ferry

Hardly arrived with the ferry from Sardinia on Sicily, we go first direction west. Impressions of our first day on Sicily you get here.

San Vito Lo Capo

Have you ever been to San Vito Lo Capo? On this dreamlike white sandy beach and the turquoise blue sea? The place is located at the tip of a cape, which is located in the north-west of Sicily. At the Cala Di Punta Lunga, as well as at the climbing paradise Grotta dei Cavalli we found dreamlike campsites. Further Highlights and tips for campers can be found in the linked article.

Police operation | Cala di Punta Lunga 

No sooner are we standing free for the first time in Sicily than we meet the well-dressed gentlemen from the police. Are these gentlemen driving us out of paradise? For those who want to know, you can find a separate Blog post.  

Cefalu

Next, we'll head east of Palermo. If you are planning a round trip, it makes sense to set Cefalu as the final point. This beautiful medieval town enchants not only with a long white sandy beach, but also scores with a worth seeing old town. This combination of seaside vacation and sightseeing makes Cefalù to something very special.

Like everywhere else in Sicily, the Greeks, Romans and Arabs have left their mark here. But especially the Normans have set a monument with the imposing cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Above everything towers the 270m high La Rocca di Cefalù. This huge rock makes even the mighty cathedral seem tiny.

We stroll through the narrow streets of the old town and enjoy the lively life around us. Now in winter we like it here very well. In our article Cefalù - Beach and Sightseeing you get some more detailed info. The fact is, we have fallen in love with this city. Why? You can see it here...

Madonie

For the Sicilians there is not only one Madonie, they value the plural, the Madonie. This mountain range, pretty much in the middle of the north coast of Sicily has left so many impressions on us that we have dedicated several articles to it. Here you will find The Madonie and the most beautiful villages of Sicily as well as a contribution about the Targa Florio, the legendary road race in Sicily.

If I have to give a conclusion about this region: "The nature here in the Madonie Mountains is so beautiful, the weather is almost unimportant. The clouds over the mountains are more beautiful than any shining sun. And the interplay of sun, clouds and fog makes us realize once again how small man is in the face of these forces of nature. Here, every weather app fails, and you can't plan the days. Here you live the day. And is. Simple. Happy."

Custonaci and Buseto

On the way from Palermo towards San Vito Lo Capo, one almost inevitably passes between Buseto and Custonaci, two small towns in the Trapani municipal consortium. But first, the gigantic marble quarries catch your eyes from afar. On the one hand a gigantic environmental sin, on the other hand incredibly beautiful to see. We have split feelings.

Mountain village Erice

Fifty Shades of Grey | We can top that. Do you know such days? Everything blurs into various shades of gray? But all we wanted to do was wander through the supposedly beautiful mountain village of Erice. Please, please don't let us stop you. Erice, which is enthroned on the 750 meter high mountain of the same name, is known for its view. We have heard only good things so far. We can imagine this little town, with its narrow streets, the cobblestones also beautiful. But today it was just foggy, it was raining, not a soul was on the street, it was cold and gray, just gray. Gray in all its facets. In contrast, our Butch stood out just too colorful. Only later did we know what kind of day it was, it was a soup day. Yummy!

Marsala

Here we made only a short detour. Marsala is the Mecca for kiting and windsurfing in Sicily. "Lo Stagnone", the huge lagoon of the city of Marsala is beautiful. But both for windsurfing you need wind, as much wind as possible. It doesn't matter from where the wind comes, the main thing is that it blows. Marsala is said to have a wind direction that always goes. Our first impression, this is true. It was so windy that we preferred to look for a more sheltered area.

We are often asked what the police say about our Bulli. Especially about our sand sheets on the hood. Until now we could never really answer this question. In Cologne the police never noticed us. And on our tour to Sicily we have seen police again and again and the policemen have also always looked more closely. But we were always waved through police checks.

Segesta temple complex 

Unfortunately, we could only see the temples of Segesta from a distance. Which was a pity, because the complex is considered one of the best preserved temples in the world.

You can see the temple from the street, but the area is fenced and it was closed, as all the museums here in Sicily were just closed for Corona. The parking lots were also closed. We parked in front of it on the country road and let the drone go up. Within no time a police car was standing next to us. In parallel, a security guard came inside to the fence. When Marc quickly put on the mask, the police officers nodded and drove again. We finished filming and drove 100m further into a dirt road that leads around the area, wanted to park again and let the drone rise. And suddenly the police is standing next to us again. They were very friendly and allowed us to take pictures in English. Dear police officers, your speed impressed us very much. Chapeau

In Germany we would have had to show at least our papers, but here everything is very easy. And not a word about our vehicle.

Riserva Natura Foce Del Belice - Ponte Ferrovis

As of today, all of Sicily is red zone. This makes it more difficult for us and the question arises: stay or leave the island? We have decided to stay and see what happens. Now we have to fly inconspicuously under the radar and slowly move further south along the coast.

Right now we are standing alone on the edge of a small nature reserve, surrounded by olive trees and reeds. Behind the dike is directly the sea with a beautiful sandy beach.

The weather could be better. 11 degrees and rain is not my dream weather, but we have made ourselves comfortable in our van and the forecast is also getting better.

And actually, it's just like it used to be at home when the weather was bad: What are we going to do tonight? Watch a movie via beamer, read or chat with friends on the phone?

Menfi - Lido Fiore

One of the most beautiful places on our tour we find near a Lost Place, behind an old dilapidated hotel complex. Here we spend directly at the sea, so to speak in the first row a few quite relaxed days. From time to time a few sheep visit us. Otherwise, only a few cyclists pass by.

Di Punta Bianca | House by the sea

Lonely, wild & free standing by the sea? You have to leave the beaten track. In a report about off-road routes in Sicily we found a trail to Punta Bianca. Here are the GPS coordinates: 37°11'41.0″N 13°39'42.2″E - Maybe I shouldn't have just read the heading "easy". We abandoned on the last few meters due to mud holes.

But afterwards it turned out that we had apparently also chosen the most difficult approach. On Wikiloc you can find an easier alternative. But we were rewarded by a multitude of lost places. The Punta Bianca is fantastically beautiful and absolutely worth the rough approach. An old dilapidated house in front of chalk cliffs, dreamlike. If the daily journey were only a little easier, this would be THE HOUSE AT THE SEA. The reconstruction would already be planned through in the head.

Temples of the Greeks in Sicily: Selinunte | Segesta | Agrigento

The culture of Sicily was shaped by various conquests. Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards left their mark. But the temples of the Greeks are more than just a trace. Especially the Tempio della Concordia is more than just impressive.

Do you have to see this one? Yes, you must. But surely one rarely gets the chance to encounter the temple so quietly.

We are especially fascinated by the sculptures of Igor Mitoraj. Although the artist wanted to show the imperfection of human nature and the slight vulnerability, they seem damn perfect to us for that. But we have no idea 😉 .

Diga Nicoletti Leonforte

Tonight we find not only a beautiful place for the night, but also a few rays of sunshine. Quickly still hang up the hammock. So we enjoy our dinner with a view of a lake, as well as a few sheep scurrying by.

Sicily's South: The Isola delle Correnti | Statua del Cristo Redentore

When we get out of the van this morning, shortly before sunrise, we have sea and beach right at our feet. Our view falls on the small island, with lighthouse at the southwestern point of Sicily. We walk along the beach. Our destination is a small breakwater that connects the island with the mainland. We have not only a fantastic view of the sunrise, but on top of the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Ionian Sea. On one side the waves crash on the beach, on the other side the calm sea looks more like a pond.

At the edge of the partially destroyed breakwater stands a simple Christo figure. Although it is still bitterly cold out here at such an early hour, a magical moment. From our stand we see the course of the sun, until it sinks again before our eyes in the sea.

Santa Maria del Focallo

Actually we wanted to go from Isola delle Correnti to Modica. But as life goes, we got stuck in Santa Maria del Focallo. But who could resist this kilometer-long white sandy beach?

Flora & Fauna | Example Red Eucalyptus Trees

With over 3,000 different plants, Sicily's flora and fauna is unique and has the greatest biodiversity in the entire Mediterranean. Among them are climate refugees of the last ice age. But not all plants have been native to the island for so long. Today we are standing in a forest full of red eucalyptus trees. Beautiful at first sight. But does it really belong here?

These trees grow exceedingly fast and form massive trunks that make them look like methusalems. For example, in a meadow near Castel di Lucio, there is a Red Eucalyptus with a trunk circumference of over 6.60 meters.

That's great, you think. But unfortunately these trees don't drink, they guzzle. With their roots up to twenty meters deep, they extract up to 500 liters of water a day from the ground. Only pampas grass grows in between. And because of its airy fibrous structure and essential oils, the wood of these trees burns like tinder. This increases the risk of forest fires disproportionately.

So our feelings about this forest are split. On the one hand, it smells nice of eucalyptus and I love eucalyptus candies. You know those little green sugar cones with eucalyptus flavor? Wonderful, we even have some on board. And visually, everything is nice and green too. But here and now I am ambivalent.

Sicily Lakes | Lago Santa Rosalia

Sicily's lakes may not keep up with the large, well-known lakes of the Italian north. But there are many smaller lakes, which not only invite you to swim, hike or fish, but at the edge of which you can also stand freely. We have received only nice feedback from Sicilians. One felt not only accepted, but welcome.

The East Coast of Sicily

If you want to visit Etna, a visit to the east coast of Sicily, with the baroque cities of Catania, Taormina and Syracuse, as well as the Val de Noto and Ragusa, is an obvious choice.

Etna | Mama Etna

Although this island offers everything you could hope for on tour, nothing touched our hearts like Mama Etna.

It is not only the mountain that captivates us so much that we have been looking for its proximity for weeks. It is not only the volcano, which spits fire and ash in between again and again. There is something else that we do not understand and yet feel.

In the meantime, we had the opportunity to talk with a few Sicilians about their mountain. They just smile gently and knowingly. It is their mountain and it is unmistakable how much they love it.

The special thing about it is that Etna, after all, not only gives rise to fertile land. Among other things, wine, citrus fruits, almonds and olives are grown here. Due to a high content of minerals, the volcanic soil is considered particularly fertile and well aerated.

But every now and then the earth is shaken by quakes, the sky is darkened by ash clouds and houses are destroyed by lava flows.

Nevertheless, the Sicilians call it Mama Etna or simply Mongibello, the mountain.

You realize how enormous this mountain is when you read the number 100,000. That's how many people died in the "Messina quake" of 1908. Nevertheless, we are always drawn towards this mountain.

Syracuse - the pearl of Sicily

Siracusa, as the Sicilians say, is located on the east coast of Sicily and is especially known for ancient ruins. The old town is located on the Ortigia peninsula. When the peninsula became too small, Syracuse's new town developed on the mainland. What is called pearl, of course, has its own Syracuse Contribution.

The gorge Cavagrande del Cassibile

The Sicilians affectionately call this gorge their Grand Canyon. Since we have already visited the Grand Canyon, we want to see what the Sicilian offshoot can do. We pack a small backpack with picnic, water and bathing clothes. Just the right change to the city tours, here in the east. Here you can find the blog post Cavagrande del Cassibile.

Onroad and offroad from Brucoli to Noto

Sicily often offers driving challenges. If you are not deterred by this, you should read this blog post On- & Off-Road  Contribution not to be missed. 

Noto and Noto Antica

A visit to the ancient city of Noto, destroyed by a severe earthquake in 1700, can be very well combined with a visit to the new city of Noto. Noto is located closer to the coast. It was built in baroque style. That is why there are so many magnificent palaces in Noto. Also to Noto there is a separate blog post.

Isola Bella

Isola Bella is located in the 'Riserva Naturale Orientata Isola Bella'. We walk back on the road for about 500m until steps lead down to a sandy beach and Isola Bella. Be sure to pack swimming gear. Around the beach, information boards provide information about the flora and fauna of the nature reserve. Food is also provided, there are 2 beach bars, one of them since 1965.

Actually Isola Bella is not a real island, but a peninsula, because you can walk to it over a sandy tongue. A visit to Isola Bella is possible for € 4,-. The underwater world around Isola Bella is said to be very beautiful. Snorkeling and diving equipment can be rented at the Padi diving school on the beach

In 1890 Florence Trevelyan bought the island for €15,000 lire. Signora Trevelyan was a cousin of Queen Victoria and wife of the mayor of Taormina. She built there a small picturesque villa and planted a garden with exotic plants.

Since 1990 the island has belonged to the Sicilian government and was declared a nature reserve in 1998. Since 2011 it is under the jurisdiction of the University of Catania.

Taormina

The picturesque old town is located on Monte Tauro, about 200m above sea level, on the east coast of Sicily between Messina and Catania. In good weather, you not only have a fantastic view of Mount Etna, but you can also see the coast of Calabria on the mainland. This city deserves a separate article, which you here finds.

Ponte Dei Saraceni 

A Norman arch bridge at the foot of Etna. Dei Saraceni, the name alone sounds like something special, right? - But is it worth a visit? We think so and we are rewarded. Although this bridge, which dates back to the 9th century, sounds like a Saracen bridge, it is actually a Norman structure that crosses the banks of the Simeto River. On one side we enjoy the view of the rushing Simeto, the largest Sicilian watercourse. And on the other side the Etna rises in the sunset. In between we even see a few times some ash clouds above the crater.

Megaliti di Argimusco

Today we are drawn to Argimusco, a plateau north of Etna. We quickly gain altitude again. From up here, about 1,100 meters, you have a fantastic view of Etna, the Lipari Islands, and various mountains and valleys.

But our destination today is a rock formation, so-called megaliths and dolmens. So-called because it is not sure whether these formations were created by a prehistoric population or have a purely natural origin.

So no Sicilian Stonehenge. But for us it was worth the journey. Especially since the stone "sculptures" are exciting either way. For us it was worth it.

Linguaglossa Etna North

As the saying goes, "You made your bed, now sleep in it" - Does this quote also apply to life after death?
If this is the case, the owners of the graves in a small Italian cemetery in Linguaglossa, at the foot of Mount Etna, have done everything right.

Which raises the question for us whether everyone who lies here now called such a sophisticated accommodation his own during his lifetime?
Don't worry, even if Etna is making funny noises in the background, we're not worried about passing away anytime soon.
And if it still gets us, the "ashes in the sea" variant would be more our thing. But what causes people to build such pompous gravesites? Even if you believe in life after death, there are only a few bones here.

Cimitero militare germanico di Motta Sant'Anastasia

When the keyword "Allied landings" is mentioned, almost everyone automatically thinks of the summer of 1944, Normandy and the so-called D-Day.

The fact that the Allies had already landed on Sicily a year earlier was increasingly forgotten. The so-called Operation Husky, and not D-Day, was the largest amphibious operation in the Second World War. Almost 15000 soldiers, among them 4678 German and 4325 Italian soldiers, lost their lives in this senseless slaughter. They did not fall, they literally bit the dust.

4561 German soldiers found their final resting place in the war gravesite Motta Sant'Anastasia. Among them my great-uncle Karl-Heinz Häusgen. What was meant as a gesture, for my aunt Rosemarie, touched my heart deeply. This war gravesite is not a classic military cemetery, certainly not a heroes' cemetery. Although set in an olive grove and flanked by the sea and Etna, it is not an idyll. From the outside, the mausoleum appears peaceful. As soon as I entered the inner courtyards, I felt an irrepressible energy.

Light and shadow

Der Spiegel reports that influencers have been expelled from Bali for not only flouting visa rules and corona requirements, but also romanticizing the country as "a paradise that has nothing to do with reality."

Although we are far from being influencers, we are always asked why we travel in the "current times". Since we are now part of the WAGENVOLK, i.e. full-time vanlifers, we were already in Sicily when it became a Corona hotspot. We can't recommend anyone to come here at this time. Movement is restricted, which is absolutely fine. It is for the protection of all of us, after all.

And yes we show more pictures of the beach and sea, than of the dark sides of the island. Who has not enough of negative news, can look at the wild garbage dumps. There are more than enough of them. Unfortunately, there are far too many. And if you do a beach cleanup, you hardly know where to put the garbage.

On the other hand, there are also always garbage sites where the garbage is separated so cleanly, as it is not even in Germany.

We will continue to show the unfiltered truth. However, this means that we do not use filters. And yes, we show dear the impressions that we look for ourselves. So our bus is at the end of the day on the beach and not in the dump.

But there is not only shadow, but also light. Many Sicilians use this time to clean their houses. They look forward to seeing tourists as soon as normality returns.

Sicily is wonderfully beautiful. There is so much beauty to discover: We love the baroque cities we know from previous trips. Great sights, some of which are UNESCO cultural heritage. We love the Madonie with its wonderful nature. We love the versatility, sometimes rough coast and sometimes sandy beach. With this fantastic turquoise of the sea. We love Cefalù, where we spent a few weeks over Christmas. I like the relaxed, friendly and helpful nature of the Sicilians.

We love the cuisine of Sicily, even if the restaurants are unfortunately closed right now. But the small fruit and vegetable ape have inspired us. And many fruit and vegetable stores have real delicacies, sometimes the young, super tasty red wine in plastic bottles for little money, or sometimes artichokes from the grill. If you like to eat and drink as much as we do, this is the place for you.

Sicily is like Italy, only more Italian. The Sicilians make a very proud impression on us, perhaps because they have suffered from changing rule in the past.

It hurts our hearts that this beautiful island has such big problems. Not only the garbage problem, but also unemployment. Many Sicilians have to leave their homes because they can't find work. We see so many abandoned houses in beautiful locations. The economic situation here is difficult. And since Corona, much more difficult.

This is not pity, the Sicilian would forbid himself that. He is too proud for that. And that is a good thing.

Conclusion

So what's the conclusion after this long time, after five months of crisscrossing? Damn long, isn't it? - That's what we thought, after we have informed ourselves a little in advance. We have been to the island before and sure, there are some blogs. However, if you google, you'll find mostly SEO-optimized blogs. Sicily in seven, in eight, in ten days. But is that enough? Maybe to get a first impression. But if there is one thing that has become very clear to us about this island, it is its versatility. There is not only one Sicily, not only the beautiful baroque towns, fishing and mountain villages, the sea, the mountains and lakes.

Sicily is more, much more. Of course, there are not only the beautiful sides. We have also reported a little about the dark sides. But often it is these somewhat dilapidated sites, lost places, abandoned villages that have a very special charm. And above it all towers Mama Etna, as the Sicilians affectionately call their volcano.

Sicily offers too much to experience it under time pressure. Sure, not everyone can shovel 5 months off to tour this island. Take it as an example: bottom line, we can say, even 5 months was not enough to explore everything. It was enough to fall in love with the island a little bit. Conclusion: Take as much time as you can spare for this island. Sicily is worth it!