(Originally posted 5 June 2016) We had not originally planned to visit Sicily, but when we realised how close we were, simply needing to catch a 30-minute ferry and how our friends in Italy were raving about it, the choice seemed obvious.
We arrived in Messina, Sicily, via the ferry from Villa San Giovanni. This was our very first ferry journey where we had taken a car onboard, and to make it more exciting, the weather was quite dramatic. As we crossed, we could see areas of bright sunshine right next to the dark skies of a menacing storm. As advised, we had timed our journey so that we would be able to catch the famous ringing of the tower’s bells at the Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta.
Still not 100% confident while driving on the right-hand side of the road, simple things for locals like figuring out where to get tickets for the ferry journey and how to pay for the toll roads all became part of the Sicilian adventure.
Google maps on these winding roads can be tricky to follow, so by accident, we drove through Taormina’s hilltop streets, edging our way through the tourist masses. However, we were glad for the necessity to drive slowly on these winding roads next to sheer drops to the ocean.
We finally made our way to our home for the next few days in Letojanni, a beach town practically located in Taormina’s shadow. The apartment was a fantastic base for us, and as the peak season had not yet started, we had the building (and its private beachfront) to ourselves. We also had access to the best Gelato on the planet – Crème Caramel flavoured!
One highlight of our day of wandering the streets of Taormina was the visit to the Teatro Greco. You can only imagine what it must have been like to view the performances at this theatre with the fantastic view of the ocean below.
Since we still had our rental car, we planned a day trip down the coast, driving past a steaming Mt Etna. We travelled to the wonderfully Baroque town of Noto, with its elaborate stone buildings. The architecture was lovely and made this visit very special. On our way home, we stopped at Siracuse and Ortigia Island. The Duomo Siracuse and the adjoining Piazza were also well worth the trip.
The public transport system is very efficient and affordable, so we quickly realised that we could return our rental car and save a lot of money. The remaining days in Sicily were spent lazily walking into town, buying local wine and fresh produce to make delicious meals while eating gelato on your way home, enjoying the view of the pebble beaches.
Overall, hiring an apartment in Letojanni, Sicily, in May is something we would highly recommend to anyone who needs a little soul rejuvenation.
View more photos of our visit to Sicily and Southern Italy here.