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The silhouettes of the Aeolian Islands rising from sea mist at dusk, with smoke drifting from the central volcano

Sample journey · 11–13 days

Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, between volcanoes and baroque

Palermo, Cefalù, Salina & Stromboli, Taormina & Etna, Ortigia & Noto

Photo: Salvatore Tonnara / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Sicily is an island where a single day can hold Arab domes and Norman mosaics, a Greek theatre and baroque façades, and end with dinner beside a sea overlooked by an active volcano. To the north, beyond the horizon, lie the Aeolian Islands: seven volcanic islands, each with its own pace, one given over to capers and vines, another to the rumble of crater explosions every few minutes.

This sample route circles the island clockwise: from Palermo east along the coast, a few nights out in the Aeolians, then Taormina beneath Etna and the baroque towns of the south-east. It suits couples and honeymoons, with its attention on stays with character, evenings by the sea and food rather than a rushed list of sights. The pace, the islands and the stays would be shaped around you.

The route

The journey

  1. Palermo
  2. Cefalù
  3. Salina
  4. Stromboli
  5. Taormina & Etna
  6. Ortigia & Noto
  7. Catania
  1. A small three-wheeled truck selling fruit on an old street in Palermo

    01Days 1–3 · Palermo

    Markets, mosaics and street food

    Palermo can feel chaotic at first, then wins you over quickly. A morning in the Ballarò or Capo market with a local guide: panelle, arancine, sfincione and fresh lemons straight from the stall. In the afternoon, the Arab-Norman heritage: the gold mosaics of the Palatine Chapel, the red domes of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and, in the hills above the city, the cathedral of Monreale. In the evening, the passeggiata and dinner in a small trattoria in the old town.

  2. Cefalù's old town and cathedral beneath the Rocca at blue hour, with rocks in the calm sea in the foreground

    02Days 4–5 · Cefalù

    A cathedral beneath the rock, a beach beneath the windows

    An hour by train east along the coast brings you to Cefalù, a fishing town beneath the great rock of the Rocca. In the Norman cathedral, one of the most striking mosaics of Christ Pantocrator looks down from the apse, and the lanes of the old town run down to a medieval wash-house and the beach. The Rocca is best climbed early, while it is still cool, and the evening spent on the harbour wall as the houses above the water catch the last light.

  3. The volcanic island of Stromboli at dusk, with smoke rising from the crater

    03Days 6–8 · Salina & Stromboli

    A green island and fire in the dark

    From the port of Milazzo, a hydrofoil to Salina, the greenest of the Aeolian Islands, formed by two extinct volcanoes. Capers and malvasia grapes grow here and life moves slowly: a morning walk up Monte Fossa delle Felci, the highest point in the archipelago, swims from the rocks, sunset over the bay of Pollara. One evening, a boat to Stromboli: after dark, from the water, you can watch the crater's explosions light up the slope of the Sciara del Fuoco. Walking higher on the volcano is only allowed with authorised guides, and only when current rules permit.

  4. The ruins of Taormina's ancient theatre, with snow-capped Etna behind

    04Days 9–10 · Taormina & Etna

    A theatre with a view of a volcano

    Back on the Sicilian mainland, an hour and a half's drive to Taormina, perched on a cliff above the sea. Behind the stage of its Greek and Roman theatre stands Etna, snow-capped for much of the year. The next day, on the volcano with a volcanology guide: the Silvestri craters, frozen rivers of lava and, when conditions allow, the higher slopes. In the afternoon, a wine tasting on Etna's northern slope, where vines grow in black volcanic soil.

  5. The Arethusa promenade on the west side of Ortigia, with houses and terraces beside the sea

    05Days 11–13 · Ortigia & Noto

    Baroque stone, and the sea on every side

    The last nights are in Ortigia, the old island heart of Syracuse. The columns of a Greek temple to Athena still stand in the walls of the cathedral, papyrus grows in the Fountain of Arethusa, and in the evening the Arethusa promenade becomes one of the loveliest walks in Sicily. One day goes to Noto, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake as a unified baroque town, with almond granita and, if you'd like the sea, the beaches of the Vendicari nature reserve. Catania airport is about an hour from Ortigia.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Palermo's markets in the morning

    Street food, voices and colour: the best introduction to Sicily there is.

  2. 02

    Sunset on Salina

    The bay of Pollara at evening, a glass of malvasia and the silhouettes of the other islands at sea.

  3. 03

    Stromboli from the water

    Flashes from the crater in the dark, watched from the water; volcanic activity and the weather vary from day to day.

  4. 04

    Ortigia and Noto

    A Greek temple inside a cathedral, baroque façades and the warm colour of stone in the evening light.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More islands

    Two nights on Stromboli, a day on Panarea or wild Filicudi: the Aeolians could easily become half the journey.

  • Slower, for a honeymoon

    Skip Cefalù for more nights on Salina and in Ortigia, and end with a few days at a quiet masseria among the olive trees.

  • For food and wine

    A cooking class in Palermo, more time among Etna's wineries and a day in Modica, known for its chocolate.

  • With western Sicily

    With a few more days, you could head west from Palermo to Segesta, Erice, the salt pans and the Egadi Islands.

Practical considerations

  • Access to Stromboli and Etna depends on volcanic activity and the rules can change within days: walking higher is only permitted with authorised guides and only when local authorities allow it. We always check the plan just before travel and keep an alternative ready.
  • Hydrofoil timetables to the Aeolians vary by season, and sailings are cancelled in rough seas, so we leave some slack in the days after the islands.
  • May–June and September–October are usually the most pleasant; July and August are hot, and the islands and coast are at their busiest.
  • Between towns, a driver or the train is easiest; Sicily's old towns often have restricted traffic zones for cars.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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