Sicily Honeymoon: Etna, Taormina and the Islands

Why Sicily works for a honeymoon

Sicily packs more variety into one island than anywhere else in Italy: a live volcano you can summit at sunset, Greek temples older than Rome, baroque towns stacked on hillsides, and beach coves that belong to postcards. And compared with the Amalfi Coast, your money goes roughly twice as far.

The trade-off: distances. Sicily is bigger than most couples expect - drive Catania to Palermo direct and it is nearly three hours. The trick is choosing one or two bases and letting them anchor the trip.

Our route: 7-10 days

Days 1-4: Taormina and the east. Land at Catania (CTA), drive an hour to Taormina. The Greek theatre stages concerts under the stars all summer; Isola Bella's pebble crescent sits ten minutes below town. Day-trip to Siracusa's Ortygia island for the baroque old town and the best fish couscous outside Palermo.

Days 5-6: Mount Etna. Base at Nicolosi or one of the wine estates on the northern slopes. Ride the cable car toward the summit craters, taste Etna Nerò Mascalese wines grown on black lava soils - among Italy's most exciting whites and reds right now.

Days 7-10: Aeolian Islands or Palermo. From Milazzo port, hydrofoils reach Lipari in under an hour; Salina is quieter, Stromboli glows orange every few minutes after dark. Alternatively continue west to Palermo for street food (sfincione, panelle), the Cappella Palatina mosaics, and a day trip up to Erice or the Segesta temple.

• ✦Taormina + Siracusa: 3-4 nights (east base)
• ✦Etna wine country: 1-2 nights (Nicolosi / Randazzo)
• ✦Aeolian Islands: 2-3 nights OR Palermo: 2 nights (west)
• ✦Catania airport: works for both ends of the island

Where to stay

Taormina: hotels with an Etna-sea double view command a premium; staying down at Giardini Naxos costs half as much. On Etna, wine estates convert rooms at vineyard prices and dinners are memorable. In the Aeolians, Lipari has the widest choice of beds and restaurants; Salina has the boutique charm.

Palermo merits two nights more for food lovers than most guides suggest - the street-food scene ranks with Palermo's grander past.

When to go

May-June and September-October are the sweet months: warm seas, working ferries, comfortable hill walks on Etna. July-August can push past 40°C inland; beaches compensate but sightseeing suffers. Winter is mild and uncrowded - Etna even skis some seasons - though the Aeolian ferry timetable shrinks badly.

What it costs

Seven nights across east Sicily and Etna, rental car included, good 4-star standards: €2,200-3,500 per couple without flights. Adding the Aeolian transfer pushes €4,000+. Street food meals run €8-15 a head - Sicily remains Italy's cheapest gourmet destination.

Building the wider Italian honeymoon? Our north Italy route, south Amalfi route and tipping guide cover the rest.

The honest advice

Do rent a car (unlike the Amalfi Coast) - public transport rarely reaches the wine estates or inland towns. Don't attempt Etna's summit without a guide: rules since 2010 require certified volcano guides above a certain altitude, and winds cancel cable cars regularly. Watch the ferries to the Aeolians - schedules drop sharply from late October.