Travel Diaries
The Scenic Route Through Sicily
by Cherrie LynnSicily feels like a place with more than one story to tell. It had been on my bucket list for years, so when my husband, Johnrick, and I finally arrived, there was something special about discovering those stories for ourselves. We spent a little over two weeks road-tripping around the island, and somewhere between Palermo and Mount Etna, I began to understand just how much could change from one place to the next. With every turn in the road, Sicily seemed to take on a new character, shifting from grand and renowned to quiet and serene. It isn’t tied to one particular season or style of escape, either. From its cities to its landscapes and all the places in between, every corner has its moment, making the question of where to stay in Sicily almost as varied as the island itself.
Driving Into La Dolce Vita
After landing in Sicily, our first taste of the island was Cefalù, a seaside town that felt pulled straight from the destination I had imagined: golden beaches, a Norman cathedral, sun-faded alleyways and those unreal mountain-meets-sea views. Then we reached Palermo, and the mood shifted. Busy streets, lively traffic and a buzz that was impossible to ignore. As we followed the waterfront toward our first destination, though, the city slowly fell away. We were heading into a quieter corner of Palermo, close enough to feel its pulse but with a peaceful retreat waiting at the end of the road.
A Palazzo by the Sea
Arriving at Villa Igiea felt like stepping into another era, only with the Gulf of Palermo sparkling beyond the gardens. At the edge of the city, with Mount Pellegrino rising behind it, the turn-of-the-century palazzo carries all the romance of Belle Époque Palermo. Inside, soaring ceilings and ornate details caught my eye first, followed by an airy library just beyond reception, one of those spaces that makes you want to stop and take it all in. Outside, the pool sits between elegant Greek columns and the sea, a fitting nod to Igiea, the Greek goddess of health. It was grand without feeling imposing, and more than anything, I loved how peaceful it felt, as though the city had been left just beyond the gates.
A Little Taste of Palermo
Morning at Villa Igiea had its own kind of magic. I woke up rested and wandered down to the water, where kayakers were already tracing quiet lines across the Gulf. The gardens were still, and for a little while, there was nowhere else we needed to be. We made our way to Florio for breakfast, where the buffet presented a rather serious problem: there was far too much I wanted to try. I sampled my way through as much as I could, but the Iris stole the show. It was my first time trying the Palermo-born pastry, and one bite was enough to understand why it has become such a Sicilian staple.
Then it was off to Palermo. The hotel’s complimentary shuttle dropped us beside Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy, and from there we spent the day wandering. We made our way through the colourful stalls of Mercato del Capo and Mercato di Ballarò, passed through Quattro Canti and stopped to take in Palermo Cathedral, with Arab-Norman architecture appearing around nearly every corner. The theater itself turned out to be a fitting introduction to the city, and its 2027 winter calendar gives us another reason to return, with Macbeth, The Great Gatsby and Tosca among the season’s productions.
Somewhere along the way, we stumbled upon Pacon, a ceramics shop filled with colorful pieces ranging from Moorish heads and holy water stoups to hand-painted dishes, clocks and plenty more. We couldn’t resist picking up a few treasures to bring home. We also visited Monastero di Santa Caterina, where we found I Segreti del Chiostro tucked inside the church and, naturally, stopped for a cannolo.
If These Walls Could Talk
That afternoon, I met a friend back at the hotel for aperitivo at Igiea Terrazza Bar. We ordered mocktails and calamari and settled in overlooking the shimmering Gulf of Palermo. The bar may have had its moment in the spotlight as a filming location for the second season of The White Lotus, but its story stretches much further back. The original bar counter dates to 1900, while the frescoes were painted in the 1950s by Sicilian artist Gino Morici. Sitting there, I couldn’t help but wonder what that room would say if its walls could talk after more than 120 years.
A Glimpse Into the Past
By our last day, Villa Igiea had already started to feel familiar, so taking a tour of the property felt a bit like getting the inside scoop. We learned that the Florio family bought the villa in 1899 with plans to turn it into a sanatorium, before changing course and deciding Palermo needed a grand hotel instead. They brought in local architect Ernesto Basile, who transformed the property into the Belle Époque beauty we were standing in. Suddenly, all those ornate details I had admired on arrival had a story behind them.
I was glad we saved the tour for the end, because I started seeing the hotel differently. The gardens, frescoes and grand interiors weren’t simply beautiful backdrops anymore. They were pieces of a much bigger story, one that has included royalty, Hollywood stars and more than a century of Palermo life. We even got to tour the suite where Dua Lipa and Callum Turner stayed during their wedding celebrations in Sicily, which felt like a pretty fun footnote to our own stay. Palermo gave us the energy; Villa Igiea gave us somewhere lovely to escape it.
Finding Our Pace on Etna
After Palermo, we hit the road again, making our way around the island. Having a car turned out to be one of our best decisions, because so much of the fun was in the in-between: the winding roads, unexpected stops and towns that gave us a reason to pull over and stay awhile. We wandered the charming streets of Ortigia, took in the beautiful architecture of Ragusa and Noto, and made our way to Scopello for a dose of Sicily’s coastal scenery. Each stop had its own character, and the scenery seemed to change every time we got back in the car. But by the time we turned toward Mount Etna, I was more than ready to swap the to-see list for a slower pace at Monaci delle Terre Nere Etna Wine Resort.
Nestled on the slopes of Mount Etna, with views toward the Ionian Sea, Monaci felt like a breath of fresh air after days on the road. Surrounded by vineyards, greenery and open space, the property has been lovingly restored into a wine resort rooted in its volcanic surroundings. The Augustinian monks who once lived here were drawn to the fertile soil and sweeping views, and three centuries later, the vines still play a starring role.
Room to Exhale
We had a glass of the hotel’s own white wine by the pool while waiting for our room to be ready, and when it was finally time, we hopped in a golf cart and wound our way through the Mediterranean gardens to our private villa. Fresh fruit from the estate’s orchards was waiting for us, along with a private solar-heated infinity pool and a rustic interior of stone walls, wooden beams and hand-painted ceilings topped with chandeliers. But it was the couch that really won me over. The second I stretched out, I remember thinking I didn’t want to go anywhere. For the first time in days, my only plans were swimming, reading and relaxing.
That night, we had dinner at Locanda Nerello, where Sicilian flavors draw from the bounty of both land and sea. We worked our way through dishes including Modicana beef tartare, fusilloni with pork ragù and capocollo made from black pig. It was an incredible meal, naturally finished with a plate of tiramisu.
Trading Vines for City Streets
The next day, we drove into Catania, and the change of scenery was almost immediate. One minute we were surrounded by vineyards and open countryside; the next, we were weaving through the energy of the city. We visited Chiesa di San Benedetto and Chiesa di San Giuliano before strolling along Via Etnea and around Piazza Università, taking in a very different side of Sicily.
An Island That Keeps Changing
On our final morning, we woke up early enough to catch the sunrise. We had breakfast outside at our villa and one last swim before packing up and getting ready to leave. After two weeks of moving around Sicily, it felt like a quiet moment to take it all in.
Looking back, Villa Igiea and Monaci delle Terre Nere gave us two very different versions of Sicily. Villa Igiea brought us into the energy, history and beauty of Palermo, with a peaceful retreat waiting at the end of each day. Monaci offered the opposite: quiet mornings, open space and the rare feeling that there was nowhere else we needed to be. That contrast became one of my favorite parts of the road trip. Sicily never felt like a single destination. Every few days, the scenery changed, the pace shifted and it felt as though we had arrived somewhere entirely new.
