Sicily: Part 1

~ For Fizia and I, Sicily was a big “bucket list” location on the map. I remember finding a photo ages ago in Condé Naste Traveller of a beach in Sicily and thinking, “someday I have to go there!” There is no denying that there’s something unique and special about Sicily that separates it from the rest of Italy. Well… the food, the people, the varying landscapes, Mt.Etna (the tallest live volcano in Europe), to name a few.

Transportation ~ I should first mention honestly that Sicily takes a bit more planning. It’s not completely easy to get to or to get around. We rented a car, and although that was a bit of a fiasco at first, it was definitely worth it and the best way to get around! When planning, I would add extra time for each leg of travel on your journey (you just NEVER know what’s going to pop up in Sicily). For example…a herd of sheep ran INTO our car….the car was stopped and the sheep all charged it (I’m not kidding)! I was really grateful to have read this super honest article by Adventurous Kate about the joys and challenges of traveling Sicily before we left. Some of the things she mentions are really good to be aware of!

Sicily is BIG! It’s bigger than I imagined and driving out of Palermo, I was struck by just how urban it was! I’ve never been to a place that has such incredibly varied landscapes, and I loved it. Each day I woke up with the sense of, “what will we see today!?” and that was so thrilling! Driving through the middle of Sicily, we saw beautiful hilly farm landscapes and mountains that reminded me a little bit of what *I think* New Zealand must be like. Driving through mountains is probably my favorite kind of driving, and certain roads reminded me of the drive on Route 30, back from Vermont! The beaches were each very different, but all gorgeous with bright blue mediterranean water. Some of my lifelong travel “big moments” happened in Sicily: We saw a volcano erupt bright lava in the night sky, we stayed in a castle, we stayed in an ancient monastery, we hiked the Turkish Steps. This trip holds such a special place in my heart, and I’m excited to share it all with you!

Cefalú

~ AH we had our doubts! The guide books all say to skip Cefalù…DON’T SKIP CEFALÙ! *Granted, I’ve heard it gets wildly crowded (and just wild in general), during the high season. We were totally enchanted by this place with it’s stunning beach, tiny windy streets, town center, amazing restaurants, kind people, breathtaking sunsets, and well-preserved ruins that you will find after a great little hike!

If you can make it to Cefalù, definitely eat everything you possibly can and try to find the local spots! These were the 2 days of our 10 day trip that we really lived like a local and went the AirBnB route, but I’m so glad we did! We were only a block from the beach in the old historic part of town, and our sweet hostess had the BEST recommendations of restaurants and things to see.

We really enjoyed hiking La Rocca up to see all of the ruins and watched the sunset before coming down. Word to the wise: stick to the path! The hike was well worth it and I wish I had enough time to do it twice!

OH…and that photo I mentioned from Condé Naste Traveller? I found myself in the exact same spot, just by chance…it was a piece of magic!

The spot of my favorite Sicily photo! ^

~ Outfit Details: White Jeans ~ Top (under $20, runs a bit big so be sure to measure!) ~ Wedges from last season, but my favorite nude wedges this season are here, here, & here! ~ Sunglasses ~ Earrings ~ Necklace, from Lilly last season, but this season’s version is here! ~

~ After leaving Cefalù, we drove about 3 hours across the island to western Sicily to the STUNNING Castello San Marco! Located right between the hilltop town of Toarmina and Mt.Etna, this is one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful places I have ever been. The Sicilian Baroque castle was built in the late 17th century as the country residence of the Prince Ignazio Gravina. It was a place where he loved to entertain many guests and have parties…and I think you can feel that good happy energy as soon as you arrive at this beautiful place!

Valerio, whose family has owned and operated the castle for his whole life, grew up on the property. What an amazing place to grow up! He welcomed us and explained that the castle’s 28 garden suites were not yet open for the season and that we were the only ones on the property. You might think that staying in a castle mostly alone might not be something you would want…but I really feel like this added to the magic of our experience there! I felt like a princess.

Castello San Marco has so much to offer and staying in this incredible piece of history was such an amazing experience. On the property there is a private beach, flourishing botanical gardens, many banquet halls and beautiful locations for weddings, a restaurant, a spa, a large pool surrounded by tropical palm trees and fruit trees, tennis courts, a wine bar (with an incredibly well-preserved press in tact), and more!

I kept saying it while we were there, but I really feel like THIS is the Garden of Eden! There were pops of color absolutely everywhere and I feel like maybe the Lilly Pulitzer print team should take an inspiration trip there because the gardens just need to be turned into prints! I didn’t realize that orange and lemon trees could look so perfect and beautiful! It seemed like around every turn, my breath was taken away and I had no words. Here’s the most shocking part about our trip…it wasn’t even in full bloom! Can you imagine these photos with full blooming tropical flowers?! I MUST COME BACK!

Sitting by the pool on our last morning, I felt like I could stay right there in that warm spot for the entire rest of the trip. Something about this property makes you want to stay in this picturesque place forever (it’s got to be some sort of castle magic, I swear…). But, Fizia and I had to continue on our adventure. I’m so glad that we had the chance to visit Castello San Marco! Head over to their website for more information on this piece of paradise!