Ultimate Sicily Road Trip (North Coast)

I’ve been to mainland Italy twice before this trip but this was my first time in Sicily. It’s a big island with towns and cities scattered all over, separated by large swaths of empty land. I figured, if we have to rent a car, we might as well road trip across the whole island. How hard could it be?

Honestly, planning a road trip through Sicily is remarkably easy. This is why:

Sicily’s highways are well maintained. There were a lot of “road work ahead” signs and zero workers to be seen.Surprisingly, this never created any traffic. City streets are narrow but we always found parking. Drivers love to tailgate until you switch lanes, but they are skilled enough it never became dangerous.

The goal of this road trip was to remain on the coast/flat land, although there were endless cliff-side roads at the end. We saw all of the towns below in five days total. You can definitely spread this out into a longer trip. We were pressed for time since we went to Rome & Paris as well.

Trapani

City on the Western most point in Sicily. We didn’t spend much time there as we were headed to the smaller islands (next on this list). But the town was pretty. Local sights include Erice Castle, Trapani Salt Pans, and San Giuliano beach.

Favignana & Levanzo

These are two of the Aegadian Islands off the coast of Trapani. How to get to Favignana and Levanzo.

Favignana Island is larger with four times as many beaches as well as a bigger town. Levanzo has incredible jagged rock walls facing the sea due to old mining sites.

Smaller boat trips to Favignana and Levanzo islands focus on swimming, while the big ferries are better suited to those who want to explore the tiny towns. Either way, you will be surrounded by stunning turquoise waters.

Mondello

Mondello is a quiet beach town west of Palermo. We stayed here since I didn’t want to drive/park in a big city. Our AirBnb was gorgeous and clean. Although, it’s an uphill drive and the parking is TIGHT.

Palermo

The capital of Sicily with a historical center and tons of activities. It’s a bit grittier than the rest of the island, but I like that. It felt like a real city. We didn’t see any of the beaches in Palermo Sicily itself. Instead, we drove to other beaches right outside Palermo city.

Spiaggia del Sarello

Small beach town with gorgeous views up/down the coast, including Palermo which is only an hour away. Make sure to specify “spiaggia” on your GPS or you might end up beside local fishing boats. More on how to get here.

Punta Sant’Elia

A tiny, hidden nook with very few tourists. It’s basically a perfect turquoise pool in the middle of a town. Climb down the stairs and jump in!

Cefalú

Medieval city with a massive cathedral and quaint downtown center. The beach is literally steps away from the city which makes for the most amazing views.

Torre Conca

This beach is more adventurous. You have to hike down a steep hill and swim into some choppy waves. That said, the views are amazing.

Taormina

The White Lotus town which (as expected) is very pricey. Like a fairytale, it sits on the very top of a hill. But it’s not for the faint of heart. You will need to hike up/down stairs and drive on the edge of seemingly endless cliffs.

Naxos

Quaint beach town just below Taormina. We stayed here since it was cheaper (and sea level). The beach is lined with restaurants, umbrellas, and tourism stands were you can find affordable boat trips up the coast to Taormina.