Hi Leyre,

I was just two days in Sicily (in 2006, summer), because I had done a complete Italy tour from Germany to Sicily. So I just want to give you some little. The road Messina - Giardini-Naxos is full of traffic, partially. Instead you have a wonderful look to the sea. Most fascinating is the Isola Bella and coastline close to Taormina. To go for Taormina upwards is not a must - it's very touristic and really exciting except the panorama.

It's worth to go for the Gola alcantara, a canon you have to pay for if visiting. But you get a good impression even from outside and from the road a little bit north of the entry.

You shouldn't miss the highlight of any Sicily tour: a climb to the Etna. Iwas coming from Zafferana to the Rifugio Sapienza and then down to Nicolosi further to Catania. You see wonderful red flowers inside the black stony earth and you feel in a strange character between dead stone spreading new nature. The bringing death of lava stone and the new life. There is always great panorama to the sea, if there are no clouds.

In Sicily you can stay in a lot of bed & breakfast houses. To start for the Etna: I had a very wonderful night in Milo-Fornazzo, B&B "Lo Faro Lavinia". I watched the fire spitting Etna in the night, a two large rooms a comfortable bathroom, a terrace in the morning with a very good breakfast under trees and flowers, selfmade marmelade etc. Very heartly people.

Catania is elegant and without cars inside, but outside you feel like in a hell of traffic. I know, there are a lot of other fascinanting routes, especially passes north of the Etna region. Maybe I will tke some later time.

Have fun on your tour!