Pace: The Deciding Factor
Sicily is an active honeymoon. A good week might include sunset at the Greek theater in Taormina, a guided walk on Etna's old lava fields, a winery lunch on the volcano's northern slope, a swim off the rocks in Ortigia and an evening in Noto when the stone turns gold. Add Palermo, Monreale and Agrigento and you need more time. Distances are real: Taormina to Siracusa takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and Palermo to Taormina about three.
Puglia rewards doing less. Days are built around a swim, a short drive to a hill town and a lunch that runs past three. Ostuni, Locorotondo, Cisternino and Alberobello are all close together in or near the Itria Valley. Lecce is about an hour and a half south. Nothing feels urgent.
If you come back from vacations wishing you had seen more, choose Sicily. If you come back wishing you had rested more, choose Puglia.
History and Sights
Few places in Europe pack in as much as Sicily. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento and the temple at Segesta are among the finest Greek remains anywhere. Villa Romana del Casale has extraordinary Roman mosaics. Palermo's Arab-Norman churches and the cathedral at Monreale glitter with Byzantine gold. In Ortigia, the cathedral is built into a Greek temple. Agrigento's temples open in the evening on some summer nights, which is a romantic way to see them.
Puglia's sights are quieter and more about atmosphere. Alberobello's cone-roofed trulli are a UNESCO World Heritage site, best seen early before the tour buses. Lecce's baroque facades are beautiful when lit after dark. Ostuni, the white city, glows in late afternoon light. Matera, just over the border in Basilicata, adds ancient cave dwellings turned hotels and restaurants as a day trip.
For couples where one partner loves archaeology, Sicily is the easy winner. Puglia offers beauty you absorb rather than sites you tick off.
Beds and Bases
Sicily's most famous hotels are in Taormina. Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo sits beside the Greek theater, with its sister Villa Sant'Andrea down on the water. San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons hotel, fills a former convent. These are among the priciest hotels in southern Italy in June and September. Elsewhere, Ortigia has boutique rooms in old palazzi, Noto has restored farm estates with pools and Etna has wine estates. Monaci delle Terre Nere, an organic wine estate on Etna's eastern slopes, starts around $300 a night in shoulder season. Most couples pick two bases, often Taormina or Etna plus Ortigia or Noto.
Puglia's signature is the masseria. Masseria Torre Maizza, a Rocco Forte hotel among olive trees near the coast, starts around $900 a night. Borgo Egnazia and Masseria San Domenico are nearby, with smaller family masserie costing far less. Ostuni, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Lecce have good town hotels.
Prices are approximate. Ask any masseria whether weddings are scheduled during your stay.
Two of Italy's Best Kitchens
This is a near tie. It is also the reason many couples choose southern Italy at all.
Sicily's food is layered like its history. Breakfast is granita, almond, lemon or coffee, with a soft brioche. Arancini are the snack. Pasta alla Norma comes from Catania. Caponata is sweet and sour eggplant. Sea urchin pasta appears on the coast in season. Cannoli should be filled to order. Bronte pistachios turn up in everything from pesto to gelato. Wines run from elegant Etna reds made from Nerello Mascalese to Nero d'Avola and Marsala. In Palermo, Ballarò market serves panelle in bread.
Puglia's food is simpler and just as satisfying. Orecchiette with turnip greens and chili, burrata that originated here, focaccia barese on the beach and bombette grilled to order at Cisternino's butchers. Raw seafood and fresh sea urchins are sold at harbor stalls. Primitivo di Manduria and Negroamaro reds are bold and good value.
Pick Sicily for variety. Pick Puglia for comfort food done perfectly.
Flights and Driving
Sicily has the advantage in summer. United flies seasonally from Newark to Palermo (PMO). Other New York routes have run in recent seasons. Otherwise connect through Rome, Milan or a European hub into Catania (CTA) or Palermo. Most couples fly into Catania and out of Palermo, or the reverse, with a one-way car rental to avoid backtracking.
For Puglia, fly into Bari (BRI) or Brindisi (BDS). Seasonal nonstops from the US to Bari have been added in recent summers, so check schedules. High-speed trains from Rome reach Bari in about four hours.
Both regions need a car. Puglia's roads are good, mostly flat and easy. Sicily's highways are fine, but secondary roads are slow and driving in Palermo and Catania is chaotic. In both, historic centers restrict traffic, so park at the edge and walk in. On either, avoid long drives after a wine-heavy lunch. Allow more time than your mapping app suggests for parking in old towns.
Heat, Seasons and Beaches
May, June, September and October are best in both. July and August are hot, with Sicily's interior often above 95°F, so coastal bases with pools matter. August is when Italians take their own holidays. Beaches in both regions fill up around Ferragosto in mid-August.
Sicily has a slightly longer comfortable season. October often brings warm water and fewer visitors. In winter its cities stay lively for food and culture, with snow possible on Etna. Puglia is mild but gray and quiet in winter, with many masserie and beach clubs closed from November to March.
For beaches, Puglia has the edge. The Salento has sandy beaches with very clear water. Beach clubs called lidi rent loungers by the day. Sicily's sea is lovely too, from the coves below Taormina and Isola Bella to Ortigia's wooden swim platforms, but its strengths are on land.
On Etna, bring layers even in summer, since temperatures fall fast with altitude. Areas near the summit craters require licensed guides.
Choosing, or Doing Both
Sicily and Puglia are not easy neighbors. Driving between them means crossing Calabria and taking the ferry over the Strait of Messina, a long day. Flying usually means connecting through Rome. With two weeks, it can work: a week in eastern Sicily, then a week in Puglia. With less time, choose one.
Sicily pairs more naturally with the Aeolian Islands or with Rome. Puglia pairs well with Matera and, for couples with ten nights or more, the Amalfi Coast, about four hours away by car.
If you are still torn, think about the honeymoon you will talk about afterward. Sicily gives you a long list of stories. Puglia gives you a feeling of time stopping by a pool under olive trees. Neither is a wrong answer.
