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A group tour of Sicily turns out to be a great way to explore this fascinating destination.

I

t was a hot day near the end of August, and I was sitting in a full tour bus, gripping my seat. We were making our way up a 3,000-foot mountain toward the medieval town of Erice, on the sun-drenched island of Sicily (which, on a map, looks like a football being kicked by the boot-shaped mainland of Italy). The road was filled with hairpin turns, and as I looked down, I realized that only a low wall separated us from the sheer drop off the cliff. At each turn, the bus driver honked the horn to warn oncoming cars to pull over and let us pass—the curves were much too narrow to accommodate two vehicles at one time.

In spite of my nervousness, I was seduced by the beauty outside my window. The countryside, dotted with olive trees, stretched out toward the Mediterranean Sea, sparkling in the afternoon light. When the bus pulled onto the main street of Erice, one of my fellow passengers shouted, "Heart, you can start beating again!"

Everybody laughed, and at that moment I realized how glad I was to be on a group tour, rather than just on my own. I was thoroughly enjoying the camaraderie of 35 travelers who had all booked U.S.-based Trafalgar Tours' 11-day bus trip to some of Sicily's most famous sites. I'd chosen this vacation so that I wouldn't have to make my own arrangements, and I was looking forward to sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the experience. I'd never traveled this way before, and I was curious—would I like it? And, would it make a good way to honeymoon?

Island Dreams

After spending the first two nights in Rome, we traveled by bus eight hours south to the city of Villa San Giovanni (on the toe of the boot), and then took a ferry to Messina, Sicily. From this busy port, we rode south to the ritzy resort town of Taormina, where we would spend our first three nights on the island. Our lovely hotel was situated right on the sea, but I was surprised to discover that there was no beach—most of Sicily's coastline is rocky. Our resort had wooden decks for sunbathing and ladders to take swimmers down to the water.

In spite of the laid-back feel of the hotel, our group didn't spend much time relaxing by the water—there was just too much to see and do. On our first evening, we visited the old section of Taormina, a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets lined with fancy boutiques and pastry shops. There, we joined the throngs of Sicilians who were taking their evening walk on the Corso Umberto, the main street. We strolled, eating gelato, just like everyone else. I had been in Sicily for only a few hours, and yet I felt like a local.

A half-hour later, we were back on the bus, heading to dinner in another town. When several people grumbled about not having had time to go shopping or stop for a drink at a café, I could see one of the downsides of group touring, both for honeymooners and for the average traveler: Your time is not your own because you must keep to a schedule. But my dissatisfaction was short-lived as I quickly became entranced by the wonderful view from my window. And dinner turned out to be a real treat.

La Dolce Vita

No trip to Sicily is complete without visiting some of the island's spectacular ancient Greek temples. On the west coast, not far from Syracuse, is Agrigento, which was settled in the 6th century B.C. Agrigento is a must-see for honeymooners: It is the home of the Temple of Juno, the goddess of marriage. The temple sits majestically on a hill, overlooking the countryside and the Mediterranean. It's an ethereally beautiful structure: When we were there, in the late afternoon, the massive columns, lit by the setting sun, cast mystical shadows. As I wandered around this architectural wonder, it wasn't hard to imagine how magical this complex must have seemed to the area's ancient inhabitants.

We filled our days in Sicily with visits to historic sights like Agrigento. In addition to the tours that were on the regular itinerary, we also had the option of participating in special excursions—say, to a sightseeing spot or a restaurant with live entertainment. One afternoon, we visited the tiny medieval village of Savoca, where the Sicilian scenes of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather were filmed. The town has no hotels and only one souvenir shop, and to me it felt as if nothing there had changed in 500 years. I appreciated that Trafalgar included this remote spot on our tour—I may not have found it on my own. Another day, we rode up Mt. Etna, Sicily's 11,000-foot active volcano, where we watched steam rise from the crater. Unlike Savoca, this is a popular tourist destination, but it was fascinating nonetheless.

Had I been on my honeymoon, however, I probably would have opted out of many (if not all) of the side trips in favor of time alone with my spouse. What could be more romantic than spending the morning by the pool, and the afternoon strolling arm in arm through a lovely Italian town with your new husband, picking out hand-painted tiles for your home and seeing the sights together?

Buon Appetito

We ate well everywhere in Sicily, although we had a few average meals in hotel dining rooms. (Because the companies get bulk rates for them, many group tours include such meals.) However, after a long day of sightseeing, there's no question that taking an elevator to a hotel dining room, rather than climbing back on the bus to go to a local restaurant, can be a welcome convenience.

For those meals not included in the package (all lunches and several dinners), one of our guides would steer us toward reputable spots and help to translate the menu. (We split off into smaller groups, but honeymooners may want to take this time to enjoy a meal alone.) Although Sicilians love to have long, drawn-out family lunches, with plenty of courses and wine, not all of ours were sit-down, and that was fine with me. Most businesses are closed between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.—this is the hottest time of the day—but we still had plenty to see. Often we'd grab something on the go—an arancino (a fried rice ball filled with cheese and meat) or a scacciata (which is like a calzone, and is stuffed with cheese and spinach or ham). These Sicilian specialties were quick, cheap and delicious.

At dinner, though, we took the time to enjoy our meals the way Italians do, indulging in two-hour, multicourse suppers with plenty of good local wine and laughter. After one memorable meal of risotto followed by grilled squid, and rich cannoli for dessert, we rode back to the hotel in the bus with the driver acting as our DJ on the vehicle's stereo system. As we all sang along to favorite Italian-American tunes like "That's Amore," our guide flashed the bus' interior lights, disco-style. It was wonderful having a fun group of people with whom to share a boisterous evening.

That's Amore

We ended our trip in Sicily's capital city of Palermo, and as I ambled along the lovely shopping boulevard of Via della Libertà, which is lined with upscale boutiques like Hermès and Frette, I realized how glad I was that I had signed up for the trip. Somewhere in between learning about the local history and culture, eating elaborate meals and getting to know a bunch of strangers whom I now considered friends, I had been thoroughly seduced by the magic of this fascinating place. As the sun began to set behind the skyline, casting shadows on the lovely, tree-lined streets, only one thought ran through my head: Arrivederci, Sicily. Until we meet again.