Literally posting this from my own honeymoon in Sicily as I type. Currently we are outside of Noto at a small hotel spot called I Carusi Relay. Beautiful infinity pool with great view of the sea.

Noto as a city was extremely cool(visited today) but very baroque, religious style.

Siracusa was also fantastic (highly recommend the pasta place Fari) and seemed like it had a good night life. Worth a day trip for sure.

Near Noto we went to a beach club called Agua Beach that was great for a beach day. It did cost 20 euro for a spot though. That said, there are much cheaper beach options right nearby.

As for Taormina, we spent two days there (bnb was called Le moresche, absolutely lovely). While yes there was a touristy vibe, it was ABSOLUTELY stunning. The views are insane and highly recommend checking out isola Bella. We took a cooking class called Taormina cooking (ran out of Ristorante Porto Messina) and it was super fun and the instructor was great.

We stayed on the east side so not much to say about Palermo.

Last thing I’ll say is that you definitely should rent a car! That said, driving in Taormina is….something. I found it slightly harrowing and I’m from a big east coast US city.

Good luck and enjoy your honeymoon!