Considering buying a property above Taormina, Sicily

[psi310398]

I'd be grateful for PH'ers views please.

I only need to be in the UK for a few weeks at a time for work and I have been considering buying a property somewhere in the Sicialian wine country around Etna (Mascali) to live in/semi retire and need to narrow down the search area. The local estate agents seem unwilling to give detailed information to specific questions...

The only must re area is that I can weekly commute from Catania when needed. So easy access to Catania is needed.

I know Sicily well but only from the summer when it is too blooming hot for me on the coast but fine for my OH. Equally, she does not want to freeze in the winter. The area I'm looking in is about 800-1000m above sea level which suggests to me that it will be a few degrees cooler in the summer but still pleasant most of the year but probably too cold for 'er indoors in Dec-Feb. The problem with googling data in this area is that there are several micro-climates, so if anyone here could point me to a source of more detailed information I'd be grateful. My OH speaks Italian fluently, so information in Italian would be just as helpful.

Any other thoughts would also be gratefully accepted.

Thanks

Peter

[AlexIT]

Hi,

I have found this:
http://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/medie-climatiche/Mas...
You can see average temperatures for each month as well as rain/humidity/wind data.

from there you can widen the data to the province of Catania or the entire region and look also for the historical data of the past 30 years.

[psi310398]

AlexIT said:

Hi,

I have found this:
http://www.ilmeteo.it/portale/medie-climatiche/Mas...
You can see average temperatures for each month as well as rain/humidity/wind data.

from there you can widen the data to the province of Catania or the entire region and look also for the historical data of the past 30 years.

AlexIT,

Thank you - that is very useful indeed. I'll explore this.

Best

Peter

[Gc285]

Down in the town you will roast July and August and can get a bit humid at night. A/c and granita is the answer.you only get cold in winter if you don't insulate the house,have inadequate heating which is most houses, or they don't want to spend out on gas.old houses and marble floors make it like a morgue in winter.up the hill does end up in the clouds a bit and wind can be strong on sea facing hills.there again,,the Taormina side is slightly sheltered from the med winter storms. If you build /modify your home in English spec,it can make a huge difference on both heat and cold.
I find the closer to catania, the dirtier it gets.

Ps 1000m is quite high, we are 400 on north coast.also watch out for afternoon shadows. You can loose the sun early if in the wrong spot in the hills.

Edited by Gc285 on Wednesday 27th May 15:21

[psi310398]

Gc285 said:

Down in the town you will roast July and August and can get a bit humid at night. A/c and granita is the answer.you only get cold in winter if you don't insulate the house,have inadequate heating which is most houses, or they don't want to spend out on gas.old houses and marble floors make it like a morgue in winter.up the hill does end up in the clouds a bit and wind can be strong on sea facing hills.there again,,the Taormina side is slightly sheltered from the med winter storms. If you build /modify your home in English spec,it can make a huge difference on both heat and cold.
I find the closer to catania, the dirtier it gets.

Ps 1000m is quite high, we are 400 on north coast.also watch out for afternoon shadows. You can loose the sun early if in the wrong spot in the hills.

Edited by Gc285 on Wednesday 27th May 15:21

Gc285,

Thank you for this advice. Very helpful. I have been in Syracuse (Ortigia itself) during July/August and know exactly what you mean! Hence, the heading for the hills but not too exposed.

P

[Ropps]

My family are from lamezia terme, such a beautiful and undiscovered spot in southern Italy! Direct flights from lamezia to London, beach on your doorstep and 20 minutes from the mountains where it is a little fresher in in the summer.