Sicily

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Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean: a triangle of more than 25,000 km² between the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Strait of Sicily, dominated by Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards left behind Doric temples, Byzantine mosaics and Baroque towns rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Allow at least ten days to grasp its diversity, from Palermo to Syracuse and from street markets to high-altitude vineyards. This guide helps you choose your stops, the right season and how to get there, and points out the flavours not to miss.

An island at the crossroads of civilisations

An autonomous Italian region with special status, Sicily has Palermo as its capital and nearly 4.8 million inhabitants. It also governs several archipelagos: the Aeolian Islands to the north, the Egadi Islands to the west, and Ustica, Pantelleria and the Pelagie Islands to the south. The Strait of Messina, about 3 km wide at its narrowest point, separates it from Calabria.

History can be read in the landscape: the Greek colonies of Agrigento, Syracuse and Selinunte, an Arab emirate, a Norman kingdom in the 12th century, then Aragonese and Spanish rule. The island has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Valley of the Temples, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Aeolian Islands, the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, Syracuse and the Necropolis of Pantalica, Mount Etna, and Arab-Norman Palermo with the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale.

From Palermo to Syracuse: the main stops

In the west, Palermo mixes Norman palaces, markets (Ballarò, Capo, Vucciria) and Baroque churches; the cathedral of Monreale and its golden mosaics are about fifteen kilometres away. Towards Trapani, the medieval town of Erice, the temple of Segesta, the Marsala salt pans, the Zingaro reserve and the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo are worth several days. Cefalù, a small seaside town dominated by its Norman cathedral, lies about an hour east of Palermo.

On the south coast, Agrigento and its Valley of the Temples come before the white marl cliff of the Scala dei Turchi, where access is now capped and charged and walking on the rock is prohibited. The south-east is home to the Baroque of the Val di Noto (Noto, Modica, Ragusa, Scicli) and to Syracuse, whose island of Ortigia forms the historic centre. In the north-east, Taormina overlooks the Ionian Sea, facing Etna, which is approached from Nicolosi (south side) or Linguaglossa (north side).

For a day trip or a longer stay, the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Panarea) are reached from Milazzo, and the Egadi Islands (Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo) from Trapani, in under an hour for Favignana.

Spring and autumn, the most pleasant seasons

The climate is Mediterranean: mild winters on the coasts and hot, dry summers, with temperatures often above 35 °C inland in July and August. From April to June and in September and October, conditions are best for sightseeing and hiking, and the sea stays warm enough for swimming until around mid-October.

Winter suits cities and museums, with major festivals such as the Feast of Saint Agatha in Catania in early February; snow may then cover Etna and the Madonie. In summer, book early, especially for the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, and plan outdoor visits for early in the morning. From May to July, the Greek Theatre of Syracuse hosts INDA's season of ancient tragedies and comedies.

Four airports and ferries from mainland Italy

Catania-Fontanarossa and Palermo Falcone-Borsellino handle most direct flights, from many European cities including Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Basel-Mulhouse, Geneva, Zurich, Brussels and Charleroi, some of them seasonal. Trapani-Birgi, in the west, is mainly served by Ryanair, and Comiso, in the south-east, by domestic routes and a few seasonal flights. From Montreal, Air Canada operates a seasonal route to Catania.

By sea, overnight ferries link Genoa, Civitavecchia and Naples with Palermo or Termini Imerese (GNV), and Livorno, Salerno and Naples with Palermo (Grimaldi Lines). By car or train through Calabria, the crossing of the Strait of Messina from Villa San Giovanni takes about 20 to 30 minutes (Caronte & Tourist, Bluferries).

Getting around: a car remains the most flexible option

The A19 (Palermo–Catania), A20 (Palermo–Messina), A18 (Messina–Catania, then Syracuse–Rosolini) and A29 (Palermo–Trapani and Mazara del Vallo) motorways form the backbone of the network, but the interior is crossed on slower roads. A rental car lets you combine sites, villages and beaches; avoid driving in historic centres, however, which are often designated limited traffic zones (ZTL).

Regional buses link the main cities (Palermo, Catania, Syracuse, Agrigento), and the train is handy on some coastal routes, such as Palermo–Cefalù or Catania–Taormina. Allow about 2 hours 30 minutes by road between Palermo and Catania and 1 hour between Catania and Syracuse. For the islands, hydrofoils and ferries leave from Milazzo (Aeolian Islands), Trapani (Egadi Islands) and Palermo (Ustica).

A cuisine of markets, citrus and sugar

Sicilian cooking bears the mark of its Arab and Spanish influences: arancine (arancini in the east of the island), panelle and sfincione on the streets of Palermo, pasta con le sarde with wild fennel, sweet-and-sour caponata, pasta alla Norma in Catania and fish couscous in Trapani. For dessert, try ricotta-filled cannoli, cassata and granita, served for breakfast with a brioche.

Several products have protected status, such as Modica chocolate (PGI), Bronte pistachios (PDO) and Pachino tomatoes (PGI). Wines range from Marsala to the Etna reds made from Nerello Mascalese and Nero d'Avola, not forgetting the Malvasia of the Aeolian Islands.

Essentials & your questions

Essentials & your questions

Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons