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Sicily offers plenty of fantastic towns where the Sicilian people embrace you with open arms.
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Sicily in 20 seconds
There are thousands of things to see and experience on Sicily, where the gorgeous side of nature makes itself known immediately. The more than 3,000 meter high volcano Etna dominates the eastern part of the island. The trip via boat takes roughly 30 minutes, ferrying you across the Strait of Messina, between San Giovanni in Calabria and Messina. Those who travel from the mainland are often surprised to arrive in a modern city with low houses and wide streets, and the surprise is no less evident when seeing the beautiful Peoloritani mountains that makes for a beautiful backdrop to the city.
Sicily
Holiday in Sicily
Sicily offers plenty of fantastic towns where the Sicilian people embrace you with open arms. The capital of Palermo is of course a must see attraction, especially since you’ve made it all the way to the southernmost part of Italy anyway. The city is located at the bottom of a wide bay that is enclosed by Capo Zafferano to the south, and Mount Pellegrino to the north.
Taormina is a city that gets lit up beautifully by the light. It lies on a narrow terrace and slopes up the mountain from there. On the fertile plain south of Etna lies Catania, the capital of the richest part of Sicily. Hence the city’s nickname “The Milan of southern Italy”.
South of Catania we found Siracusa, which is both striking and stunning in terms of the location. The city is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient Greek world.
Cefalù is located on Sicily’s northern coast, and is a beautiful and unspoiled coastal town dominated by the cliff known as La Rocca. In the opposite part of Sicily, almost all the way down near the southernmost coast, you’ll find Agrigento that is famous for the Valley of the Temples.
The ferry that sails out there has its first stop at Vulcano. Lipari is the largest and most populous of the islands, Salina is the highest and greenest, and is even crowned by two volcanoes.
From Palermo we continue directly south to the Valley of the Temples, where you find Agrigento after a roughly two-hour long drive.
Here you can witness the ancient temples located in the Valley of the Temples. And to add a sense of gravity to Agrigento in the words of Pindar: “Agrigento is the most beautiful city inhabited by mortals”.
We recommend you tour the place and end the day with a visit to the museum.
There are many reasons to stop here on the southern coastline of Sicily. The many small villages with their miniature streets and splendid sea view after splendid sea view almost makes you want to stay forever.
The medieval center of the city is a world-class historical center, and it is concentrated around Via Atena. Here the historic buildings appear as some of the greatest we humans can experience through architecture.
It is simply amazing! The weather here is extremely hot, but you can easily find refuge in a shaded café when strolling the streets. Dart in and out of the small roads, stop by the great churches and the equally impressive palaces, and catch your breath when needed at the Piazza Cavour.
This amazing area is situated on a hill south of Agrigento. It is an impressive home of antique buildings you won’t find even in Greece. With more than 1,300 hectares of area, the Valley of the Temples is the largest archaeological place in the world.
The area is incredibly vast and there are so many temples to see and explore, so in order to finish it all in one day you will need to be quick. But the area is crowded by the many tourists, so we recommend you arrive early in the day to make the most of your time.
From up high at Tempio dei Dioscuri you are provided with a wonderful vista, where the eye reaches all the way into the modern part of Agrigento.
The Valley of the Temples is naturally found on the world heritage list by UNESCO, where it has held a permanent place since 1997. The area also manages to draw more than half a million tourists each year, and for good reason. I also suspect many of them will want to return again.
So wipe off the sweat, drink a glass or two, read the local daily paper, enjoy the Sicilian charm, and wash it all away with a glass of Sambuca (that they actually are producing right across the street).
The city is the main hub in the richest part of Sicily, and its perimeter is also marked by the island’s jetsetting crowd.
Catania is a modern city and has its central point situated around the bustling Via Etnea, where people meet at various cafés to talk about daily matters. Experience the city’s baroque style at its best as you wander down Via Dei Crociferi, where everything just opens up much in the same way as the curtains inside the city’s theater, Teatro Massimo Bellini.
Catania has been devastated twice by violent earthquakes, and has even been covered by lava created by the picturesque but very fierce volcano named Etna, which lies to the north of the city.
If you want to experience a guided tour of the volcano, you can be picked up at your destination by Excursions Etna, from where the tour goes towards the highest active volcano in Europe. Here you can get unforgettable panoramic photographs and long lasting memories from 2,000 meters above sea level.
If you want to experience a guided tour of the volcano, you can be picked up at your destination by Excursions Etna, from where the tour goes towards the highest active volcano in Europe. Here you can get unforgettable panoramic photographs and long lasting memories from 2,000 meters above sea level.
Enjoy the fabulous Piazza del Duomo where you can also see the Fontana dell’Elefante, which is the symbol of both the city as well as their football club. If you are in need of some quiet time, a trip to the beautiful park Villa Bellini will more than do the job. Close by the park you will also find the amphitheater of the city, that is also close by the aforementioned main street of Via Etnea.
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Trapani is one of Sicily’s unknown gems, and with its “mere” 70,000 inhabitants, it’s a small place compared to neighboring Palermo.
The old town of Trapani can be found west of the railway station and the Piazza Umberto.
Here you can witness the city’s beautiful cathedral, along with options for bed and breakfast besides the many hotels, small shops, cafes and restaurants that are scattered around the area.
The Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, which began as a church and didn’t become a cathedral until 1844, was built back in 1412 and reconstructed in 1635, before once more being restructured in 1740 by Giovanni Biagio Amico.
You are likely to come across Amico several times during your stay here, as he was responsible for several church buildings in Trapani and the surrounding area. San Lorenzo is located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Chiesa di Sant’Agostino is among the oldest churches in Trapani. It sustained a lot of damage during World War II and was also rebuilt during this time.
Experience the beautiful rose window which is extraordinarily beautiful. The church is located on Piazza Saturno. The square is named after the 16th century fountain that refers to the myth of the discovery of Trapani.
You can also take a closer look at the Santuario dell’Annunziata, where you’ll find works from the Sicilian renaissance. It’s perhaps the most famous religious object in western Sicily.
The church is located on Via Conte Agostino Pepoli.
The salt flats are an almost iconic site for this part of the Sicilian coast. They began producing salt here back in the 15th century, and the area had its heyday from the 16th century and up to the beginning of the 20th century.
They still produce salt to this day, and you can experience the old mills that you might have seen elsewhere online, or in travel books about Sicily. The area covers almost 1,000 hectares around Trapani and Paceco.
Trapani-Birgi Airport is located south of the city center in Trapani. If you rent a car at the airport, then the drive to the city center takes roughly 30 minutes.
If you are headed for Palermo it will take about an hour and 15 minutes on the road from the airport. There is a highway that runs all the way from Trapani to Palermo.
Wherever you find yourself in the streets of Noto you will feel the baroque impressions from the city. Noto is actually, written in all modesty, Sicily’s showcase of the baroque style. This style of architecture conjures up a harmony and tranquility that lends well to the city, and it is no wonder that people consider it the most beautiful baroque city in the entire world.
As you stroll along the main street in the old town, Corso V. Emanuele 3, you are walking right in the middle of the baroque era. It is impossible to miss the cathedral, and be grateful for that, because looking at the ascent with the many stairs on the church’s stunning facade makes for another beautiful sight.
The church of Basilica Cattedrale di San Nicoló was badly damaged in 1996, but its beauty is impossible to deny even so. The whole area around the church is in a class of its own!
Noto has become more popular with tourists since it was added to the UNESCO world heritage list in 2002, along with seven other towns in southeastern Sicily that were hit by the 1693 earthquake.
They have always grown wine in this area, but only in the last few years has it earned more fame worldwide, with some local wineries even receiving the DOC designation.
There is simply something wonderful and utterly fantastic about the small villages in Italy, and their charm does not decrease down here on Sicily. They are just so strikingly beautiful!
Marzamemi is normally a quiet and timeless fishing village, while during the summer it evolves into a nice and lively town for bathing and tourism. The clear blue ocean, the white beaches and the fascinating silence are all things you can experience and enjoy here. No wonder this area has become a popular destination for people seeking a good holiday. The central Piazza transforms the small fishing homes into the characteristic holiday homes and restaurants. Here you will find many dining tables accompanied by the azure blue wooden chairs, if you can find one that isn’t occupied already that is. Here you can experience an atmosphere that you otherwise could only imagine when looking at the gorgeous images from the city. The Piazza is the pulse and heart of Marzamemi. This is where life is lived to its fullest. The typical and relaxing Sicilian atmosphere at its best.
All the beaches in this area are known for their beauty, their scorching hot sand, and crystal clear ocean. The experience resembles the Caribbean Islands; you will find good music, happy people and child friendly beaches. There is plenty of room for everyone who loves the sun, the beach and the ocean.
You even have the rare opportunity to go bathing on the most beautiful beach in all of Italy, located just one kilometer away from the city. The beach named Baia di Calamosche earned the title in 2005, and of course flies the blue flag.
Ragusa has something for every soul who love Italy and Sicily. This is for the modern and old town and the nice view over the city and the landscape around it.
This is pure love and every step you will take, you see an autentic livestyle in an italian way.
The capital of Sicily offers a wide range of styles, from the Normannic to the Arabic styles, as well as evidence of the time from the Greeks and Spaniards. This Palermo is a great testimony of a grand history with many different cultures.
The city offers a wide range of activities, from the authentic local markets to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, all ensuring that your holiday in Palermo will be an excellent experience.
Siracusa is a lovely charming town, where the strolls around the city become more and more beautiful as you move about. Furthermore, the beauty is greatly enriched by the beautiful Ortiga district, located at one end of the town, and the archaeological site at the other end.
Taormina lies 200 meters above sea level, and speaking of the location of the town, every corner, piazza and charming little street will have you enjoying a picturesque view of the sea and, not least, the volcano Etna, which guards the town like a hawk.
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