Sicily

Few places pack so many layers of history into one island. Greek temples, Roman mosaics, Arab-Norman churches and Baroque towns sit within a few hours' drive of each other, and seven of Italy's World Heritage Sites are here. Visitors come for that history, for the food, and for beaches from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian coast. Vacation rentals range from apartments in old palazzi in Palermo and Ortigia to sea-view flats in Taormina and Cefalù and farmhouses with pools in the countryside.

Where to stay in Sicily

Sicily is too big to see from one base, so most visitors choose by region. Palermo suits travellers who want a lively city with markets, Arab-Norman monuments and beaches a short ride away at Mondello. Cefalù, along the coast to the east, combines a small medieval centre with a long sandy beach and a direct train to Palermo.

On the east coast, Taormina perches on a terrace above the sea with views of Etna, and the beaches of Mazzarò and Giardini Naxos lie below it. Catania is a practical base for Etna and the airport. Ortigia, the island that forms the old centre of Syracuse, is the choice for a walkable stay among Greek and Baroque streets, and it makes the Val di Noto towns easy to reach. Country houses inland suit families with a car.

Mount Etna

Etna rises above Catania on the east coast. Its height changes with its eruptions and stood at about 3,400 m in 2024, which makes it the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. The volcano covers roughly 1,190 square kilometres and is in an almost constant state of activity, from gentle summit eruptions to lava flows; UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2013.

The usual approach is the road up the southern slope to the Sapienza refuge at about 1,900 m, where a cable car climbs to around 2,500 m. On the north side, Piano Provenzana near Linguaglossa has a small ski area. Access to the summit craters depends on volcanic activity and is normally only with authorised guides. The fertile lower slopes are covered with vineyards and orchards.

Greek temples and ancient sites

Greek colonists began settling Sicily in the 8th century BC, and their cities left some of the finest ruins outside Greece. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, a World Heritage Site since 1997, is not a valley but a ridge of Doric temples set in an archaeological park of about 1,300 hectares. The Temple of Concordia is among the best preserved, partly because it was turned into a church in the 6th century.

Syracuse, founded by settlers from Corinth in 733 BC, was the home of Archimedes and shares a World Heritage listing with the rock-cut tombs of Pantalica. Its large Greek theatre is still used for performances. Taormina has an ancient theatre of Greek plan, largely rebuilt in Roman times, and the Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina preserves vast Roman floor mosaics.

Palermo, Cefalù and Ortigia

Palermo was the capital of the Norman kingdom founded by Roger II in 1130, and its buildings blend Norman, Arab and Byzantine craft. The Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace, the cathedral, La Zisa, the Martorana and the red domes of San Giovanni degli Eremiti form a World Heritage Site listed in 2015, together with the cathedrals of nearby Monreale and Cefalù.

Cefalù grew up beneath a great rocky headland, La Rocca; Roger II began its cathedral in 1131, and the golden mosaic of Christ Pantocrator in the apse is its treasure. Ortigia, joined to Syracuse by two bridges, holds the 6th-century BC Temple of Apollo, a cathedral built on the site of a Greek temple to Athena, the papyrus-fringed Fountain of Arethusa and the 13th-century Castello Maniace.

History and food

Sicily's position in the middle of the Mediterranean made it a prize for every passing power. Phoenicians and Greeks were followed by Rome, which made it its first province outside the Italian mainland in 241 BC. Arab rulers held the island from the 9th century, the Normans conquered it between 1061 and 1091, and later came Swabian, Spanish and Bourbon kings. Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand landed in 1860, and Sicily joined the new Kingdom of Italy in 1861.

Each era left something in the kitchen. Look for arancini, fried rice balls; cannoli filled with sweet ricotta; cassata, the sponge and ricotta cake associated with Palermo; and granita, often eaten for breakfast with a soft brioche. The traditional puppet theatre, the Opera dei Pupi, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage.

Getting there and around

Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), about 4 km south-west of Catania, is the busiest airport in Sicily and the closest to Etna, Taormina and Syracuse. Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport (PMO), on the coast west of the city at Punta Raisi, serves Palermo, Cefalù and the west, and Trapani-Birgi Airport (TPS) serves the far west. Car ferries cross the narrow Strait of Messina from Calabria, and long-distance ferries reach Palermo from mainland ports.

Trains run along the north and east coasts, including Palermo to Cefalù and Messina to Taormina and Catania, and intercity buses link the main towns. To explore the interior, the south coast or the Val di Noto at your own pace, a rental car is the most practical choice. Historic centres often restrict traffic, so check parking with your host.

Weather and when to visit

Sicily has a typical Mediterranean climate: long, hot and dry summers and mild, wetter winters, with most rain falling between autumn and early spring. Inland and on the higher slopes it is noticeably cooler, and Etna is often snow-capped in winter.

April to June and September to October are the most pleasant months for sightseeing, when temperatures suit long days at archaeological sites and the sea is warm from about June onwards. July and August are hot and very busy on the coast, especially around the August 15 holiday. Winter is quiet and mild, a good time for cities such as Palermo and Syracuse, although some seaside businesses close for the season.