Introduction
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean and a region of Italy in its own right, is a world unto itself — a crossroads of Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and Spanish civilisations, crowned by the snow-and-fire of Mount Etna and ringed by some of Italy's finest beaches. For travellers it offers extraordinary depth: ancient Greek temples and theatres, golden baroque towns, the markets and street food of Palermo, an active volcano to climb, island archipelagos to sail to, and a food and wine culture that may be the richest in Italy.
Overview
Sicily packs more history, landscape and flavour into one island than many countries manage. Its natural giant is Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, whose smoking summit, lava fields, cable cars and surrounding vineyards make it a destination in itself, looming over the eastern coast. That coast holds the island's most famous resort, Taormina, perched on a cliff above the sea with a spectacular Greek theatre framing Etna, and below it the bustling baroque city of Catania at the volcano's foot. To the south-east, Syracuse (Siracusa) preserves one of the great cities of the ancient Greek world — the vast archaeological park with its theatre and the 'Ear of Dionysius', and the enchanting baroque island of Ortigia, all sea-lapped streets and a beautiful cathedral built into a Greek temple. The interior and south-east hold the honey-coloured baroque towns of the Val di Noto — Noto, Ragusa, Modica and Scicli — rebuilt in golden stone after a 1693 earthquake and listed by UNESCO, while the south coast's Valley of the Temples at Agrigento ranks among the finest Greek temple sites anywhere. In the west, the island's capital Palermo is a chaotic, captivating city of Arab-Norman palaces and churches (a UNESCO ensemble), exuberant baroque, teeming street markets and arguably Italy's best street food. Around the coast lie golden beaches and turquoise coves, the medieval cliff-town of Cefalù, and the boat-trip archipelagos — the volcanic Aeolian Islands (including the ever-erupting Stromboli) and the Egadi off the western tip. Through it all runs Sicily's glorious food: arancini and panelle, fresh seafood and pasta alla Norma, cannoli and granita, and powerful wines from Etna's slopes and the Nero d'Avola vineyards. A car is the best way to explore, and spring and autumn are the ideal seasons — summer is hot and busy, winter mild and quiet.
Discover Sicily
Eastern Sicily is dominated by Mount Etna, the largest and most active volcano in Europe — a constantly smoking, occasionally erupting giant whose black lava fields, craters and vineyards can be explored by cable car and 4x4 to the summit zone, on foot across the older craters, or by the narrow-gauge Circumetnea railway that loops around its base through lava-stone towns. The volcano's fertile slopes produce celebrated Etna wines, tasted at cellar doors among the vines. At Etna's foot sits Catania, a lively university city rebuilt in dramatic black-and-white baroque after the volcano's eruptions, with a famous fish market and a buzzing food and nightlife scene. North along the coast, Taormina is Sicily's glamorous balcony — a cliff-top town of medieval lanes and gardens whose ancient Greek theatre, with Etna and the sea as its backdrop, is one of the most beautifully sited ruins in the world, and whose beaches and the islet of Isola Bella lie just below.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Europe's largest active volcano — summit cable cars, lava fields, the Circumetnea railway and Etna wines.
The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, the Greek theatres of Syracuse and Taormina and the island of Ortigia.
Palermo's Arab-Norman heritage and street markets and the golden UNESCO baroque of Noto, Ragusa and Modica.
Turquoise coves, the Scala dei Turchi, and boat trips to the Aeolian and Egadi Islands.
Street food and seafood, pasta alla Norma, cannoli and granita, and Etna and Nero d'Avola wines.
Frequently asked questions
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.