Sicily: an enchanting blend of stunning landscapes, rich history, and exquisite cuisine. Discover this Mediterranean gem for an unforgettable Italian escape.
Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island, just off Italy’s coast and is one of the country’s five autonomous regions. Charming visitors with its gorgeous landscapes, historical landmarks and beautiful beaches, Sicily is the perfect holiday destination with a lot to offer.
The Cuisine
With its distinctive style of Italian cuisine, Sicily uses both its location and history to create its mouthwatering dishes. As an island, stunning seafood dishes are a local speciality, along with pasta dishes such as Pasta alla Norma, all served to a high standard. Sicilian cuisine is also famous for its desserts, such as cannoli, cassata, and Frutta Martorana, not forgetting gelato and biscotti. Perfect for travellers with a sweet tooth!
Its Landscapes
Sicily is full of awe-inspiring landscapes and breathtaking scenery. It’s also well-known as being home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Etna. Some tours of Italy include famous sites in this region, such as Mount Etna, enabling you to see this striking beauty up close.
A World Heritage Site since 2013, the landscape surrounding Mount Etna encompasses the coastline with the Ionian Sea, along with citrus groves, vineyards, and dense forests, before you reach the barren land near the volcano’s summit. In the Etna Park Nature Reserve, you’ll also find deep canyons and grottos with glaciers.
The History
Sicily has a long rich and multicultural history, and the island is bursting with historical sites to discover, from the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, one of the most famous archaeological sites in all of Italy to the Teatro Antico, the ancient Greco-Roman theatre in Taormina, a town that dates to ancient Greek times.
You can also visit one of Sicily’s oldest settlements, Syracuse, founded in 734 BC by the Corinthians. Once the largest city in the ancient world, step back in time through its ruins that sit alongside Baroque palazzos, pretty squares, and impressive churches.
The port cities of Palermo and Trapani are also well worth a visit. In Palermo, you can see the Arab-Normal cathedral, complete with crown jewels, and in Trapani, you can stroll the old town and catch a glimpse of authentic Sicilian life.
The Beaches
Surrounded by the Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas, and with a 600-mile coastline, Sicily has no shortage of beaches.
Near Taormina, you’ll find Isola Bella, meaning ‘beautiful island’. This shingle beach has a lido that offers umbrellas, sun loungers and refreshments for those looking to soak up the sun, all looking out over a tropical islet. Once royal property, Isola Bella was sold to Englishwoman Florence Trevelyan in 1890 and has since been declared a protected nature reserve.
Meanwhile, in Trapani, San Vito Lo Capo boasts glorious fine white sands and crystalline waters. This popular beach can get crowded in the summer months so be sure to get there early to secure a spot!
Alternatively, if you’re looking for somewhere a little more off the beaten track, Rabbit Beach or Spiaggia dei Conigli on the island of Lampedusa is a tranquil cove with soft white sand and striking blue waters. The beach is a nesting place for loggerhead turtles and part of Lampedusa’s nature reserve, meaning water sports such as sailing and scuba diving are prohibited but you can swim out to Rabbit Island for a spot of nature watching!