Sicily: Italy's Largest Island — Complete Travel Guide

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the most historically layered places in Europe. Greeks colonised it in the 8th century BC, building temples that survive better than anything in mainland Greece. The Romans took it. The Arabs transformed it. The Normans built gold-mosaic cathedrals on Arab foundations. The Spanish left baroque cities. Every occupier added a layer, and all of them are still visible. On top of all this, Sicily has Mount Etna — Europe’s largest active volcano — and some of the most dramatic coastline in the Mediterranean.

Where to base yourself

Palermo — the capital and the best base for western Sicily. Loud, chaotic, magnificent. The Ballarò market, the Norman palaces, the street food (arancini, sfincione, pani câ meusa). Not the easiest city to navigate but deeply rewarding.

Catania — the second city, on the east coast beneath Etna. More organized than Palermo. The Baroque centre (rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake) is UNESCO-listed. Good base for Etna, Taormina, and the eastern coast.

Syracuse (Siracusa) — the most historically significant city in Sicily. At its peak in the 5th century BC, Syracuse was the largest city in the western world. The archaeological park holds a Greek theatre and a Roman amphitheatre. The island of Ortigia, connected by bridge to the mainland, is a perfectly preserved baroque town.

Taormina — the classic resort town on a clifftop above the sea. The Greek/Roman theatre with Etna behind it is one of the great views in Italy. Expensive in summer; quieter and cheaper in spring and autumn.

Agrigento — in the south-west, base for the Valley of the Temples.

The essential sites

Valley of the Temples (Agrigento) — seven Doric Greek temples from the 5th century BC, in various states of preservation. The Temple of Concordia is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. The park is particularly beautiful at dusk when the temples are lit up.

Selinunte — massive Greek temple complex on the south-west coast, largely unexcavated. The fallen columns create an extraordinary landscape. Far fewer visitors than Agrigento.

Segesta — a complete, unfinished Greek temple in the hills of western Sicily (c.420 BC), with an attached theatre. The setting — isolated, surrounded by hills — is exceptional.

Palermo’s Norman monuments — the Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace (1132–1140) is the finest example of Norman-Arab-Byzantine art in the world: gold mosaics, Arab muqarnas ceiling, Greek inscriptions. Monreale Cathedral (1174), 8km from the city centre, has the most extensive Byzantine mosaic programme outside Constantinople.

Mount Etna — the highest active volcano in Europe (3,329m). Can be visited year-round; cable car + 4WD jeeps take you to the craters area at ~2,900m. Snow on the summit well into spring. Numerous trekking routes on the lower slopes.

Taormina’s Greek Theatre — built by the Greeks, modified by the Romans, with Etna framed in the backdrop. One of the most photographed views in Italy.

Syracuse Archaeological Park — the Greek theatre (5th century BC, still used for summer productions), the Ear of Dionysius (a limestone quarry with extraordinary acoustics), and the Roman amphitheatre.

Food and drink

Sicily has the most distinctive food culture in Italy. The Arab influence is still visible: aubergine, couscous (in Trapani), saffron, almonds, pistachio (from Bronte, on Etna’s slopes), sweet-and-sour agrodolce sauces.

• Arancini — fried rice balls stuffed with ragù, peas, and mozzarella. Standard street food throughout the island.
• Sfincione — Palermitan pizza: thick, spongy, with anchovy, tomato, and caciocavallo cheese.
• Pasta alla Norma — aubergine, tomato, basil, and ricotta salata. Catania’s signature dish, named after Bellini’s opera.
• Granita — coarser and more intensely flavoured than mainland Italian gelato. Best with brioche.
• Cannoli — the island’s most famous export. Tube-shaped pastry shells filled with sweetened ricotta. Infinitely better made to order.
• Marsala — fortified wine from the western coast. The basis of the wine industry in the 18th century when an English merchant named John Woodhouse discovered it by accident.

Getting to Sicily

By air: Palermo (PMO) and Catania (CTA) both have direct flights from major European cities and Rome/Milan domestically.

By train/ferry: High-speed train from Rome to Villa San Giovanni (4 hours), then a 20-minute ferry crossing to Messina. The entire train is loaded onto the ferry. Journey Rome–Palermo takes about 10.5 hours total. Overnight trains available.

Internal transport: Renting a car is strongly recommended outside Palermo and Catania. Buses run between major towns but are slow and infrequent.

When to go

March–June: Best time. Mild temperatures (18–25°C), almond blossoms in February/March, wildflowers, manageable crowds. Easter Week (Settimana Santa) in towns like Trapani and Marsala is spectacular.

September–November: Also excellent. Harvest season, warm sea, fewer tourists than summer.

July–August: Very hot (35–40°C), very crowded at coastal resorts, expensive. Mount Etna and the interior are more bearable.

December–February: Quiet, cool, many coastal hotels closed. Good for archaeology, bad for beaches.