Get your bearings
Sicily looks its best on the seaside. The capital
Palermo is a bustling coastal hub of Norman architecture melded with baroque churches and medieval Arab quarters juxtaposed with modern cosmopolitan life. East of here on the opposite end of the island stretches a triumvirate of cities: earthquake-ravaged
Messina, the chic resort of
Taormina and lava-built
Catania, right at the foot of a volcano. Just south is
Siracusa, at one point the most important city in classical Greece. On the south-western side is
Agrigento, whose Hellenic temples have been excellently preserved. Sicily’s fishing industry – and much mafia history – is based in
Tràpani on the north-west coast, from where boats sail the waters out to a collection of sleepy islands.
Historic
The island has been conquered by powerful civilisations that have all left their mark on its many monuments and buildings. Palermo holds the
Cappella Palatina, a chapel of pricsless Byzantine mosaics, carved Arab ceilings and decorative marble floors. Further east is inland the
Castello di Caccamo, a turreted Norman castle perched high out on a promontory. The south is dominated by the world’s largest and most varied collection of Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina’s
Villa Romana del Casale, including the famous frolicking and dancing ‘bikini babes’.
Active
Sicily’s landscape offers visitors the opportunity to get to know Mother Nature
alla italiana. Petralia Sottana is a tiny, preserved settlement close to the lush
Madonie National Park, whose tall conifers and manicured paths make it great for day hikes. Off the northern coast, diving the sea around
Ustica offers gin-clear waters and a flourishing marine life. The east coast is home to both
Etna and
Stromboli, two of Europe’s best-known volcanoes, where occasionally you can see lava shooting out into the sky.
Beach
Come summer, Sicily’s beaches are filled with bronzed Italian families staking their territory under yellow umbrellas. Palermo’s resort of
Mondello features a 2km stretch of sand that curves its way around to a tiny fishing harbour. Staying in a Sicily hotel on the island’s Tyrrhenian coast lets you spend warm afternoons swimming and relaxing among the cliffs, coves and sandy groves near medieval towns,
Cefalù being the largest and most enjoyable. Off the north coast lie the seven
Aeolian Islands, whose beaches are pebbly, rocky, sandy and – if you head out to remote Stromboli– volcanic.
Food
Sicily’s cuisine bears the footprints of its past invaders, with distinct Greek, Arab and Spanish flavours. The variety of
couscous dishes betray the North African presence, while fish –
anchovies, sardines, tuna and
swordfish – make obvious appearances at most meals. The island is best known for sweets such as rich
cassata ice cream and
cannoli. Many of the island’s
wines hail from the south; the best are Regaleal, Corvo and the dessert wine Marsala,
