Once a country of its own, and today the southernmost part of Italy, island of Sicily is unique in many ways. With Greek, Roman, Arabic, German and French reflections around, the culture of this largest island in the Mediterranean Sea is more international than in most parts of Italy. With, lovely beaches, charming countryside and spectacular landscapes dominated by Mount Etna volcano, Sicily is an island full of natural beauty.
Beach resorts. Besides scenic landscapes and historical sites, Sicily also offers lovely beaches and warm Mediterranean climate to enjoy. The most popular beach destination of Sicily is Taormina, which in addition to beaches and well-organized tourist services offers spectacular views towards Mount Etna. Other popular beach resorts in Sicily include Cefalu, Erice and Giardini Naxos. The capital of Sicily, Palermo is also worth visiting with its modern services and with a world famous Opera House offering concerts in Sicily. Palermo is also the place with best possibilities for shopping in Sicily.
Mount Etna and historical sites - Attractions of Sicily
A popular holiday destination especially in the summer months, Sicily has a variety of interesting attractions. Sicily's landmark is Mount Etna volcano, which with its 3320 meters of altitude is the highest active volcano in Europe. This spectacular mountain is also a popular place for skiing in winter, and a destination for trekking in Sicily in summer. Famous Sicilian landscapes are found also in Agrigento, where the Valley of the Temples shows Greek tradition in what is one of the most interesting archaeological sites of Italy. Necropolis of Pantalica with its 5,000 tombs dating back to 13th to 7th centuries BC attracts many visitors, as well as the attractive ancient cities of Syracuse with its many Greek ruins, and Ragusa with its baroque architecture.Beach resorts. Besides scenic landscapes and historical sites, Sicily also offers lovely beaches and warm Mediterranean climate to enjoy. The most popular beach destination of Sicily is Taormina, which in addition to beaches and well-organized tourist services offers spectacular views towards Mount Etna. Other popular beach resorts in Sicily include Cefalu, Erice and Giardini Naxos. The capital of Sicily, Palermo is also worth visiting with its modern services and with a world famous Opera House offering concerts in Sicily. Palermo is also the place with best possibilities for shopping in Sicily.
Friendly, unique, and easily accessible island: Sicily
The location of Sicily in the southernmost point of Italy brings out positive effects to local weather, which is usually warmer than elsewhere in Italy. Average monthly high temperatures in Sicily generally climb to 20 degrees or more between April and November. Even during the winter months from December to March temperatures of 15 degrees or more are generally expected.
Photo: Archway Andres, used under Creative Commons License (By ND 2.0)
Best times to visit Sicily are generally spring and autumn, but the island can be visited any time of the year, depending on your choice of activity.
Travelling to Sicily is easy in a variety of ways. Flights to Sicily from outside Italy land at one of the two international airports found on the island. There are also many ferries to Sicily, and even trains and buses to the island from Italian cities like rome or Naples. Moving around in Sicily is easy with efficient public transport, which offers reliable and cheap bus and train connections, especially between the cities of Palermo and Catania. Roads in Sicily are generally quite good, and moving around in rental cars in Sicily is made easy.
Visitor services. Hotels in Sicily offer comfortable accommodation generally at a cheaper price than elsewhere in Italy, and also spa hotels in Sicily are available. Restaurants in Sicily offer lovely Italian cuisine with local specialities. By Italian standards low local prices make shopping in Sicily affordable. Although the island has been made famous as the home of Mafia, safety level in Sicily is quite good and there are no major threats to visitors. However, pickpockting is not rare, and caution is recommended if visiting large cities such as Palermo or Catania. As elsewhere in southern Italy, English is not widely spoken in Sicily.
