If we had to sum up Sicily in a few words, we’d say it’s an island of extremes. Rocky volcanic coasts give way to magnificent white sand beaches. Ruined architectural treasures of antiquity rub shoulders with some of the most theatrical and well-preserved Baroque paintings.
Before you leave for Sicily, we invite you to read the following lines to help you prepare for your vacation in Sicily. Taormina, Palermo, Agrigento and its famous valley of Greek temples, Cefalù, Catania, the Aeolian Islands… Prepare to be amazed!
1. Discover Sicily off the beaten track
Sicily’s landscapes are as diverse as the cultures that have made the island their home over the centuries. But if you venture beyond the most popular spots, Taormina and Palermo, you can make countless discoveries – to name but a few:
- the pristine beaches surrounding the towns of Trapani and Marsala on the west coast,
- the ruined Baroque architecture of Syracuse’s distinctive island of Ortigia,
- or perched towns,
- dust-swept valleys
- and the spectacular coastline of the island’s southeast, with towns such as Ragusa, Modica and Noto.
- Not to mention the lunar landscapes of Etna’s lava rocks or the various volcanic reliefs of the Aeolian Islands.
For the truly adventurous, there’s also the spectacular island of Pantelleria, perhaps best known internationally for serving as the backdrop to Luca Guadagnino’s decadent 2015 psychological drama A Bigger Splash, with Tilda Swinton strolling through the island’s epic landscapes in a Dior couture gown designed by Raf Simons.
A few decades ago, the island was barely known outside Italy. It gained international renown in part thanks to Giorgio Armani’s spectacular, sprawling estate on the north side of the island. Other celebrities who have stayed here in the past include Madonna, Julia Roberts and Sting.
2. Sicily and gastronomic delights: enjoy Italy’s finest seafood
To eat well in Sicily during your stay in Sicily, follow the good smells of cooking, because the best addresses on the island are in the most discreet places, thanks in part to the rich culture of street food that can be tasted in the markets. You’re probably familiar with the now-famous arancini, but perhaps not yet with traditional peasant dishes such as sfincione, a type of pizza topped with tomato sauce and breadcrumbs.
The island’s unique history has also given rise to a number of ingredients that you might be surprised to find on an Italian menu, whether it’s couscous from North Africa, raisins from Persia or sesame seeds from the Levant. Pistachios, eggplants, oranges, olives, almonds and prickly pears also feature prominently in Sicily’s colorful cuisine.
But of course, the real highlight of Sicilian cuisine is the variety and freshness of the seafood. In Palermo, there are countless options for traditional Sicilian cuisine, with a notable absence of the typical “tourist trap” restaurants that often line the main thoroughfares of Italy’s most popular cities.
- Osteria Nonna Dora,
- Trattoria Trapani
- and Osteria dei Vespri are reliable addresses.
For a more contemporary approach to cooking, visit :
- L’Ottava Nota, in the cosmopolitan Kalsa district, for ceviche or amberjack tataki,
- or at A’Cuncuma, which offers a tasting menu featuring Sicilian flavours of sea and land.
If you’re looking for something sweet, Sicilian pastries are of course legendary, from cannoli to cassatelle filled with ricotta. Pasticceria Cappello, a Palermo institution, is just a stone’s throw from the Palazzo dei Normanni, a major tourist attraction. It serves all the classic Sicilian dolci, as well as its famous setteveli cake, made with seven layers of chocolate and hazelnuts.
Michelin-starred restaurants in Sicily
In Taormina, you’ll find a number of gastronomic options, including two Michelin-starred restaurants at the forefront of contemporary Sicilian cuisine.
- The first, Otto Geleng, is located in the heart of the Grand Hotel Timeo. It has just eight tables overlooking the Bay of Naxos, with a spectacular view of Mount Etna. It offers traditional Sicilian dishes revisited by chef Roberto Toro.
- Our second suggestion is the George by Heinz Beck restaurant, run by one of Italy’s youngest Michelin-starred chefs, Delfo Schiaffino.
If you make it all the way to Pantelleria, don’t miss Osteria il Principe e il Pirata, near the idyllic village of Gadir, known as one of Giorgio Armani’s favorite places to entertain guests at his nearby vacation home. Start with grilled octopus or mackerel before enjoying homemade linguine or tagliolini with fresh seafood, all caught that very morning, of course.
3. Admire ancient art and Baroque treasures
Sicily is often referred to as the crossroads of the Western world, not only because of its privileged location at the center of the Mediterranean, but also because of the melting pot of cultures and ethnicities that make up today’s Sicily, the result of many millennia of occupation of the island by Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs, Byzantines, French, Spanish and even Swiss.
Each of these cultures has left an indelible mark on the island, and this is particularly evident in the rich array of art and architecture to be found here.
For those with a particular interest in the ancient world, the Valley of the Temples, near the town of Agrigento, and the ruins of the ancient towns of Segesta and Selinunte, on the island’s west coast, offer some of the best-preserved and most impressive examples of ancient Greek architecture outside the Acropolis.
If you prefer Roman remains, the extraordinary mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale, a few kilometers from the charming town of Piazza Armerina, offer a glimpse of an ancient vacation home, with frescoes of exotic African animals.
4. Tread the sands of Europe’s most unspoilt beaches. A change of scenery guaranteed!
Of course, a vacation wouldn’t be a vacation without a dip in the ocean. Sicily has everything to satisfy your taste for swimming and lounging by the water. To find the best beaches, there are two regions worth exploring.
First, there are the pristine sandy shores of the island’s west coast, especially around the towns of Trapani and Marsala, bathed in turquoise-blue Mediterranean waters that remain warm even in autumn. Among the best-known are San Vito lo Capo, Tonnara di Scopello, Cala Marinella and Marakaiobbo.
But for the more intrepid explorer, there are many more off-the-beaten-track coves to discover.
The other place to find some of the island’s most beautiful bathing destinations is at its south-western end, in the provinces of Ragusa and Syracuse, with many hard-to-reach spots that will more than reward your efforts, such as the postcard-perfect Calamosche, or the nearby and slightly easier-to-reach Marianelli. Don’t forget to pack arancini for lunch, sunscreen and plenty of water.
And if you’re in the area and feeling particularly adventurous, take a trip to the Cavagrande del Cassibile nature reserve, a huge canyon full of picturesque hiking trails that remains one of Sicily’s best-kept secrets. The highlight? After a long journey into the depths of the valley, you’ll find a network of crystal-clear lakes, waterfalls and rock pools where you can cool off as the sun begins to fall behind the canyon summit.
