The Mediterranean's Largest Island and Its Layers
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, an autonomous region of Italy lying just off the toe of the mainland, known for its ancient temples, baroque towns, Mount Etna and a cuisine shaped by centuries of Greek, Arab, Norman and Spanish influence. It covers about 25,700 square kilometres, with a coastline of beaches, cliffs and fishing harbours and an interior of rolling wheat fields, almond blossom and citrus groves. The island's character is bold and warm, with colour on every wall, music in every piazza and a feast on every table.
UNESCO recognition runs deep. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, the Greek theatre and old town of Syracuse with the Necropolis of Pantalica, the late-baroque towns of the Val di Noto, Arab-Norman Palermo with the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale, and Mount Etna itself are all World Heritage Sites. Taormina's Greek theatre frames the sea and the mountain in a single view, and the island's ancient and medieval stages deliver the kind of heritage that sells itself to cultural travellers.
Granita, Arancini and a Cuisine of Many Hands
Sicilian food is a reason to travel in its own right. Arancini, golden rice balls with ragu or butter, cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, pasta alla Norma with aubergine and salted ricotta, swordfish rolls, sweet-and-sour caponata and granita with a warm brioche at breakfast define the island's table. Local wines include Nero d'Avola from the south and Etna's mineral whites and reds, while Marsala, from the west, is among Italy's best-known fortified wines. Markets in Palermo, Catania and Ortigia are the best places to taste it all.
Stays range from baroque palazzi in Noto and Ragusa Ibla to cliff-top hotels above Taormina and seaside masserie in the south. The Aeolian Islands, reached by hydrofoil, add island-hopping, while Palermo delivers a vivid capital and Pantelleria a remote, dark-stoned retreat. A hotel group or villa operator can use Sicily to offer everything from heritage city breaks to long beach holidays, and travellers can link it with Puglia or Malta for a longer Mediterranean journey.
Read the full Sicily guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitSicily.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.