Have a holiday on Sicily and experience love at first sight! You can do nothing but fall in love with Italy’s largest and most beautiful island, Sicily, which surrounds the still active volcano Etna.

Sicily unites an impressing selection of passions for life, which are expressed in a diversity of scents, colours and sounds. The wonderful weather, the lovely olive groves that are hundreds of years old, the flowering almond trees, the scent of flowering orange and lemon trees in harmony with the beautiful oleanders and jasmines are elements that separate Sicily from the rest of Italy. And the vigorous stretches of coast and all of the shades of blue of the sea make the island a paradise, no matter what kind of holiday you want.

The landscape of Sicily

Sicily has a very varied and beautiful landscape, which reflects the changes of season. Towards the north-eastern part, the volcano Etna thunders ahead majestically in the landscape; its slopes are overgrown until a certain height and the valleys around the volcano are vigorous and fertile. You can also find a number of vineyards on the slopes. 

In the south-eastern part of the island, you can see the beautiful forest-covered mountains, Monte Iblei, but the landscape is also characterised by soft hills and wonderful vineyards, olive groves, almond trees, citrus and the characteristic carob trees. Along the coast towards the west, you find long wide sandy beaches and you can take a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear sea. The largest part of Sicily’s northern coast is characterised by the Monti Nebrodi Mountains in the background with impressive heights reaching up to 2000 metres. 

To the west, the landscape flattens but is still characterised by a number of soft hills replaced by rugged rock formations. Some parts of the central Sicily are reaching large heights and may appear as a rugged area. 

Large cities on Sicily

Palermo, the main city on Sicily, is a fantastic mix of gushing markets, liberty style houses, small parks and an atmosphere, which borders chaotic but is still very fascinating. 

Siracusa with its antique roots, the charming Ortigia district and a most unique presence of history. Classic Taormina beautifully situated with Etna in the background, the Greek theatre, the noble streets of the city and the wonderful view of the sea.

The atmosphere in the seaport Sciacca with pleasant streets and squares, the tempting Mediterranean Sea and the many wonderful sandy beaches.

Tourist attractions on Sicily

Explore the exciting island on your own or rent a motorcycle or a car. The different cities on the island all ooze of charm and invite the whole family to enjoyable trips.

Sports activities on Sicily

If you look for an active holiday, it is possible to play golf, rent bikes or spend the day exploring the many hiking possibilities of the volcano Etna. You can also rent a motorcycle and drive around the island.

Gastronomic characteristics of Sicily

Sicily is blessed with at fantastic supply of ingredients. The land is fertile and nutrient-rich and some parts of it are of volcanic origin. Among other things, some of the best olive oils of Italy are produced on Sicily.

The sea around Sicily offers many culinary experiences. Fantastic tuna, swordfish, cuttlefish, different kinds of shrimp, lobster, clam, sea urchin and many more. The preferred meats are pork, lamb and goat. The lamb of Sicily tastes wonderfully and is prepared in many exciting combinations. Venison is not frequently eaten on Sicily, but you will often find rabbit on the menu.

If you like sweet things, Sicily is known for its nice ice cream made from various wonderful ripe fruits, nuts and flowers.

When it comes to wine production, within the recent years, Sicily has gone through comprehensive changes. A lot of good and internationally recognised vineyards are appearing up and have been so since the middle of the 1990s. If you would like an original wine experience, you should try the wines based on Sicily’s own excellent grapes. A number of excellent Sicilian vineyards are: Gulfi, Tasca d’Almerita, Firriato, Duca di Salaparuta, Donnafugata, Planeta, Morgante, Cottanera, Feudo Montoni, Feudo Principi di Butera, Fatascià, Cusumano, Benanti and Palari.

The climate of Sicily

The weather is mild all year on Sicily and will not go below 15 degrees in the coolest months.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from the Italian Tourist Office. Photographers: Vito Arcomano - Fototeca ENIT, De Agostini Picture Library