Italy Guide
Sicily
The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has a history and outlook derived not from Italy, its modern parent, but from its erstwhile foreign rulers – from the Greeks who first settled the east coast in the eighth century BC, through Romans, Arabs, Normans, French and Spanish, to the Bourbons seen off by Garibaldi in 1860. Substantial relics of these ages remain: temples, theatres and churches are scattered about the whole island. But there are other, more immediate hints of Sicily's unique past. A hybrid Sicilian language, for a start, is still widely spoken in the countryside; the food is noticeably different, spicier and with more emphasis on fish and vegetables.
Deciding where to go is largely a matter of time. The capital, Palermo, is a memorable first stop, a bustling, noisy city with an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. Heading east, there's no better place in Sicily for a traditional sea, sun and sand holiday than Cefalù. An hour or so further east is the workaday port of Milazzo, departure point for the Aeolian Islands, an archipelago of seven islands. Here you can climb two active volcanoes, laze on lava beaches, snorkel over bubbling underwater fumaroles, and wallow in warm, reeking sulphurous mud baths.
If you are travelling to Sicily overland from Italy, workaday Messina will be your point of arrival. The most obvious target from here is the charming hill-town of Taormina. For a gutsier taste of Sicily, head to Catania, the island's second city, intellectual and cultured, with a compact Baroque core of black and white stone, and two exuberant markets. From Taormina or Catania, a skirt around the foothills, and even better, up to the craters of Mount Etna, is a must. In the south of the island is Siracusa, once the most important city of the Greek world, and a Baroque group of towns centring on Ragusa. The south coast's greatest draw are the Greek temples at Agrigento, To the west, most of Sicily's fishing industry – and much of the continuing Mafia activity – focuses on the area around Trápani. To see all these places, you'll need at least a couple of weeks – more like a month if you want to travel extensively inland, a slower and more traditional experience altogether.
Highlights
1 Monreale The magnificently mosaiced cathedral is a testament to Sicily's eclectic Arab, Norman and Byzantine heritage.
2 The Aeolian Islands An archipelago of seven islands with active volanoes, lava beaches, fractured coastlines and whitewashed villages.
3 Mount Etna It's an eerie climb up the blackened lunar landscape of this smoking volcano, dominating the landscape of eastern Sicily.
4 Teatro Greco, Siracusa Choose between classical dramas or more modern productions, staged every summer in the city's spectacular Ancient Greek theatre.
5 Noto The apotheosis of Baroque town planning, with glorious golden vistas of extravagant balconied palazzi and soaring church facades.
6 Valley of the Temples, Agrigento A spectacular sight, especially at night when the towering Doric columns are artfully floodlit.
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