Best places to visit in Sicily

Published 26 July 2019

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Best places to visit in Sicily

Sicily is rich in culture with many historical treasures dating back to various different eras, great cuisine and natural wonders, making Sicily an attractive holiday destination for Italian as well as International visitors.

Here are top places to visit in Sicily

Mountaintop towns

Volcanic sites

Archaeological parks

Top cities to Visit in Sicily

Taormina

Taormina is a picturesque small town spectacularly perched on the side of a mountain with terraces offering postcard-worthy views, open-air cafes and stunning historical sites.

The Greek theatre of Taormina built in the third century BC by the Greeks and completely rebuilt a century later by the Romans, offers the best view from Taromina. The ancient theatre is largely intact and used for performances to this day.

Famous singers and bands that performed at the theatre in recent years include Sting, Kasabian, James Blunt, the English boyband Blue among many other performances.

The setting for a gig is magical as you can enjoy your favourite band against the backdrop of fantastic views that includes a smoking volcano visible on a clear day.

There are other historical sites in Taormina, including a castle. The streets are also very beautiful and full of character, leading to squares and terraces.

Taormina can make a fantastic one day visit.

Erice

Erice, otherwise known as Eryx, is a historic medieval hilltop town and commune located at the height of approximately 800 metres overlooking the coast, the city of Trapani and a number of towns. Here you can enjoy breath-taking views.

The town has a long history dating back to the Elymians, Phoenicians and Romans. Moving forward to today, the main attraction in Erice, other than the fantastic views, is the Pepoli Castle that dates back to the Norman times.

Volcanic sites

Mount Etna

Monte Etna is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Sicily. On a clear day Mount Etna and its smoking cone can be seen from Catania airport. This is one of the biggest active volcanos in the world with its peak dominating the skyline at over 3000 metres. Sometimes you can hear it rumble and sometimes you can see it explode.

There are roads that lead to the base of the cable cars. Apart from some possible traffic jams, this is an easy day trip from Catania or Taormina.

The cable cars will take you to the 2,500 metre point at the price of 30 euros per person with each cable car carrying up to six people. You can then climb further up on foot and see some small craters. Keep in mind that you cannot go any further than 2920m altitude without a guide. The trek to the Etna summit is around €65 per person and should include helmets.

You can also rent an SUV and drive up the mountain, but you need to double check the prices.

Generally, this is not a cheap trip but it is a memorable one, so well worth it.

Stromboli Volcano

Stromboli and the Aeolian Islands is another major attraction in Sicily. The seven volcanic islands, some still active, lie off the north coast of Sicily and the best way to reach them is by boat from either Messina or Milazzo.

Notably, Stromboli island is best known for its pyrotechnics that light the sky each night and many cruise ships take their passengers past Stromboli for an evening display.

Some tourists choose to climb Stromboli to get closer to the summit, however that is a bit dangerous as Stromboli volcano is unpredictable and has resulted in deaths in the past. The Independent recently reported on Stroboli volcano eruption leaving one dead as tourists run and jump into sea.

However, even from the distance at night you are likely to see small eruptions.

The Aeolian Islands also offer other attractions including thermal and sulphur springs, water sports, diving, boat rentals and scenic boat excursions. There are also ferry connections between the islands for easy island hopping.

The islands also offer beautiful beaches, prehistoric sites, as well as sites from the Greek and Roman periods.

Isola Vulcano

This one is a little bit off the beaten track, somewhat of a hidden gem, yet a great experience.

There is an active volcano on the island and you can climb to the top where you can see the crater and sulphur steam, as well as enjoy great panoramic views.

On the island you will also find natural thermal baths, smelly sulphur mud baths which apparently are good for health, and a nice beach with clear water.

The island is small therefore expect to see a small town with a few eateries and other services. This is more of a chilled experience, so don’t expect a crazy party.

Archaeological Parks in Sicily

The Valley of Temples of Agrigento

Valle dei Templi is a treat for history lovers. The temples in Agrigento will take you as far back as 500BC. The historical site includes Sicily’s best preserved Doric temple, Tempio di Concordia, which is nearly in its original state. Some of the temples are in a good condition, and some faced destruction. Nonetheless there is plenty to explore.

If you are visiting during the hot summer months, such as in July, it is recommended to take along sunscreen, a hat and water to keep hydrated, as the sun can be brutal. There are some taps with drinking water, but you might want to carry a bottle just in case. Many people prefer to go to the Valley of Temples for the second part of the day where you can also see the temples lit by the beautiful colours of the sunset. Expect lots of walking, and little shade.

Segesta Archaeological Park

Segesta was one of the major and most important cities of the Elymians who inhabited the north-western part of Sicily during the Bronze Age and Classical antiquity. The other major cities of the Elymians were Eryx and Entella.

Today the key attractions in Segesta Archaeological Park is Tempio di Segesta or Segesta Temple and its amphitheatre, as well as great views of the valleys.

The Elymians remain one of the most mysterious of Sicily's indigenous peoples.

Selinunte Archaeological Park

On the south coast of Sicily lies Selinunte Archaeological Park where you can expect to see temples and ruins of an ancient Greek city that rivals Segesta for its unspoilt setting. Here you can walk the remains of the streets as gridded by the ancient Greeks. In some parts you can see the remains of ancient Greek, Cartheginian and then Roman influences.

For a few euros you can get a golf cart service to take the load off your feet and there’s also a small museum, so don’t miss it!

If you are interested in archaeology then you will love this place, the site is enormous with lots of ruins. If you’re more interested in simply seeing some temples then the Valley of the Temples might be a better pick as it is a little smaller with well-preserved temples.

Neapolis Archaeological Park

Parco Archeologico della Neapolis is an archaeological site and a popular attraction in Syracuse. This site includes both the Greek Theater and a large Roman Amphitheatre that was partly carved out from the rock.

The Greek theatre features a cavea that is one of the largest built by the ancient Greeks. The edifice was modified by the Romans and it is still used today. Every year Syracuse’s Greek Theatre hosts the festival of Greek plays that takes place during the months of May and June.

Near the Greek theatre are the latomìe, stone quarries that were also used as prisons in ancient times. The most famous of the limestone caves carved out of the Temenites hill is the Orecchio di Dionisio or Ear of Dionysius known for its great acoustic effects inside the cave that amplify the sounds.

Necropolis of Pantalica

The Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica is another wonderful archaeological area located close to Syracuse, and includes over 5000 rock-cut tombs from the 7th to the 13th centuries BC.

Somewhat off the beaten path this is an excellent area for hiking and also a unique site with impressive tombs on the north-east side that leaves you wondering how these tombs were accessed to carve and then bury the dead.

Archaeological Area of Solunto

A few kilometres from Bagheria lies the archaeological site of Solunto. To put it simply, you can expect to see ruins of a large ancient settlement as well as great panoramic views of Porticello and Palermo.

Of special note are the Carthaginian temple, the cistern, the House of Masks, and the Leda House. You will also find remains of mosaic work, frescos and there is also a small museum with some archaeological bits and bobs.

This is a little bit off the beaten track, but in case you don’t drive you can still get there by train from Palermo to Santa Flavia.