Best Things to Do in Sicily

1. Mount Etna

Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the southern coast of Sicily just north of Catania. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe. First erupting over 500,000 years ago, the volcano has erupted multiple times throughout the centuries.

Visitors to the volcano can hike the trails that surround the volcano and park, visit the active craters, and can ski and snowboard on the nearby slopes during the winter. A note to remember, trips to the active craters should only be done with experienced guides from the park.

2. Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel

Located in the heart of Palermo, the 12th century chapel was constructed over a 15 year span and combines cultural influences from Italy, Sicily, Byzantium, and Arabia. Mostly decorated inside with Byzantine paintings and murals, the chapel is an elaborately decorated homage to God.

The chapel is in the Royal Palace of Sicily or the Norman Palace. The palace was the seat of the Kings of Sicily during the Norman occupation. Visitors to the Royal Palace can wander the mosaic and effesco covered Royal Apartments, Palatine Chapel, and exhibition area.

3. Ortigia

Ortigia is an islet in the center of Syracuse and is the oldest part of the city. Featuring tiny medieval streets, Baroque churches, and small squares, the “old town” of Syracuse is worth a lazy afternoon of getting lost in the alleyways and shops that line this historic neighborhood.

4. Palermo

Like much of Sicily, Palermo is a combination of cultures. With Byzantine mosaics, Arabic architecture, and Italian flavor, Palermo was and is at the center of Mediterranean life. Once a crossroads for the ancient world, Palermo is now a testament to how trade and travel can develop and influence a city.

Travelers to Palermo will love the lively atmosphere, distinct food scene, and stunning architecture that make this city one of the most culturally diverse destinations in Italy.

5. Valley of Temples

The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological site in the modern-day Sicilian village of Agrigento. Covering over 3,000 acres, the valley reflects a millennia of human occupation. A World Heritage Site and national monument of Italy, the Valley of the Temples houses some of the best representation of Greek architecture outside of Greece.

Situated on top of a plateau, you can make your way through the temples, the agora, aqueducts, and buildings that once made up the Greek city of Akragas.

6. Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana is a former Roman estate that truly ecompasses the country life of Western Europe during ancient times. The villa is famous for its elaborate decorations with stunning mosaics that cover almost every inch of the villa. These mosaics are some of the best preserved in situ mosaics in all of the former Roman Empire.

7. Sicily Wine Country

One of Italy’s most famous and important wine regions, Sicily has been producing local and foreign grapes for over 2,000 years. Sicily’s ideal Mediterranean climate of warm, dry summers and temperate winters helps the vineyards continuously produce some of the best wine in Italy.

Visitors to Sicily can experience this vibrant and storied culture by taking day trips from Catania or Palermo out into the wine regions of the island. Some of the best wineries and vineyards of the island can be found at the base of Mount Etna, around Palermo and Syracuse, and in the mountainous region of Noto.

8. Aeolian Islands

Just off the northeastern coast of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands are a paradise rising out of the sea. The Aeolian Islands are seven different islands just off the coast of Sicily near Milazzo. Some favorite activities to do on the islands are hiking the volcanic pathways, diving from the cliffs into the clear water, swimming in the blue Mediterranean, or visiting the many restaurants of the villages on the islands.

The best way to visit the Aeolian Islands can be either to denote a whole week to island hopping or take a day cruise out of Milazzo to see visit the islands.

9. Erice

Erice is a town in the province of Trapani on the northwestern tip of Sicily. Sitting at the top of a mountain, this medieval city overlooks the main city of Trapani below and the mountainous landscape around. With some of the best views in Italy, Erice also features ancient Phoenician walls and two castles.

You can take the cable car to the castles and Erice from the port of Trapani. But the cable car does close down every year for a couple of months for maintenance so make sure to research whether the cable car will be open when you are visiting.

10. Syracuse

Once the largest city in the ancient world, Syracuse was first colonized by Corinthians in 734 BC in Ortigia. Syracuse is a true representation of the best things Sicily has to offer--seaside cafes, citrus orchards, rich wine culture, Baroque architecture, and medieval city streets. Make sure to check out the numerous Greek and Roman ruins around the city, the famous Piazza de Archimede in Ortigia, and Miqwe, a buried Jewish ghetto in the center of Ortigia.