Travel Guide to Sicily. All you need to know before planning your trip

Last Updated on July 8, 2025 by Laura

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Since I moved to the UK back in 2014, not a single year has passed without someone randomly asking me where I’m from. When I candidly reply, “I’m from Sicily”, the response is always something like, “Ohhh Sicily! I’ve always wanted to visit, but I don’t know where to start“. Well, here we go! Whether you’re a random lady working the Sainsbury’s checkout, a single California girl dreaming of adding Sicily to her European summer, or just someone who craves cannoli and a White Lotus-style vacation, this Sicily travel guide is for you!

As a Sicilian myself, I wish you to provide you the best Sicily travel guide for your trip. I see it as a sort of duty to those who choose to bring their time and money to this part of Italy, often overlooked in favour of more famous regions like Tuscany or Puglia. Many visitors often don’t realise how big is this island and with wrong itineraries end up ruining their trips even before these start. Sicily travel can be very fun, but you’ll need to come prepared! So, what to expect from this guide?

Firstly I’ll give you some Sicily travel information that are generally useful at any time of the year, and in each part of the island you’ll visit. Then, I’ll teach you how to divide your Sicily itinerary to make the most of it. Lastly, I will provide you the details of some more insiders guides to help planning your trip in detail.

Sicily Travel Information

In this section you will find all the general information about Sicily you might need for your trip.

Where is Sicily?

Sicily travel guide – Where is Sicily

Sicily is located in the southern part of Italy. It’s an Italian region, just like Lombardy or Tuscany. I’m only stressing this because not long ago, I came across an article that referred to Sicily as just a generic “Italian island,” and it made me realise how little people actually know about it. Yes, Sicily is an island, but like Sardinia, it plays a major administrative role in Italy. That’s very different from smaller Italian islands like Elba, Lipari, or Lampedusa.

Sicily’s capital city is Palermo, but the second largest city is Catania (where I am from!). Both cities are beautiful and worth visiting for different reasons. If you are planning a trip to Sicily, it’s a good idea to visit both despite this not being the simplest of the things! Il’ll talk about this in a moment.

If you want to plan a visit to Catania, I have an insider guide for there too! Read it here!

Is there Mafia in Sicily?

You can’t believe how many times I’ve been asked this question. Please ignore everything people tell you about mafia. It happened to me very frequently (sadly more frequently than I wished) that foreign people (and even some Italians from the north) were scared or concerned about visiting Sicily because of what they heard about mafia. I could write an entire article about this, but for the moment, let me tell you that people in Sicily don’t go around with guns and shooting everyone on their way (yes someone asked me also this). Sicily is generally very safe for tourists to visit (or not less safer than any other places in Italy).

Yes mafia is still present in certain parts of the island. However, it’s not something a common tourist or even a common Sicilian inhabitant will experience. Most of the news people hear about mafia are related to corruption in public institutions or pizzo (money asked to people in exchange of “protection”) asked to certain shopkeepers. Many of these shopkeepers are actively fighting mafia and, in this regard, I invite you to watch the episode Antony Bourdain did about Sicily especially when he talks about the movement addiopizzo (goodbye pizzo).

Getting to Sicily

About 95% of tourists arrive in Sicily either to Catania or Palermo. There is a small airport in the town of Comiso but this mostly handles domestic flights and it’s not well connected. Direct flights from Europe are often a seasonal event. These are usually handled by Easyjet and Ryanair with some limited British Airways from London. If you are arriving from the US, from 23rd May 25 Delta launched new direct flight from New York to Catania. This will save you from a long and boring stopover in Rome or Milan. Similarly, United has launched a new flying route connecting New York and Palermo. If you are travelling in any other season that is not summer, it’s very likely that you’ll need a stopover somewhere in Italy before getting to Sicily.

I have to warn you that flight prices to Sicily are quite pricey, particularly during summer and winter holidays. In fact, Sicily is one of the most expensive regions in Italy where to fly. Just to give you an example, this summer I paid about £1,700 (2,289$) to fly from London to Catania. I paid the same amount of money to go to Seoul last year!

If you want to save on flights, I do recommend visiting off season (e.g. November or March/April). This could be also an advantage in regards to temperatures.

Getting around Sicily

You will need a car to go around Sicily. Yes we do have public transport but, as a Sicilian, I would not rely on that unless you have plenty of time to loose. Public transport in Sicily is very slow, trains routes are weird or non-existent and most tourist areas are not even connected to the main cities. So, if you want a chance to see as much as possible, it’s better to get a car. You can find some deals here.

An honest note on road conditions. Forget those idyllic videos you see online about road tripping in Sicily. Indeed, except highways and main city roads, countryside roads are pretty rough to drive. Be prepared to some serious bumps and gravel/unpaved terrains to cross. Furthermore, always double check your Google Maps road because it’s not 100% reliable.

Sicily Travel Guide: food in Sicily

Sicily travel guide - FUD Sicily travel guide – Some of my favourite restaurants in Sicily

Food is exceptionally good in Sicily! I’m not saying this because I grew there with granita and brioche. I’ve been all around the world and still think that Sicilian food is quite a gem. In fact, when you go around Sicily, it’s very rare to find a place that is not good. Nevertheless, during the last years, with the exaggerated level of tourism all around the island, I’ve noted the proliferation of low-quality, “touristy” places. These might attract visitors at first impact, but as a local I wouldn’t never dine there.

During my last visit to Catania, just two months ago, I also noted a ridiculous amount of sushi/Japanese restaurants. I mean, I understand the city could have one or two good Japanese places, but when you have 7 sushi restaurants in the space of 100 mt in Sicily there’s clearly something wrong. I’m not saying they are necessarily bad (we are an island with fresh fish after all) but, traditionally, sushi is not something you associate to Sicily.

Visitors with dietary requirements

Being a person with dietary requirements in Sicily can be a little challenging. The island is so connected to its culinary traditions and motto “food is life” that diverging for necessity or willing from eating anything is still felt almost offensive. I still remember the battle I had with my dad almost 20 years ago to convince him I had lactose intolerance. Thankfully, today there is much more awareness and availability of specific products. Nevertheless, Italians, and Sicilians in particular, they still make a lot of resistance in bending their culinary traditions towards more dietary-friendly options. Especially in smaller countryside realities. So, if the barista glares badly at you when asking for an oat milk, it’s not your imagination. He is giving you his disappointed judgment.

If you are vegetarian/vegan or you are allergic to gluten pay LOT of attention to the menus. If you are insecure, don’t be afraid of being direct and ask what you want an what ingredients are included in your dish. Sicilian cuisine is very rich and even some unsuspected dishes might include gluten, eggs, nuts etc. Some people, especially the older ones, are still not familiar with the terms “vegan” “vegetarian”. Don’t be surprised if they don’t know what you are talking about. It’s better to say “I don’t eat meat”. If you have an important allergy say in Italian ‘Sono Allergica/ Sono Allergico‘ + the ingredient:

Noci – Nuts (3 nuts)
Glutine – Gluten
Latte – Milk
Arachidi – Peanuts
Uova – Eggs
Crostacei – Shellfish
Sesamo – Sesame

Read More: My Guide to Catania has a very special section on food you can check out!

Scams and Safety in Sicily

When travelling to Sicily, pay attention to scams. If you are asking yourself why in Egypt I was totally fine with “the scam thing”, it’s because Sicily it’s quite the same. I was already used to this type of approach. Tourists (sometimes even residents) are frequently scammed for restaurant bills, car rentals, shopping or even their hotels. I’m not really proud of this, but it do happens. Of course, not all the people are the same and most Sicilians are honest and kind people but if something smells you wrong, probably it is. My sister has been recently scammed with an holiday rental property she found on Booking.com so if this happened to her (a local), it can happen to anyone.

Illegal valets

Pay particularly attention to the “illegal valets”. Small and big cities in Sicily are unfortunately affected by the plague of “illegal valets”. People who want money to “keep your car safe” on the street when is parked. While these people are endlessly persecuted by the police, they continue to appear here and there especially in big cities like Catania and Palermo or in any touristy place around the island. If you meet one, try to not give him money. When is possible, try to use official parking spaces or the one called “blu stripes –strisce blu” where you can pay the time you stay at a designated machine.

Don’t leave your belongings alone

Don’t leave your personal belongings unattended. Small thefts are particularly frequent, especially in tourist areas. Never ever leave your stuff alone. Especially in bars, beaches, cars etc. it’s unfortunately very likely that you won’t find it anymore. Unfortunately you are not in Japan or South Korea.

Best Period to Visit Sicily

Sicily is one of those places blessed by sun almost all-year-around. Nevertheless, as a visitor, what you need to keep in mind is the “intensity” of the sun you will find. Indeed, there is a huge difference between visiting in April and visiting in July. Here below, I will help you deciding what period is the best for you according what you will likely find. Unfortunately, due to global warming, also Sicilian weather has becoming unpredictable with stronger and sudden thunderstorms and unbearable hot summers.

Autumn in Sicily

Is a fantastic season to visit. Autumn months usually go from mid/late September to late November (if you are lucky early December). September is a borderline month as it can still be very hot and temperatures can suddenly feel fresh without prior notice. It used to be one of my favourite months for swimming when I lived there as there is zero crowds and water is still warm. October and November temperatures fluctuate a lot (usually between 15 – 27 degrees), but is still warm enough to stay outdoor and hop into a traditional scampagnata (i.e. trip to the countryside). During the last couple of years, October and November have seen a sudden increase in bad weather. Usually it doesn’t last long, from a couple of hours to a few days but thunderstorms can be particularly violent and often leading to flash flooding.

Winter in Sicily

Yes, we have winter in Sicily and rarely it can be also cold! Winter season in Sicily starts usually in December and can last up to mid March. It’s a quite unpredictable season because it can be pleasantly warm or quite cold depending where you are located. I visited several time my family during the Christmas period and I never found a constant temperature. Indeed, one December I found 25 degrees and full sunshine, the year after if was 8 degrees and it rained for almost two weeks. Temperatures in the villages up to Mt Etna, and in the Sicilian hinterland could get even lower. However, winter is still a good season to visit if the main purpose of the visit doesn’t include a beach holiday to Sicily.

Spring in Sicily

Similarly to Autumn, Spring is one of the best seasons to visit Sicily. Temperatures are usually mild between 17-23 degrees and aside from a few sudden thunderstorms, weather is mostly good. Spring in Sicily is quite short and last usually from mid March to mid May replaced almost immediately by summer temperatures. It’s not rare to have heatwaves during spring with temperatures soaring up to 28/30 degrees. Beach resorts are still closed, but nothing forbid you a splash in the sea if you get too hot!

Summer in Sicily

Despite Sicily is known as the summer destination per excellence, I believe that summer is actually one of the worst periods to visit. Indeed, unless you have lived in the island or other similar hot destinations in the past decade, bearing the roasting temperatures that you will find in the summer months is quite an hazard. When I was younger and still living with my parents,

I remember the hottest summer we had touched about 35 to 37 degrees. Nevertheless, Sicily now reaches peaks of 42 or even 45 degrees between July and August. And believe me, it’s hell. People really underestimate how hot it can be and how much this would impact an holiday that is not 100% by the sea. Therefore, if you want to visit during summer, make sure to limit the sightseeing very early in the morning/late afternoon and be located as close as possible to the coast for a fresher breeze during the day/nights. Also, many places don’t have air conditioning so always double check your accommodation.

How to visit Sicily. Getting the best from your visit

Sicily travel guide – Ancient theatre in Taormina

I’ve seen countless of influencers and bloggers promoting these self-made itineraries that makes you look like you can go from A to B in Sicily very easily. Just yesterday I’ve seen this famous blogger couple posting about this “10 days to Sicily” in which they claimed that visitors in Catania needed just 1 day (which included a trip to Mt. Etna, sightseeing to the city and even as splash on the coast) of course they day after they suggested to be directly in Palermo, maybe by teleporting yourself. I mean, you don’t need to be a genius to understand that this is not physically possible.

I don’t want to denigrate other creators, but suggestions of this type are very inaccurate and won’t give you the real picture of the island. Moreover, you can’t figure out the actual timing you will need to get from one place to another. But, most of all, this don’t respect the spirit of the island that is mostly set on a slow living lifestyle and deep enjoyment of its locations (and food!). Rather than jumping from one place to another like a crazy machine.

Take your time

So, the first rule to follow when visiting Sicily is to take your time. This because everything on the island goes on slow motion so you will need to slow down at the same time. I have to say that after 11 years living in fast-paced places such as the UK and other 4 spent in Northern Italy, I get irritated every single time on how slow everything is in Sicily. Breakfasts served from 8 or 9 am, shop closed at lunchtime until 4 pm, endless queues for basic things and people who seem do not bother at all. The only solution to not get crazy and enjoy is embracing the type of lifestyle.

How many days do I need in Sicily

If you really want a taste of both eastern and western sides of the island you’ll need no less than 15 days. 3 weeks if you want to include also a few off the beaten path locations or some smaller islands on the coast. This time is necessary both for logistical reasons (i.e. the physical time you’ll need to reach each destination) and to enjoy Sicily at the right pace. If you have just 5, 7 or 10 days I strongly recommend to focus on just one part of Sicily (eastern or western). In this way you can maximise your time and possibly even visit more places.

The public transport factor

As said before, renting a car is 100% recommended to get the most of your trip and reaching places in the fastest way. However, if you can’t drive (or don’t want to drive), keep in mind “the public transport factor”. Indeed, public transport in Sicily is not great and you’ll need to plan well in advance your itinerary to avoid getting stuck. For example, taking the train from Palermo to Catania takes between 4 and 6.30 hours (also the last train from Palermo is usually at 18.30). Taking the coach is no less than 3 hours. Therefore, if you decide to move by public transport, you’ll need to understand how this travelling time will impact your itinerary.

Divide your itinerary in geographical areas

One of the tricks to have the most from your Sicily itinerary is dividing your stay in geographical areas and using travel days only for essential moves. This will give you a more comprehensive understanding of the locations you visit and less jumping from one place to another.

Sicily travel guide

Sicily travel guide – Grammichele during the golden hour

The sections below, will show you the most convenient way of dividing your Sicily itinerary. I divided this section into 4 different parts: eastern Sicily, western Sicily, Sicilian hinterland and Sicilian islands. Eastern and western Sicily are definitely the most famous sections of the island. First time visitors usually tend to cover one of both sides depending on how many days they stay.

The Sicilian hinterland is made of small villages, often in off the beaten track/mountains. It’s a section that I recommend to explore only if you have visited before or if you visit in winter/autumn when a beach holiday is not an option. Lastly, Sicily has many smaller group of islands belonging to its administration. Places such as Lipari, Lampedusa, Pantelleria etc. they are all part of Sicily. Those islands are incredibly beautiful but it takes another week to fit them into a proper itinerary as they are not super easy to reach, (I stayed myself 7 days in Lampedusa!). You will have more details on this below.

Eastern Sicily

Sicily travel guide – Scenes from Noto, Catania and Mt Etna

The Eastern Sicily coast is the one covering from Messina to Portopalo di Capopassero. It’s ideal for those who land in Catania because all the main spots on this coast are reachable within 2-3h. This part of the island is particularly recommended to those who are seeking a vacation that includes different activities such as hiking, relaxing at the beach and city discovery. Eastern Sicily has also specific culinary traditions and a focus on street food.

DISCOVER MORE: Read here my detailed guide to Eastern Sicily

How many days do I need for East Sicily?

I think that 10 days would be ideal to get the most of your trip but 7 days are ok to to cover enough main spots on this part of the island.

East Sicily 7 and 10 days itinerary

If you are planning to visit East Sicily, here is a very simple itinerary you can follow either if you have 7 or 10 days. If you want to have more details on each of the places suggested in this itinerary, I recommend you to read my detailed guide below.

Day 1-3

Day 1 – Land in Catania. Use this day to get used to the city and relax after your flight. Possibly go for an aperitivo in the historical centre.
Day 2 – Morning Hike to Mount Etna and afternoon Pistachio themed tour of Bronte. Start early in direction Mt. Etna for an epic ascent to the volcano summit at 3000 mt. Summit hiking to Mt. Etna requires a tour. I recommend this tour that includes both the cable car and the jeep. This is usually about 5 h. So, for the afternoon I recommend driving to the nearby city of Bronte (50 mins drive), a worldwide famous place for its pistachios! Here you can have a lovely tour of the city and a Tour of Bronte Pistachios and Etna Wines, tasting local delicacies.
Day 3 – Morning tour of Catania – Afternoon/Evening discovery of Coastal Catania: Acitrezza and Acicastello. Catania is a beautiful city to discover, I would recommend visiting at early morning during the summer. Among the top sites, the Greek theatre, the Benedectine Monastery, the Cathedral. Read my full guide to Catania to learn about all you can do! If you are into panoramic views, I recommend a read of my guide to Catania’s best viewpoints.

Want to discover Catania’s best street food? This street food tour will cover all you need to know!

Day 4-6

Sicily travel guide – A beautiful sunset in Ortigia, Syracuse

Day 4 – Day trip to Isola Bella and Taormina. Both places are easily reachable from Catania (1h driving circa). I would recommend reading my Insider guide to Taormina to have more information on your day trip.
Day 5 – Head to Syracuse for the next part of your trip. Relaxing afternoon in Ortigia. It’s time to move your base to Syracuse from Catana. Here you will spend the next couple of days of eastern Sicily exploration. Distance between Catania and Syracuse is about 1h by car. If you arrive at sunset time, I would recommend this Syracuse: Golden Hour Greek Theatre Tour that will take you to some of the city’s most important attractions such at the Ear of Dionysius and the Greek Theatre during the most colourful hours of the day.
Day 6 – Syracuse and Ortigia tour. On this day, visit the historical centre of Syracuse: the island of Ortigia. Because there are many things to see (including underground!), I would recommend booking a private walking tour. This will maximise your time and make sure you do not miss any important spots! If you are into Sicilian cuisine, I would recommend to combine this with a street food tour of Ortigia.

Day 7-10

Sicily travel guide – Ragusa Ibla viewpoint

Day 7 – Take a day trip to Noto and Marzamemi. After exploring Syracuse, it’s time to visit Noto. The Sycilian capital of Baroque. You can decide to head there as a day trip combined with Marzamemi (a small fishing village), or move there as an additional base for your trip. If you are staying in Noto overnight, I would recommend visiting Marzamemi the day after.
Day 8 – Beach day at Vendicari Nature Reserve. If you are travelling in summer, visit the Vendicari Nature Reserve. A beautiful area with crystalline waters and nature trails. This is at 1h drive from Syracuse or 23 mins from Noto. If you don’t have a car (or don’t want to drive, I recommend booking an organised tour). In the evening, you can you can stroll in the fishing village of Marzamemi or (if you have been already) to Portopalo.
Day 9 – Day tour of Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla. On this last day in Eastern Sicily, I would recommend visiting the city of Ragusa. This has an older part called “Ragusa Ibla” located on a upper hill that is very photogenic. Drive is 55 mins from Syracuse and 57 mins from Noto. If you want to stay a full-day out, you can combine it with a further tour in the city of chocolate, Modica. This private tour will take you to both cities.
Day 10 – Head back to Catania for departure. On your last day head back to Catania to take your flight. I would recommend booking a flight in the afternoon as there might be crowd on the way back and this can take 1-2 hours.

Western Sicily

Sicily travel guide – Palermo coastal area

If you land in Palermo, western Sicily will be your main area. This part of the island is known for its beautiful coast, crystalline waters and lovely fishing villages. Western Sicily mainly includes the areas from Palermo to Agrigento and it’s recommended to those who are visiting during summer, seeking a relaxed holiday and taste amazing food. Likewise East Sicily, you will need a car to get the best of your trip and move freely. Coaches to move around the coast could be an option but they are not as frequent and you’ll need to account extra time for your journey. As many fishing towns (e.g. Scopello, San Vito lo Capo) are at 1h from the city, you might decide to base yourself in Palermo and take day trips. But this is entirely up to you.

How many days do I need for West Sicily?

Similarly to East Sicily, also its western side would need ideally 10 days but it can easily be done in 7. If you want to explore both side of the island, make sure to allocate enough time to them as it takes a long day stuck in the traffic to get from one side to the other in Sicily!

West Sicily 7 and 10 days itinerary

Here below is a suggested itinerary of West Sicily either you have 7 or 10 days.

Day 1-3

I would recommend spending the first 3 days in Palermo. This is the Sicilian capital, it’s a big city and there is a lot to explore. On the first day, you are probably landing mid-day so is better to just relax and maybe start exploring your hotel neighbourhood to have a first feeling of the city. On the second day, I would recommend booking a Palermo Walking Tour, this will give you a lovely overview of the city and will make you discover all the best sights. You can eventually combine this with a Street Food and Local Market Tasting Tour that will take you to historical markets such as Vucciria or Ballaro’. On the last day, head to the lovely Mondello for a beach day. You can also hike up to Monte Pellegrino.

Day 4-6

Sicily travel guide – Scenes from Agrigento area

Day 4- Agrigento. For this part of the trip, I would recommend changing base to Agrigento. This takes 2 h drive to arrive from Palermo but it can take long if there is traffic. If you depart early, you can still have a chance to visit the Valley of the Temples during the day. If you visit during the summer and don’t want to suffer the heat, I would recommend booking a sunset tour. Agrigento itself it’s a lively city and there are plenty of lovely restaurants to visit!
Day 5 – Scala dei Turchi and Punta Bianca. On this day, wake up early to visit the scenic Scala dei Turchi, a white-washed cliff dropping directly into the sea and creating a stunning visual effect. During the summer this place is incredibly busy and getting there early will grant you a good spot. Read my Scala dei Turchi guide to know more.
Day 6 – Sciacca, Selinunte and Mazara del Vallo. On this day, visit the picturesque fishing village of Sciacca and the beautiful Greek ruins of Selinunte. End your day at the lovely town of Mazara del Vallo before heading back to Palermo or San Vito lo Capo for the next part of your trip.

Day 7 -10

Day 7 Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo. On this day, you will explore the very photogenic fishing towns of Scopello and San Vito lo Capo. These are famous for their crystalline waters and slow living vibes. I would recommend to start early morning from San Vito lo Capo. This is at 1h 45 mins drive from Palermo and quite crowded during summer. Home of the stunning Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, this part of Sicily deserves probably several days but you can still manage to get a swim in the morning and proceed to Scopello after lunch and enjoy a beautiful sunset time. If you don’t have a car, I recommend booking this tour that covers the whole area.
Day 8 Day trip to Trapani, Marsala and Erice. Start your day early with a tour of the beautiful Erice. This town is at 1h 45 mins drive from Palermo. It’s quite small so you can visit it in 1/2 hours. Proceed to a visit to be beautiful salt lakes of Trapani (Saline di Trapani) for a photo stop, end your visit in Marsala where I suggest a nice wine tasting. If you don’t have a car, this tour covers all the places mentioned.
Day 9. Day trip to Cefalu’. This lovely little town is just at 1h from Palermo but it’s really worth a visit. One can easily spend the whole day both sunbathing on the lovely beach and exploring the picturesque alleys of the town. If you are going by car, I would recommend to arrive early because parking is a nightmare! Read my detailed guide to Cefalu’ for more information.
Day 10 – The last day stay in Palermo for departure.

Sicilian hinterland

Sicily travel guide – The cave town of Sperlinga

The Sicilian hinterland is a lesser explored area of the island. Is made of small towns (in Italian borghi), baroque cities and mountainous areas. Most of these places are closer to the Catania area than Palermo but they can still be reachable with a few hours driving. Sicilian hinterland can include remote areas and not well-known spots. These places are not well-connected with public transport. Therefore, having a car is essential. A Sicilian hinterland itinerary is recommended to those who have already visited Sicily a few times and want to explore discover new places. It can be also a good idea for those who visit off season (winter/late autumn) and can’t organise a summer/beach holiday in the usual destinations.

The Nebrodi bound

The mountain range of Nebrodi encloses various picturesque towns that are always missed on first-time visits to Sicily. Air is cooler, landscape is mountainous and there are even lakes in this part of the island. I had the pleasure to visit many years ago and really loved it! Encircling the beautiful Nebrodi Park, the towns of Montalbano Elicona, Randazzo, Troina and Sperlinga are the top spots for this area.

Easy to Explore from: Catania
Days Needed: 3 or 4

The Madonie bound

In the northern part of Sicily, the Madonie mountains dominate part of the hinterland and coast of the island. The top town to visit in this area are Gangi, Castelbuono, San Mauro Castelverde, Petralia Soprana and Polizzi Generosa. Most of these places are on elevated areas offering stunning views of the countryside.

Easy to Explore from: Palermo
Days Needed: 2 or 3

The middle earth

There is almost an invisible line of small towns cutting Sicily into two parts. These places are well-known within Sicilians, mostly because young people, often move from there to bigger cities like Catania or Palermo. Nevertheless, tourists largely ignore these towns because not easily reachable by public transport despite being within 1/2 hours from Catania. I’ve called them the “middle earth” because they are literally in the middle of the island. The major city among them is Caltanissetta. As a joke with my friends we always called this place as “the city that doesn’t exist” because it’s very hard to get to and even the motorway doesn’t have a proper signalling.

If you want to explore this Sicilian middle earth made of lovely baroque towns, put on the map Adrano, Centuripe, Agira, Leonforte, Enna, the already named Caltanissetta, Sutera and Canicatti’.

Easy to explore from: Catania
Days Needed: 3 or 4

The easy detour

Sicily travel guide – Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina

For those who don’t have much time but want to wander a little off the main path, the towns of Grammichele, Caltagirone, and Mazzarino are an easy detour from Catania. This area is famous also for the Villa Romana del Casale, a beautiful and well-preserved Roman villa in the countryside.

Easy to explore from: Catania
Days Needed: 1 or 2

The Western bound

If you want to explore part of the hinterland from the western side of Sicily, you are in luck! Indeed, also from Palermo side there are many beautiful borghi to visit if you want to wander off path. The best places are Corleone, Sanbuca di Sicilia, Segesta, and Salemi. That area has also the famous Cretto di Burri and a beautiful castle of Federick II.

Easy to explore from: Palermo
Days Needed: 1 or 2

Sicilian Islands

Sicily travel guide – View of Lampedusa from Isola dei Conigli

Your are not reading this wrong. Sicily is an island with islands. Indeed, within the territory of Sicily are included other smaller group of islands and archipelagos that are incredibly beautiful to visit if you have time! Here below there is a comprehensive list of them, this includes from where is best to reach them and how much time do you need.

Aeolian Islands

Named after the ruler of winds, Aeolous, the Aeolian Islands (in Italian, Isole Eolie) lie off the north coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s a volcanic archipelago made of 7 different islands: Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea. All the islands belongs to the metropolitan area of Messina (eastern Sicily).

How to get there: the port of Milazzo (near Messina) is the main embarkation port. This is at 1h 30 mins from Catania. The islands are reachable exclusively via ferry. Tickets are sold by Siremar and are quite inexpensive (less than €25). Travel time is usually 2 hours.
How many days: this depends if you want to visit just one island or the whole archipelago. For an island hopping I would recommend 5/7 days. For a single island visit 1 to 3 days depending on the scope of the visit.
Combine with: Eastern Sicily itinerary from Catania

Aegadian Islands

The Aegadian Islands (in Italian, Isole Egadi) are located off the northwest coast of Sicily, near the cities of Trapani and Marsala. It’s a mountainous archipelago made of 10 small islands but only 3 of them are currently populated and easily visitable: Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo.

How to get there: small ferries depart from both Trapani and Marsala. Tickets are sold by Siremar and traveling time is usually between 45 mins and 1 h.
How many days: these islands are quite small and very good for a weekend or 3 days.
Combine with: Western Sicily itinerary from Palermo.

Pelagie Islands

Sicily travel guide – Scenes from Lampedusa

The Pelagie Islands are the southernmost archipelago in Italy. They are quite close to the African continent and made by 3 main islands: Lampedusa, Linosa, Lampione and Isola dei Conigli (rabbit island).

How to get there: Lampedusa is actually a quite big island that has also an airport. Flights from both Catania and Palermo are available all year around. The other alternative is by ferry or hydrofoil. It’s quite a lengthy trip via sea with about 9/10 on the ferry (book via Siremar) or 4/5 h by hydrofoil (book via Liberty Lines). Prices are between €40 and €80 per person. The island of Linosa is connected only by sea. Lastly, a note on this, from one that remained stuck in Lampedusa. Ferry/hydrofoil operations are largely dependant on sea conditions. If the sea is too rough, they get cancelled without notice. My return ferry was cancelled due to weather and my trip to Lampedusa extended for another week! Ferries and Hydrofoil depart from Porto Empedocle, near Agrigento.
How many days: Lampedusa is quite a big island with many beaches and coves. I would recommend a week to explore it. Maybe 10 days combined with Linosa.
Combine with: Either Western or Eastern Sicily itinerary

Ustica

Sicily travel guide – Ustica Lighthouse

The island of Ustica is located in the Thyrrenian Sea, at about 67 km from Palermo. It’s a very quiet island with some beautiful rocky scenery. It’s actually one of my favourite islands of Sicily.

How to get there: the island is connected only by the sea from the port of Palermo. Ferry takes about 2 h 45 mins and can be booked from the Siremar website. A quicker hydrofoil (1h 30 mins) is now available also from Liberty Lines. Tickets are generally between €27 and €35 per person.
How many days: 3 to 5 days are a good amount to explore the island beautiful coast.
Combine with: Western Sicily Itinerary from Palermo.

Pantelleria

Located quite close to the coast of Tunisia, Pantelleria is the largest volcanic satellite island of Sicily. It’s famous for it’s incredible coastline and the soda lake named as “Venus’ mirror”.

How to get there: Pantelleria is reachable from Trapani port via ferry (6 h) or hydrofoil (2h 30). Always to be booked from Siremar or Liberty Lines. There is also a small airport with flights from Palermo.
How many days: 4 or 5 days are usually recommended to explore Pantelleria beaches and mountainous landscape. The trip from Trapani is also quite lengthy, particularly by ferry so it’s better to stay for a few days.
Combine with: Western Sicily Itinerary from Palermo.