Discovering Sicily: Itineraries To Watch Out For

Sicily is a destination chosen by thousands of tourists every year for their summer holidays. It is a region that, like few, allows for long and intense yet varied stays. You can combine a relaxing time at the beach with visits to archaeological sites, and excursions to Etna, visits to nature parks or exploratory tours of the cities. Sicily is a tourist destination able to fulfil the desires of any kind of traveller, however, due to the large area, many visitors decide to split their journey into stages, so as not to miss out on anything and not miss any of the wonderful sights of this exciting island.

How To Organise Your Trip

You can easily move around the region by renting a car, booking accommodation in hotels, in the many B&Bs in the region or by taking a villa for rent for your holidays in Sicily. The best time to visit Sicily is in the should season of June or September, and avoid the high season of July and August if you can 

What Are The Main Sights?

A well-respected tour of Sicily cannot miss the must-see stops and renowned cities of Palermo, Catania or Trapani, which, by the way, are connected by daily flights to the rest of the country. Then there is Cefalù, Syracuse, Taormina and many attractions to visit, first and foremost the seaside destinations such as Isola Bella, Giardini Naxos, the Scala dei Turchi, Cala Rossa in Favignana, Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa to Cala Junco in Panarea.

No less important and interesting are the numerous archaeological sites: from the world-famous Valley of the Temples in Agrigento to the Archaeological Park of Selinunte and Segesta, to trekking on Mount Etna, in the Zingaro Nature Reserve, and the Madonie Park. For the sweet-toothed and lovers of good food, it is possible to include food and wine stops to taste traditional Sicilian dishes and products: first and foremost, the famous Modica IGP chocolate, Bronte DOP pistachio, Avola wine and Pachino IGP tomatoes.

Some Recommended Itineraries

There are many routes and itineraries that can be personalised for your interests. For history lovers, you must include the archaeological parks for a full immersion in the Greco-Roman period. Why not start from Segesta and then go to one of the largest archaeological sites in Europe, that of Selinunte. The last stop, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, is beautiful by day but especially by night.

For those who want to visit Sicily for the sea and for its stunning natural landscapes, the ideal is to plan a tour of the Aeolian Islands: Lipari, Panarea, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, Alicudi and Filicudi. These unspoilt territories are full of dream places, including two volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano.

If your time is limited, the option of creating an eastern Sicily itinerary between beautiful beaches and thousand-year-old villages could be a great solution. You can start from Catania and pass through iconic places such as Syracuse, Noto, Vendicari, Marzamemi, Modica, Ragusa, Agrigento and Taormina.

The western Sicily tour, instead, starts in Palermo and allows you to combine relaxing on the beach with visiting cultural areas as well as natural sites. After the main city, the tour continues to Monreale, the Zingaro Nature Reserve, Trapani, Favignana Island, Marsala and Selinunte.

There are so many itineraries in Sicily that can be individualised for the traveller, I hope you enjoy planning your journey.

* Collaborative post