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Sicily
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| Sicily (Sicilia)
- Sicily is accessible by ferry from Genoa, Livorno, Naples and Cagliari.
Direct trains run from Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples and Reggio di
Calabria to Messina and on to Palermo, Catania and other provincial
capitals. Palermo is a large but manageable city. The intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda marks the Quattro Canti (Four Corners), the centre of the oldest part of the town. Known locally as il teatro, this intersection is the actual and ideal centre of the town. West along Corso Vittorio Emanuele rises the fortress palace of Palazzo dei Normanni, once the centre of a medieval court and now the seat of the Sicilian parliament. Alberghiera is the location of Palermo’s busiest street market, the Ballaro market. The centerpiece of the quarter Il Capo is the imposing monastery of Sant’Agostino. Northwards the alleys of Il Capo lead to Piazza Giuseppe Verdi and the grand neoclassical Teatro Massimo. The arterial Via Alloro hides Palermo’s best museum, the wonderful Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Abatellis, full of treasures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Behind the gallery is the Complessa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo, the only example of Northern Gothic in Sicily. Important festivals are the Carnevale in February, the Easter Holy Week in April and the Opera Season from December until May. Palermo’s most famous dishes are the pasta con le sarde and the cannoli. Northwest of the city is the popular beach of Mondello. The Monreale Cathedral, 8km southwest of Palermo, is considered the finest example of Norman architecture in Sicily. Almost 60km north of Palermo lies the island of Ustica. This island (8,7 sq km) is ideal for snorkeling, diving and underwater photography. Among the most rewarding dive sites are the Secca Colombara and the Scoglio del Medico to the west. The Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie between Palermo and Cefalù incorporates the Madonne mountain range and some of the highest mountains on Sicily after Mt Etna. In winter, Piano Battaglia is the only place in Sicily, other than Etna, where you can ski. The fishing village Cefalù has long been the north coast’s favorite holiday spot. The village has sandy beaches and good nightlife. From the Salita Saraceno you have stunning views of the town below. Most people aiming for the Aeolian Islands pass through Milazzo. There is good swimming at Capo Milazzo at the tip of the spit of land that stretches out towards the Aeolian Islands. Part of a huge volcanic ridge stretching 200km north from the coast of Sicily near Milazzo, the seven Aeolian islands of Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Alicudi and Filicudi represent the very pinnacle of this 3000m-high outcrop. The rich volcanic soil fosters a wilderness of flowers and plants, as well as an abundance of sea life, making the islands a paradise for naturalists and scuba divers alike. Lipari, the “capital” of the islands, has a quaint harbor and the town is a delightful maze of pastel-colored houses. North of Lipari town are the popular pebble beaches of Canneto and Porticello. Lipari’s two harbors, Marina Lunga and Marina Corta, are on either side of the cliff-top citadel. Snorkeling and scuba diving are incredibly popular given the crystal-clear waters. Sunbathers and swimmers head for Canneto, to bask on Spiaggia Bianca or on Spiaggia della Papesca. Vulcano is worshipped for its therapeutic mud baths and hot springs. Its weird steaming landscape and black beaches makes the island an interesting day trip if you can overcome the vile smell sulphurous gases. All the facilities are concentrated between Porto di Levante and Porto di Ponente, where you will find the Spiaggia Sabbia Nera. The top attraction on Volcano is the trek up the Gran Cratere. Salina’s twin craters of Monte dei Porri and Monte Fossa delle Felci are lushly wooded. Its high coastal cliffs plunge into dramatic beaches. Don’t miss a trip to the beach at Pollara. Panarea is exclusive and expensive and it is popular with the international jet set. The beaches of Cala Junco and Spiaggia Fumarola are easily accessible. Stromboli’s treacle-like lava oozing down the northwestern flank creates special effects. Volcanic activity has scarred and blackened one side of the island, while the eastern side is green and dotted with white houses. Filicudi is arguably the wildest and the prettiest of the Aeolian Islands, with crystal-clear waters and deep grottoes. The most attractive of these is Grotta del Bue Marino. If you’re trying to escape the summer crowds then Alicudi, home to a handful of farmers and fishermen, is the place to come. Messina is situated at the northernmost point of the Ionian coast. Wide boulevards, a practical grid system and elegant belle époque buildings make Messina an easy and pleasant city to navigate. The Norman cathedral is one of the most attractive churches in Sicily. The drive north along the coast from Messina to Capo Peloro and then round to the east is pretty, and there are some reasonable beaches between the Cape and Acquarone. Taormina is spectacularly located on a terrace of Monte Tauro, dominating the sea with views westwards to Mt Etna. Taormina is far removed from the banal economic realities of other Sicilian cities. Taormina is an almost perfectly preserved medieval town and it has a wealth of small but perfect tourist sites. Many visitors to Taormina come for the beach life. Lido Mazzarò is well serviced with bars and restaurants. Catania is the only city in Sicily that can really lay claim to be an entrepreneurial town. Catania’s central square, Piazza del Duomo, has been declared a Unesco Heritage Site. In the centre of the piazza is Catania’s most memorable monument, the smiling Fontana dell’Elefante. The best show in town is the bustling La Pescheria, the bustling fish market and adjoining food market. Catania has a reputation for great nightlife with dozens of bars. Dominating the landscape in eastern Sicily between Taormina and Catania, Mt Etna (3350m) is Europe’s largest live volcano and one of the worlds most active. The volcano’s unpredictability means people are no longer allowed to climb to the craters. The main sights of Syracuse are in two areas: on the island of Ortigia and 2km across town in the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis. The island of Ortigia is the spiritual and physical heart of the city. The Greek essence of Syracuse is everywhere in evidence. Walking through the tangled maze of alleys that characterizes Ortigia is an atmospheric experience, especially down the narrow lanes of Via Maestranza and the crumbling Jewish ghetto of Via della Giudecca. Syracuse’s treasures at the Neapolis archaeological park are summed up in one image, that of the 5th-century-BC Teatro Greco. Other sights are the Anfiteatro Romano and the Ara di Gerone II. Noto is the finest and most coherent baroque town in Sicily and it was recently added to Unesco’s list of World Heritage Sites. The San Nicolò Cathedral stands centre stage in Noto’s most graceful square, Piazza Municipio. Other sights are the Palazzo Villadorata and the Giardino Pubblico. Ragusa is a prosperous provincial capital and is virtually two towns in one: Ragusa Ibla and the 18th-century “new” town, simply known as Ragusa. The prosperous farming industry has sustained a fairly happy and healthy local population. In October, Ragusa hosts a yearly Busker’s Festival in Giardino Ibleo. Enna dominates the centre of the island and is a rich agricultural centre. Sights are the Castello di Lombardia, the cathedral and the Museo Alessi. Agrigento is Sicily’s oldest tourist site. The town is one of the most lively and aggressive in Sicily. The splendid Valle dei Templi loses much of its immediate impact and it is only when you get down among the ruins that you can appreciate their monumentality. Despite its name the five Doric temples, Tempio di Ercole, Tempio della Concordia, Tempio di Giunone, Tempio di Giove, Tempio di Castore e Polluce, stand along a ridge, designed to be visible from all around and a beacon for homecoming sailors. Agrigento’s big annual shinding is the Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore, a folk festival set on the first Sunday in February. The ruins of Selinunte are some of the most impressive ruins in Sicily and are more atmospherically situated than those in Agrigento. No visit to Selinunte is complete without a walk along the beach below the city, from where there are marvelous panoramas of the temples. Marsala is a surprisingly pleasant town with an interesting historic centre. It’s a good alternative to Trapani as a base for exploring Sicily’s northwest. Marsala’s finest treasure is the partially reconstructed Carthaginian warship in the Museo Archeologico. North of the museum is the partly excavated Insula Romana, which was a 3rd-century AD Roman house. Situated on an attractive curving spit of land, Trapani sits opposite the Egadi Islands and is a good base from which to explore the northwest. From the ancient Greek city of Segesta and the medieval town of Erice to the beaches of the Golfo di Castellamare and the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, this small corner is a smorgasbord of Sicily’s main delights. Trapani’s major sight is the Santuario dell’Annunziata. Remodelled in baroque style in the 17th century, it retains its original Gothic rose window and doorway. The Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro is the star attraction on the gulf. Mediterranean flora dusts the hillsides with wild carob and bright yellow euphorbia, and hidden coves, like Marinella bay, provide excellent swimming spots. For centuries the Egadi islanders have lived from the sea but nowadays, the waters around the islands have over fished and tourism looks set to be the main earner. The largest of the islands is butterfly-shaped Favignana. It is pleasant to explore on bicycle and around the costa tufa quarries are carved out of the crystal-clear waters – most notably around Cala Rossa and Cavallo. Closest to Trapani lies Levanzo, the smallest island of the archipelago. The most distant is Marettimo. The island’s beaches and its crystal-clear waters are the main attractions. Pantelleria is Sicily’s biggest island and it is characterized by jagged lava stone, dwarf vines and the Lago Specchio di Venere. At Siba there is also a steaming natural sauna, Stufa del Bagno di Arturo, at the summit of Montagna Grande. The island is famous for its secluded coves, which are perfect for snorkeling and diving. |
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 Accommodation
Sicily [5] |
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| Residence Hotel Baia Portinenti - Hotel Lipari, Appartamenti Lipari |
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