8 Scintillating Spots in Sicily

[Biswajit Rakshit]

Italy's largest island is in some ways like a world unto itself, packed with amazing, art, architecture, history, cuisine, mud baths, and of course lovely beaches bathed in turquoise waters. Sicily's magic has been shaped by civilizations including Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Spaniards, and Norman French, and it's all waiting for you. And though of course a wide variety of accommodation is available, one of the best ways to get the most enjoyment out of your visit is luxury Sicily villa rental in the hills or by the sea, where when not touring you can spread out and indulge, for example sipping a lovely glass of Nero d'Avola by the pool.

And when you are touring, here are some of my favorite spots not to miss:


Noto, Sicily's Capital of the Baroque


This town near the island's southern tip has a history stretching back to the Iron Age, and though several archaeological remain from that distant era as well as that of ancient Greek and early-medieval Byzantine periods, Noto is best known as the jewel of Sicilian Baroque, and declared part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site for that reason. Dubbed "the stone garden," it was rebuilt after a 1693 earthquake, and so its old quarter is essentially a living museum of the 17th and 18th century century, with landmarks such as its cathedral (finished in 1776), town hall, municipal theater, and dozens of fine palazzi and churches.

Modica & its Bittersweet Treasure

This city in Sicily's southwestern Iblei Mountains also rebuilt in Baroque after the 1693 earthquake and shares UNESCO World Heritage status with Noto. Its other main claim to fame is its handmade dark chocolate, not overly sweet and more granular and textured than than any other in Europe because it was inspired by the Aztec recipe for xocolatl, transmitted to Sicily in the late 16th century while it was under the rule of Spain. Here you can find many artisinal dolcerie selling this delicacy, often infused with various appealing flavors.

Catania: Historic, Cultural - and a Fish-Lover's Paradise

Sicily's second largest city shares Noto's and Modica's UNESCO World Heritage trove of Baroque gems, as well as ancient Roman sites and a distinguished cultural scene. But one thing that especially stands out for me is its bounty of fresh seafood, of which you can often catch a whiff in the air. La Pescheria, its open-air fish market, is staged every morning something like an affair that's half commerce, half theater. Huge heads of tuna and sharks rest on small wooden stalls while the fishmongers shout, hawking their products. The city is also full of fantastic seafood restaurants, and cooking classes are also on offer.

Siracusa's Ancient Splendors

This ancient city on the southeastern coast is a bucket-list must for aficionados of classical antiquity; the ancient Roman philosopher Cicero described it as the greatest and most beautiful city of Ancient Greece. Siracusa's UNESCO World Heritage historic center is located on Ortygia, which is packed with ancient Greek and Roman monuments including temples and amphitheaters, as well as many historic monuments of later periods. La Piazza del Duomo, with its impressive palaces and paved with shiny stone slabs worn by millions of steps, looks like a stage set. When the sun goes down, siracusani engage in their beloved evening passeggiata, with families, friends, and lovers thronging the seaside promenade.

Mondello, Palermo's Beach Oasis

Sicily is a wonderland for beach lovers, and on the outskirts of its capital, this onetime fishing village is a local favorite filled with Art Nouveau architecture, a fashionable beach resort for well over a century - especially in summer when temperatures hit 40° Celsius (104°F) and many palermitani escape their chaotic city and descend en masse onto the soft powdery sand and crystalline turquoise waters. It can get packed for sure, but toward the ends you can still find stretches of splendid spaggia that are less crowded.


San Vito Lo Capo's Less Crowded Beach Paradise

If you really want to avoid some of the crowds, head two hours west of Palermo, where across the Gulf of Castellammare on Sicily's northwest corner the colorful, flower-bedecked town of San Vito lo Capo, whose gorgeous three-kilometer crescent beach is considered by many to be the island's loveliest - its limpid waters sometimes compared to the Caribbean. The gulf's shallow depth here is perfect for small children, and you can find private stretches of beach (meaning you pay to rent beach chairs and umbrellas) that are less packed than the free stretches. 

Mount Etna & Mount Stromboli: Sicily With a Bang

There aren't many places in the world where you can witness volcano eruptions, but Sicily's two active volcanoes periodically put on a show. From the northwest coast, you can spot offshore Stromboli's Sciara del Fuoco, the slope over which, when there are eruptions, the lava slides to the sea. This volcano is only 40,000 years old - a baby in geological terms - and Its tender age means it's one of the few in the world that registers constant activity. When approached by sea, it appears on the horizon as a drawing of a primary school pupil: perfectly conical and with a thin cloud of smoke coming out of the crater. Before nightfall and with enough time to observe the sunset from the summit (at 900 meters high), groups with flashlights and trekking boots to see the explosions that, at 27-minute intervals, take place every day. Tours up to Etna, looming over Catania, are also available; there's even a cable car to take visitors part of the way up.