Why visit Sicily, Italy?
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28 Sicily Photos & Video | Sicily Highlights | Sicily Attractions
Famous Mount Etna volcano
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| Mount Etna volcano view, Catania | Sicily, Italy |
Sicily is famous for its Mount Etna – the highest and the most active volcano in Europe outside the Caucasus. There is no denying that Etna has left its mark on Sicily – throughout Sicily history, large parts of the Sicily island (especially in the Catania region) have been repeatedly destroyed by the lava and earthquakes caused by the Etna volcano eruptions. Mount Etna is a smoking behemoth that casts a mighty shadow over the Sicily island, but when Etna calms down, it’s one of the best places for a full day of hiking in the midst of a Martian landscape on Earth.
Travel tip: Catania is the best travel base for visiting Etna.
Sicily west or east?
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| West coast or east coast? | Sicily, Italy |
Which to choose – the south-west coast or the east coast? It’s hard to choose the best part of Sicily for accommodation because all of them offer some exceptional sites. The sandy south-west coast of Sicily is much different than the more rockier east coast of Sicily island. The plants on the south-west coast seem greener and the sea has a more turquoise hue. On the other hand, the east coast of Sicily offers great volcanic rock formations and impressive Mount Etna in the background. The south-west coast of Sicily is also more local, while the east coast has more popular Sicily resorts like Taormina and Aci Castello.
Travel tip: instead of choosing west or east, pick the best flight to one of the main Sicily airports (Palermo or Catania) and change your base during your stay.
Beautiful Sicily beaches
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| Scala dei Turchi beach, Agrigento & Isola Bella beach, Taormina | Sicily, Italy |
Travel tip: Scala dei Turchi beach in Realmonte (province Agrigento) is considered the best beach in Sicily, but we just fell in love with Isola Bella beach in Taormina.
Amazing Sicily nature
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| Castello Normanno castle and sea view, Aci Castello | Sicily, Italy |
To stay in Sicily is like to experience one of the most beautiful and diverse places to visit in the world and it’s quite easy to spend hours and hours on photographing every little thing around you. Sicily landscape is predominantly agricultural – beyond Mount Etna volcano, there is also green mountainous landscape (especially inland) full of fields of orange trees, but there is one thing that we absolutely loved about Sicily nature – thousands of cactuses (cacti) and palm trees.
Travel tip: visit Sicily in April and experience Sicily nature in bloom, while the weather is already warm.
Ancient Sicily architecture
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| Valley of the Temples, Agrigento & Greek Theatre, Taormina | Sicily, Italy |
Sicily has a rich and unique culture with impressive remains of ancient civilizations. There is a vast array of archaeological sites and ruins in Sicily, but there are a few Sicily must-see places like Greek ruins of Valle dei Templi in Agrigento (Valley of the Temples, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest archaeological site in the world) and Teatro Greco in Taormina (ancient Greek amphitheater with spectacular Mount Etna volcano as a backdrop).
Travel tip: it’s worth to visit Teatro Greco in June for the film festival and to visit Valle dei Templi by night when the temples are incredibly illuminated.
Sicily history | mix of influences
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| Arab dome in Taormina & Roman Cathedral of Syracuse | Sicily, Italy |
Sicily history is all about wars, battles and invasions (by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans). Each of those invaders has left a mark on Sicily. The mix of influences is especially visible in Sicilian architecture. From Byzantine to Baroque – Sicily has it all. Be ready for a nice culture shock once you arrive there.
Live the Sicilian lifestyle
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| Scooter and smoking man in a wine bar, Catania | Sicily, Italy |
The best way to know Sicily is to live like a Sicilian. There is something odd in Sicilians normal daily rhythm, but it seems that is the reason why Sicilians are so relaxed, extremely sociable and just lively! Sicilian lifestyle is especially visible in sometimes annoying siestas and Sicily nightlife.
Travel tip: like all Italians, Sicilians are often very animated when talking among themselves. A normal Sicilian conversation can sometimes appear as a quarrel or even an introduction to the fight.
Delicious Sicilian food and cuisine
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| Sicilian food, seafood and restaurant | Sicily, Italy |
Authentic Sicilian food is considered to be some of the tastiest in the world. Some even say that it’s the best in Italy. Moreover, typical Sicilian food is traditional and somewhat different than typical Italian cuisine. Also, Sicily is famous for its fresh seafood.
Travel tip: visiting Sicily fish markets is an experience by itself and Catania Fish Market is almost a must-see.
Some beautiful Sicilian places | Taormina, the Pearl of Sicily
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| Landscape view of Isola Bella island & Greek Theatre ruins, Taormina | Sicily, Italy |
The Pearl of Sicily, Taormina, is undeniably the most charming town in Sicily (certainly the most interestingly located) and simultaneously one of the most picturesque locations in all of Italy. Taormina is not only said to be the top travel destination, but Taormina is a must-see town for anyone traveling to Sicily. Without exaggeration, we can honestly say that Taormina is and probably will always be a point of reference wherever we go.
Travel tip: Taormina is sometimes so crowded that it might be a tourist trap. Therefore, it’s best to avoid visiting Taormina in the summer.
Some beautiful Sicilian places | Siracusa, the ancient Greek city
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| Marina and bridge to Ortigia island, Siracusa | Sicily, Italy |
Siracusa or Syracuse (there is a city with the same name in the state of New York, USA) is the ancient city steeped in history and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous Cicero described Syracuse as “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all” and it would be really hard to prove him wrong.
Travel tip: you will probably fell in love with Siracusa Ortigia – “the Old City” island connected to the mainland by a trio of short bridges.
Some beautiful Sicilian places | Aci Castello and Aci Trezza
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| Aci Castello Castello Normanno (Norman Castle) and Aci Trezza marina | Sicily, Italy |
The beautiful seaside of Aci Castello and Aci Trezza is located on the east coast of Sicily island and is a very popular Sicily summer vacation destination. Aci Castello is famous for its Norman Castle (Castello Normanno), while Aci Trezza is a nice fishing village with a beautiful seaside promenade and Cyclopean Isles.
Travel tip: it’s easy to reach Aci Trezza and Aci Castello from Catania (10 km by bus).
Some beautiful Sicilian places | the baroque Catania
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| Piazza del Duomo and Sant’Agata cathedral (view from the street), Catania | Sicily, Italy |
Catania is the second major city in Sicily (after Palermo) located in the shadow of Mount Etna volcano. Catania is called the “black city” because most of Catania’s buildings are made of black volcanic lava and many of its streets and boulevards are paved with blocks of the lava. Catania is famous for its monumental baroque architecture and it’s also is a very busy city that never sleeps.
Travel tip: once you get past the first impressions, you will really enjoy the idle ways of Catanian lifestyle. Also, for us, traveling to Catania is not about sightseeing, but about trying to truly feel this wonderful, but neglected baroque city.
Road trip | Sicily by car
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| Mount Etna view from the highway and Sicily road tunnels | Sicily, Italy |
Driving in Sicily is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Sicilians really lack the fear of death when driving and traffic rules in Sicily only exist in theory. Nonetheless, we advise trying Sicily car hire to get the full experience of the Sicily island.
Travel tip: when you rent a car in Sicily, full insurance is a must.
Covid-19 in Sicily
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| 28 Sicily Photos & Video | Sicily Highlights | Sicily Attractions |
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We are leaving Sicily for yet another island! 🙂
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