A little treasure in the South of Italy. This is how I would summarize Sicily. Less than two hours away from most big cities in Europe and yet barely known outside of Italy. In this blog post, I give 8 (and more) reasons why you should put a road trip on this little Mediterranean Island on top of travel bucket list.
A hike on the Etna
You can’t come from Sicily without having visited the Etna Volcana. And you shouldn’t only take the cable car and go down again, you would miss most of the experience. To really experience the volcano, the best way is definitely to plan the whole day for this visit and to book a hiking day to the summit craters with a guide. The excursion lasts 6-8 hours (walking for 4-5 hours) and is definitely worth the trip to Sicily. The volcano is still active and you’ll be able to literally feel the power of Nature. The volcano is roaring permanently and an impressive cloud of steam comes out of the main crater without forgetting the particular smell of sulfur. But the main active crater is not the only attraction of the day, you will also be amazed by the beautiful color of the old craters from the 2002 eruptions.
The Stairs of the Turks
Natural cliffs of limestone. You can walk on the “stairs” freely and enjoy the view for the top. There is also a beach at the bottom where you can enjoy a little swim.
La Riserva Naturale Di Vindicari
Turquoise water, red soil, yellow and green Prickly Pears. If you like Nature, if you like hiking, if you like swimming and snorkeling… the natural reserve of Vindicari is definitely a must for your Sicily trip!
The Valley of the Temples
This a a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is simply mind blowing to see Ancient Greece Temples that are so well preserved. And not only one temple, several of them and believe me there are not small!
Ragusa Ibla and the center of Sicily
In the center of Sicily, you’ll find old typical Sicilian villages. Narrow streets, laundry hanging on the balconies, medieval houses… One little city in the center of Sicily is Ragusa. What you don’t want to miss there is Ragusa Ibla the old part of Ragusa. Ragusa Ibla is really charming and from there you have a beautiful view over the “new” Ragusa….
… Conversely the view from Ragusa to Ragusa Ibla is also really beautiful.
Ortigia
This is the old part of Syracuse. Just walk around and enjoy the views!
My favorite experience… the Stromboli
Ok, this is not properly Sicily. But it was my favorite part of the trip. The Stromboli is one of the Aeolian Islands. This archipelago of volcanic islands is roughly 2-3 hours by ferry from Milazzo (north west of Sicily). The Stromboli is still active… and the best part of can go and see the lava yourself! There are plenty of guides organizing night hikes to the summit of the Volcano … I guarantee you that you will never forget this view, the sunset over the see with the crater exploding and the lava in the air… it’s indescribable. Morever, before your hike make sure you enjoy a tour on the black volcano stone beach!
Palermo or the hundred churches city
Palermo is a big city, it is noisy, it’s difficult to find a place to park your car and you will for sure not be alone in the city. However it might be worth spending a few hours in the old part of the city in order to visit some of the numerous impressive churches of the City as for example the fantastic Byzantine church Della Martorana.
And some much more
I can’t make an exhaustive list of what is worth seeing in Sicily. There is also the ceramic stairs in Caltagirone, the beaches in Selinunte, the landscape in the middle of nowhere that you will encounter during the road trip …
Castallamare del Golfo
Endless beach in the natural Parc next to Selinunte
On the roads in the South of Sicily
Caltagirone and its ceramic stairs
Travel tips and notes
- A road trip is the best way to really enjoy the diversity of Sicily. This is the only way to be able to freely discover the Island! Rent a car right at the airport and you’re good to go! But make sure you buy the full insurance package as the roads in Sicily are not always in a perfect state and the villages in the center of the Island have really narrow streets.
- September is the ideal month to visit as it is already off season. Indeed most Italians tourists come in August. Hence, in September hotels are cheaper (up to half the summer price), cars are cheaper to rent and especially all touristic places are less overcrowded. And the best part is that the weather is still perfect to enjoy the beaches!
- The hotels on the Stromboli Island are quite overpriced but in order to enjoy the unforgettable night hike experience on the volcano you’ll have no choice. But it’s worth it!
- In Palermo, all churches visits come with an entry fee.
- Make sure to book the excursions to the volcanoes and the ferry in advance as most of the tourists come to the Sicily for that reason.
A French Girl Around The World 