Strategically located with an ideal climate and diverse and fertile landscape, it is easy to see why Sicily has proved so irresistible throughout its long history, having been colonized by the Greeks, Romans, Normans, and Spanish, among others. Each invader has left a distinctive imprint on architecture, language, and cuisine. Travel to Sicily and you will definitely feel like you have travelled back in time. The list of top things to see and do in Sicily is nearly endless.
Disclosure: This page (Top things to see and do in Sicily (Italy)) may contain affiliate links to products. At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. We only recommend products or services we personally believe in. More details can be found on our disclosure and policies page.
How can we be so sure that you will love Sicily? In large part because an endless supply of picturesque towns, historic ruins, and beautiful vistas always seems to only be a stone’s throw away from wherever you are on the island. Oh, and let’s not forget about the abundance of delicious and mouth-watering cuisine, the seemingly never-ending great weather, the endless supply of sprawling scenic beaches and bucolic vineyards, and last but not least, the very kind and welcoming Sicilians.
Below we present our Top Things to See and Do in Sicily Travel Guide. Obviously, this list is far from complete, but we wanted to focus on the things that were indeed the most impressive to us. We also only wanted to include places that we visited ourselves — we wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending something or someplace we didn’t get to experience personally.
Greek ruins (Segesta, Selinute & Valley of the Temples)
Long before Sicily became part of Italy (or part of the Roman Empire), it was part of the Greek Empire and, as such, some of the best Greek ruins outside of Greece are found here, in Sicily.
There are several sites spread across Sicily, but the three most impressive are (1) Valley of the Temples (near Agrigento), (2) Selinunte, and (3) Segesta (all three pictured below). The Valley of the Temples mainly comprises the beautiful ruins of 9 ancient sacred temples. With over 30 intact Doric columns and a clear structure, the unfinished Temple of Segesta is so well-preserved that it is considered to be one of Sicily’s most important historic sites: only the roof and interior are missing. All three sites are located on the western side of Sicily. (You can also find two very impressive Greek Theaters in the towns of Taormina and Siracusa, presented further below).
Volcano views ( Mount Etna)
The majestic Mount Etna is truly a sight to behold and should definitely be on your list of top things to see and do in Sicily. Europe’s largest active Volcano can be seen towering above the horizon from most of eastern Sicily. You can just as easily experience Etna through an excursion on the volcano, or from a distance, such as viewed from Taormina or in one of the beautiful vineyards found on the northern slopes.
Island hopping (Egadi Islands)
Although the Aeolian (volcanic) islands are the more popular draw for most tourists, we chose to visit the Egadi islands off Sicily’s western shores. The Egadi Island archipelago is the largest protected marine area in Europe and the islands themselves are surrounded by beautiful azure waters and quaint coastal fishing villages. In particular, both Levanzo and Favignana are particularly worthy of your time. One of the great ways to explore Favignana is to rent a bicycle and circle the island while stopping to admire its numerous stunning beaches. The islands can be reached either by a 30-45 min hydrofoil ride or via a slightly longer ferry ride from Trapani. Organized tours from Trapini are also an option.
Coastal hiking (Zingaro & Vendicari)
The are several areas along the Sicilian coast that offer fantastic hiking trails. For those of you used to hiking in forested mountains, this will provide quite a change of pace. Importantly, most of these trails are interspersed with several beaches and coves where you can go in for a refreshing swim when you need a break from all that walking in the sun. Our two favourite areas were the Zingaro nature reserve on the northwestern coast and the Vendicari nature reserve on the southeast coast.
Zingaro nature reserve
A Zingaro trail map with highlighted swimming areas can be found here.
Vendicari nature reserve
You can find a more in-depth description of the trails and beaches of Vendicari here.
Coastal towns of Siracusa (Ortigia), Taormina, and Cefalù
These are, in our humble opinion, three towns that are not to be missed during a visit to Sicily and should be included in all lists of top things to see and do in Sicily.
It might be hard to imagine now, but in its heyday, Siracusa was the largest city in the ancient world, bigger even than Athens and Corinth. The ruins from that ancient city now constitute the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, one of Sicily’s greatest archaeological sites (and where you will find the impressive Greek Theater). Across the water from the mainland, lies Ortigia, a small island that houses Siracusa’s beautiful baroque historical center. For more information on visiting Siracusa, check out our How to spend a day in Siracusa and Top Things to See and Do in Siracusa pages.
Although Taormina may lack some of Siracusa’s authenticity and historical importance, it’s still very much worthy of your time given its stunning ancient theatre and breathtaking vistas. Moreover, the town is spectacularly perched on the side of the mountain and offers jaw-dropping views of Mount Etna. Oh, and there’s a beautiful beach below the city that you can reach by cable car.
Cefalù offers a rare combination of tourist attractions: one of Sicliy’s finest beaches side-by-side with a beautiful medieval historic center, which is home to an architectural masterpiece, its majestic Duomo (Cathedral). An ascent of La Rocca (the towering mountain behind the city) will provide you with spectacular coastal views.
Beaches, Beaches and More Beaches
Some of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen hug the Sicilian shorelines, where they are met by beautiful azure and turquoise waters. You will also find a great variety of beaches here: sandy ones, rocky ones, some tiny ones, some endless ones, some quiet ones (that are in the middle of nature reserves), and some very busy ones (that are close to city centers). Some are surrounded by dramatic cliffs, such as the beach at Scala dei Turchi, or by majestic mountains, such as the beach San Vito lo Capo.
Baroque Beauties of Ragusa, Modica, and Noto
Down in Sicily’s southeast corner are the eight stunningly beautiful Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, all of which were rebuilt in the late Baroque style after a massive earthquake in 1693. Three of the more fascinating of these towns are Ragusa, Modica, and Noto. Although only certain central parts of Modica were rebuilt, a completely new neighbourhood was built in Ragusa next to the partly destroyed city. And in Noto, the town was completely rebuilt several kilometres away from the original site. The towns exhibit a plethora of late Baroque art and architecture and all were declared UNESCO world heritage sites in 2002.
Hidden gems of Erice, Scopello, Castelmola
Beyond the main tourist hubs, Sicily has several hidden gems that are truly worthy of your time. Although Erice does get its fair share of tourists, you can have the streets to yourself (see pictures below) if you get to this hilltop medieval town early in the day.
Scopello is a tiny village perched on top of a hill in northwestern Sicily. It was actually our first stop after we arrived in Sicily, and we were immediately charmed by the beauty of the area. It has a very small historic center with a few good restaurants, and otherwise, it is surrounded by dramatic coastlines, enhancing mountains and lovely hillside farmland.
If you are in Taormina, you don’t have to look that hard to find Castelmola. But you will have to climb a bit. Located a short but very steep 20 min walk from Taormina (but don’t worry, you can take a bus there too), it provides you with even more magnificent views than its more famous neighbour. To boot, it’s also a very beautiful village to explore built around the ruins of an old Norman castle.
Oh, and we didn’t even talk about Palermo, Trapani, Marsala, Agrigento, and the towns of the Madonie Mountains. If you want to know more about some of these places, check out the links below.
Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Travel Guide of the Top Things to See and Do in Sicily and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Sicily!
—–
Preparing a trip to Sicily?
We highly recommend these guidebooks:
—–
You might also be interested in these related pages:
