Sicily
Greek temples, Arab-Norman cathedrals, Mount Etna's slow exhale — Sicily layers civilizations the way its cooks layer caponata.
Five reasons Sicily stays with you.
- Greek temples at Agrigento and Segesta — better than most in Greece
- Active Mount Etna, climbable year-round
- Arab-Norman cathedrals layered with mosaic
- A cuisine of Arab, Greek, Spanish and African influences
- Wild beaches on the Aeolian and Egadi islands
Start here if you have a long weekend.
Noto
A honey-colored baroque stage rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake.
Ortigia (Syracuse)
An island within an island — Greek temple bones holding up baroque facades.
Cefalù
A fishing town under a Norman cathedral and a brooding rock.
Eat and drink like you mean it.
Our editor's picks — the tables and bottles we'd cross the country for.
Corrado Assenza's almond granita and cassatine — a pilgrimage.
Two-Michelin reinvention of Sicilian classics.
High-altitude Nerello Mascalese from volcanic soil.
Three rooms with a view.
Three ways to go deeper.
4WD to the craters, then a producer lunch.
Shop at Mercato di Ortigia, cook lunch.
Stromboli at night, Panarea at lunch.
Best time to visit · April–June and September–October. Etna snow-capped Dec–March.
Baroque towns, volcanic soil, an island unto itself.
A curated edit — what to see, where to eat what the locals eat, and where to sleep with intention.
Noto
A honey-colored baroque stage rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake.
- — Cattedrale di Noto
- — Palazzo Nicolaci
- — Via Nicolaci
- MannaModern Sicilian in a former 18th-c palazzo.
- Caffè SiciliaCorrado Assenza's legendary granita and cannoli.
- Seven Rooms VilladorataInside Palazzo Nicolaci — frescoes, silence.
Ortigia (Syracuse)
An island within an island — Greek temple bones holding up baroque facades.
- — Tempio di Apollo
- — Duomo di Siracusa
- — Fonte Aretusa
- Don CamilloWhite-tablecloth Sicilian, deep wine list.
- Algilà Ortigia Charme HotelRestored Catalan-Gothic palazzo.
Cefalù
A fishing town under a Norman cathedral and a brooding rock.
- — Duomo di Cefalù mosaics
- — La Rocca
- — Lavatoio Medievale
- Locanda del MarinaioSea-urchin spaghetti, harbour view.
- La Plumeria HotelBoutique stay steps from the duomo.
Modica
Stacked baroque town famed for cold-worked Aztec-style chocolate.
- — Duomo di San Giorgio
- — Chiesa di San Pietro
- — Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
- AccursioTwo-Michelin reinvention of Sicilian classics.
- Casa TaliaCliffside design hideaway, a long-time travel-press favourite.
Taormina
A theatrical balcony town between Etna's smoke and the Ionian Sea.
- — Teatro Antico
- — Isola Bella
- — Corso Umberto
- Osteria Nero D'AvolaWood-fire cooking and natural wine.
- Villa CarlottaQuiet boutique alternative to the grand hotels.
