My top 10 Sicily travel tips from the island at the end of the boot in Italy. This time, the luxury travel blog from Germany shows you an island that wasn’t on my itinerary before, even though it’s the largest island in the Mediterranean. It is not without reason that Sicily is called the island that has all the sights of Sicily “right on the spot”.
The top 10 sights in Sicily are therefore intended to show you how you can spend a pleasant time on the island and still have many wonderful moments. Of course, every traveler has a personal list of the top 10 sights in Sicily, but I would like to present you my personal “Top 10 Sicily”.
After the top 10 sights in Stockholm and the top 10 sights in Milan – or how to spend 24 hours in Milan effectively, now the next chapter from my “top travel destinations” with “Top 10 sights in Sicily, Italy”
Getting to Sicily
Sicily and the sights Sicily is ideal for a longer weekend or even a week, the flight connections from many German cities are very cheap and so you can often fly one-way to Catania with Alitalia for 39.00 EUR, for example, and thus already have a very good starting point for the various sights. (Alternatively, it is also possible to fly to Palermo, but the distance to Mount Etna, etc. is significantly greater).
Top 10 sights in Sicily
It is difficult to rank the 10 most beautiful sights, restaurants and attractions in Sicily, but here is at least a selection of 10 destinations that you should have seen in the eastern part of the island. Palermo, the largest city in Sicily, is of course also included.
Below you will find some sample pictures and, of course, further information on the top 10 attractions in Sicily. If you are still looking for a suitable travel guide for Sicily, I can highly recommend the travel guide “Sicily: Travel guide with many practical tips” by Thomas Schröder, which gave me many ideas for discovering the island and with which you can also find the special photo spots.
Active volcano Etna
As soon as you land in Catania, you can see the 3323-metre-high Etna volcano with its sometimes snow-covered peaks. The most active volcano in Europe, whose last major eruption dates back to autumn 2013, can be reached by car up to an altitude of 2000 meters.
The drive to the top 1 sights in Sicily takes you past small villages and offers a fantastic change of vegetation. Where the cooled lava has found its way, the first plants have re-emerged and show “new life”. Similar to Tenerife, but with a different landscape.
The mountain station at an altitude of 2000 meters offers the opportunity to take a cable car up to 2500 meters and explore the area on foot or, in the summer months, with a Unimog vehicle up to 2800 meters to the crater rim. The first trip to Sicily without a visit to Mount Etna means not having been to Sicily!
Taormina Greek Theater
Taormina is not only known to cruisers when it comes to sightseeing in Sicily. Several luxury hotels, the bay of Naxos and the historic Greek theater. The second largest theater in Sicily (after Syracuse – see below) offers a fantastic view of the bay and the little lights during evening performances. Alongside the Venice Film Festival, the Taormina Film Festival is the most important cultural event in Italy.
Another plus point of the city, especially for a leisurely vacation, is its good location. It is only a 45-minute drive to Mount Etna, as well as to Milazzo and Messina in the north of Sicily. Taormina is also well suited for an initial exploration of Sicily thanks to the large selection of beautiful, small hotels.
Castello di Milazzo
The coastal town in the north of Sicily is not only the port for many ferries to the Lipari islands (see below), but also offers one of the personal top 10 sights of Sicily with the Castello di Milazzo, which is situated high above the town. The historic fort is now used for events and offers a perfect view over the north of the island and the Mediterranean.
Especially in the evening, the surrounding area turns into a small paradise of Sicilian sights. The coastline is then reminiscent of many English towns, but with much nicer weather. A visit to the Castello di Milazzo can easily be combined with a day trip to the Aeolian Islands.
Lipari Islands – Aeolian Islands
The island of Lipari is the largest of the Lipari Islands and is located north of Milazzo. The distance to the island, which is about 38 km from the mainland, can be easily covered by hydrofoil with the Siremar shipping company. The one-way trip costs around EUR 18.00 per person.
The island, which is approx. 12 square kilometers in size, spoils you with its varied and intensive vegetation and elevations of up to approx. 900 meters. Lipari is also perfect for exploring the surrounding islands and sights of Sicily, such as Stromboli and Vulcano. In addition to various excavations and ancient churches, Lipari also offers a well-developed hotel industry with various 4-star hotels and an excellent restaurant, for which alone many guests travel directly to Lipari.
Restaurant Filippino on Lipari
A special restaurant with a good price structure between 20-28 EUR for the main course. Filippino is more than just a restaurant, it is a way of life in Sicily and the meeting place for society. If you want to get a seat by the window, you should contact the restaurant early and reserve a seat with a view of the terrace and the sea.
Freshly caught fish, rissotto and a delicious lemon sorbet are just a few examples of a successful evening. Filippino was opened on Lipari back in 1910 and is now run by the fourth generation. You can feel the tradition and immediately have the feeling that you have joined the family. Whether the boat trip is worth it for a meal at Filippino on Lipari – absolutely!
Active Stromboli volcano
The island of Stromboli has been a household name since the 1949 film starring Ingrid Bergmann, and yet the island has a completely different fascination. The Stromboli volcano spews lava and gases at regular intervals (from a few minutes to a few hours). Debris and rocks then slide down the flank into the Mediterranean.
The special feature of this volcano is its two-layered structure and its strombolian activity. At a certain height of the volcano, the pressure of the gases is greater than the liquid above and then escapes together. The hole is closed again, the gases rise again and escape once more.
The volcano is one of the most important sights in Sicily and can also be visited on foot. The tours usually start in the afternoon and take around 2.5 hours to reach the edge of the volcano and are recommended for suitable hikers. Also one of Sicily’s top sights from the sea.
Ancient city of Syracuse
Formerly the most beautiful city of ancient Greece, Syracuse is also home to the largest ancient Greek theater and is world-famous for its excavations. In addition to the Parco Archeologico della Neapoli with the theater, the Altar of Hieron II, where 400 animals were sacrificed, and the Ear of Dionysius, a 64-metre-long rocky gorge, the diverse city of Syracuse offers a special old town.
The revitalized old town, which is once again popular with the Sicilians and can only be reached via two small bridges, offers the freshwater spring, the Fonte Aretusa and the Cathedral of Syracuse, as well as the Temple of Apollo, an old town worth seeing, which was completely restored a few years ago. The city of Syracuse, which is around 90 minutes’ drive from Catania, can easily be combined with a trip to Noto.
Noto city of almonds
Noto, a town of 23,000 inhabitants, is located approx. 30 km west of Syracuse and is famous for what it claims are the “most beautiful” almonds. No almond in the world is said to have such a beautiful and uniform shape as the almonds of Noto. But Noto is also one of Sicily’s top architectural sights.
The town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its special location in the Val de Noto and its unique buildings. Tourism in Noto is already developed and tries to create a combination of special services and natural experiences.
A few days of relaxation on a farm outside Noto, with a special service, a small guesthouse that nevertheless offers guests active experiences – from buying fish at the harbor to preparing it in the hotel’s own kitchen. Even though Noto does not yet offer a 5-star hotel, the emphasis here is on a family atmosphere.
Grand Hotel Timeo in Taormina
A special luxury hotel – together with its sister hotel Taormina Mare – it offers the special luxury above the city of Taormina with an almost unique view over the bay of Naxos.
High-quality suites and deluxe rooms, as well as a special service, offer every year the preferred accommodation for the stars of the Taormina Film Festival and VIPs of the international jet set. A special feature, in addition to the fantastic location in Taormina, is the “secret passage” directly into the Greek theater.
Unseen by the crowds at the entrance, hotel guests take their seats in the theater through the “back entrance”. First an elegant dinner on the terrace at sunset with a view over the pool and the bay, then an opera or pop concert in the theater.
Palazzo Asmundo in Catania
A small, tiny boutique hotel – just 5 rooms and suites and only a few minutes from Catania Cathedral. A historic building, completely destroyed just a few years ago, completely rebuilt except for a few foundation walls.
From the outside it looks like a normal house in the cityscape of Catania, from the inside it looks like an art museum. Selected paintings and works of art, a high-quality concept and at the same time a familiar atmosphere make the Palazzo Asmundo Catania a special feature in the tourism sector.
The charm of a luxury hotel with the personal care of the owner. A dinner on the top terrace, a view over the city and a sunset in golden yellow light that will make you dream of further stays in Sicily.
Conclusion – Top 10 sights in Sicily
There are so many beautiful places and sights in Sicily that you will always find a new beautiful view. For me, the trip to Sicily was very worthwhile as I came back with many new impressions. I will be back at any time if I go to Sicily again. I’m sure I’ll find even more sights in Sicily.
