Sicily Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Sicily (Italian: Sicilia) is a rugged and beautiful island on the southern tip of Italy. Sicily's sunny, dry climate, scenery, cuisine, history, and architecture attract many tourists from the rest of Italy and abroad. Mount Etna, the beaches, the archaeological sites, and major cities such as Palermo, Catania, Syracuse and Ragusa are the favourite tourist destinations, but the old town of Taormina and the neighbouring seaside resort of Giardini Naxos draw visitors from all over the world, as do the Aeolian Islands, Erice, Terrasini, Castellammare del Golfo, Cefalù, Agrigento, the Pelagie Islands and Capo d'Orlando. The last features some of the best-preserved temples of the ancient Greek period. Many Mediterranean cruise ships stop in Sicily, and many wine tourists also visit the island.

• 38.11666713.3666671 Palermo – the throbbing capital city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy; it is over 2,700 years old
• 37.31666713.5833332 Agrigento – to the south and particularly noted for the Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples) (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 37.501615.08173 Catania – busy university city and economic centre, great for nightlife, the gate to Mount Etna (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 37.064914.25284 Gela – one of the most important old Greek cities, archaeological centre and sea resort on the south coast
• 37.798212.44385 Marsala – interesting museum, home of the famous wine
• 38.193115.55276 Messina – busy city and link to the mainland
• 36.916214.71527 Ragusa – impressive baroque architecture (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 37.06415.2938 Syracuse (Siracusa) – attractive old town mostly based on the small (1km by 500m) island of Ortigia and Greek ruins (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 38.015612.54279 Trapani – attractive city and gateway to Pantelleria and the Egadi islands

• Val di Noto – a region at SE of the Sicily, famous for its Baroque art. 8 towns are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa, and Scicli.
• 37.96666712.21 Aegadian Islands (Isole Egadi) – relaxing islands off the west coast
• 38.53333314.92 Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) – beautiful group of volcanic islands (UNESCO World Heritage)
• 37.88333314.0166673 Madonie Regional Natural Park – it has some of the highest mountains in Sicily
• 38.1067712.669254 Monte Cofano Nature Reserve — a reserve offering hiking paths, caves, and dramatic limestone cliffs
• 37.75514.9955 Mount Etna – an impressive 3323m, Europe's highest active volcano
• 37.86833312.4686116 Mozia – ancient Punic city built on the island of Mozia overlooking Marsala
• 36.83333311.957 Pantelleria – Arab-influenced solitude
• 35.67611112.6163898 Pelagie Islands (Isole Pelagie) – most southern, in the Mediterranean Sea
• 37.98694412.5108339 Salt Pans of Trapani and Paceco — WWF-managed reserve known for its centuries-old salt-harvesting tradition
• 37.50916713.08888910 Sciacca – small port town in the province Agrigento.
• 37.94138912.83222211 Segesta – majestic hilltop Doric temple and Greek theatre set in wild countryside
• 37.58361112.82472212 Selinunte – another group of impressive Greek temples and ruins of Greek city
• 37.86666712.4513 Stagnone Lagoon and Islands Nature Reserve — a shimmering shallow lagoon and islands with crystal-clear water
• 38.10423812.79083314 Zingaro Nature Reserve — Sicily’s first protected natural area, featuring rugged coastal trails

Sicily is one of the country's 20 regions, and it is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5-km Straits of Messina.

Sicily has a long history of foreign domination, from the Phoenicians to the Greeks and the Romans, Arabs, Normans, and Catalans. The result is a mixed culture where every single domination left something to see, to taste, and to hear.

The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the island all year round. It can get very hot during the summer, so it is better to visit during spring and autumn, while it is still quite pleasant during winter.

The Sicilians are a proud people. Though most are somewhat conservative, they are open-minded to visitors.

Being the overall hottest region in Europe, Sicily has a Mediterranean climate, with very hot, long and dry summers and very mild to warm winters. Sicily is very sunny, even in winter. Most cities only receive 40 days of precipitation throughout the year (with the exception of the quite rainy Messina) and when it does rain, it usually happens in winter. Humidity is generally low.

The only exception to the stereotyped climate of Sicily is the little city of Enna (as well as some villages in the mountains), which is foggy and relatively cold in winter. This is due to the altitude of the city, the highest in Italy for a provincial capital (931 m). Enna is also the foggiest city in Italy, with about 140 foggy days a year on average.

• Visit Sicily website

Natives of Sicily speak Sicilian, an ancient Romance language that is a separate language from Italian (even if it's called dialetto). The official language is Italian, and almost all Sicilians speak it, often with a strong Sicilian accent.

English is taught in all schools but few people can speak it. People who are more likely to speak English are the ones who work in the touristy areas; also, young and educated people usually can speak at least basic English, but with a funny pronunciation and a strong accent. That's because in most schools the teachers focus on grammar rather than pronunciation. People who study languages in university generally have a good pronunciation. Most people above 50 never studied English in schools and they are extremely unlikely to know more than a few words.

Sicily's main airports are in Palermo and Catania.

• Catania International Airport is the larger/busiest airport, with domestic flights to most parts of Italy, some international routes and many charter flights.
• Palermo Airport is the second airport, with a good range of domestic flights and international budget flights.
• Trapani Airport is the third airport which is served by low-cost Ryanair.
• Comiso Airport near Ragusa is served by Ryanair.
• There are also two other smaller airports in Sicily on the minor islands: Pantelleria Airport and Lampedusa Airport, which connect to Italy.
• Palermo-Boccadifalco is a military airport open to national civil traffic.

Sicily is linked to the main Italian train network at Messina. Long distance trains from Rome and Naples and Milano cross the Straits of Messina by rail ferry and continue on to Palermo and Catania.

From Naples, it usually takes 8 hours, 10 from Rome, the train stops at Villa San Giovanni train station for about 10-15 minutes. Then it's rolled down to the Villa S.G. ferry dock, where you wait about 20 minutes before the train rolls onto one of the ferries. On the ferry, you should get on the deck and watch the sea. It's a wonderful view, but don't forget the number of your train.

The 2010 timetable offers these direct trains:

• IC Roma - Napoli - Messina - Palermo / Siracusa 2x daily
• ICN Roma - Palermo InterCity Notte: Night train, seats, couchette and sleeper
• ICN Roma - Siracusa InterCity Notte: Night train, seats, couchette and sleeper
• E Venezia - Bologna - Firenze - Palermo/Siracusa Express (espresso): fast train with sleeper and couchette only
• E Milano - Bologna - Firenze - Palermo/Siracusa Express: fast train with sleeper and couchette only
• E Turino - Genova - Palermo/Siracusa Express: fast train with sleeper and couchette only
• E (Milano - ) Roma - Catania - Agrigento Express: fast train with seats only; from Milan 3x per week; from Rome daily

But you don't have to take a direct train. You can also take a train from Rome to Villa San Giovanni, and walk onboard the rail ferries (or another BLUVIA ferry), and take a local train from Messina centrale to Palermo and Catania

Detailed information is available at:

• Trenitalia

Car train There are running car trains from Venice and Rome to Catania and Palermo. This is a great offer for those who don't want to ride a car all day. you park your car onto a train. And some hours later, you can get your car at the Catania train station or Palermo, depends on what city you bought a ticket to. The car trains also run along with the night trains, so this is a great option.

Some trains on the island are very slow: for example it takes more than 7 hours between Siracusa and Trapani and it's about 450 km. But the IC (InterCity) trains that travel between cities on the Italian mainland and Sicily run much faster.

Long-distance buses^{[dead link]} link Rome and Naples to Catania and Palermo.

Large, cruise-ferries link Palermo with Civitavecchia, Naples, Genoa, Livorno, Sardinia and other points of departure around the Mediterranean (be sure to reserve a place for your car, or yourself, if you are a pedestrian). Only the Messina Strait ferries are open without reservation. There are also car ferries between Naples, the Aeolian Islands and Milazzo, and between Tunis and Trapani. You can reach Catania from Naples and Malta, and you can go from Salerno to Messina. See all current ferry connections at Ferryroutes or Ferryhopper.

Across the Straits of Messina, there are at least hourly ferries between Villa San Giovanni (14 km north of Reggio di Calabria) on the mainland and Messina on Sicily. There are at least twenty of them, so don't worry about timetables or waiting too long. If you only drive a car, you can also drive on-board the BLUVIA rail/train ferries. There are also several hydrofoils each day between Reggio di Calabria and Messina.

If you do worry about timetables, which is not necessary, check carontetourist.it:

• This one takes you right into Messina city and connects you to the Palermo - Catania highway:
• And this one takes you to Messina Sud (Tremestieri) And does also connect you to the highway. This route is more for the people driving towards Catania:

And there are also ferries running from Reggio di Calabria, to Messina-Sud (Tremestieri): [1]

There are Catamarans and ferries running from Malta to Pozzallo (90 min) and Catania (3 hr). [2]^{[dead link]}

Although public transport is very good during the week, there are not many services on Sundays - check the timetable carefully and ask the locals.

The main roads are good, with four motorways (Catania-Palermo, Palermo-Mazara and Catania-Noto which are toll-free and Messina-Palermo where you have to pay). Little roads, mainly in mountain zones, are slower but offer great views.

For some regions you need to have snow chains in your car. For instance around Mount Etna you need them on board from 1 December until 31 March. These roads are marked "transito con catene". Fines start at €80.

Motorways

• A18 Messina - Catania (toll)
• A18 Catania - Siracusa
• A18 Siracusa - Ragusa - Gela (under construction - open from Siracusa to Noto)
• A19 Palermo - Catania (free)
• A20 Messina - Palermo (toll)
• A29 Palermo - Mazzara (free)
• A29dir Alcamo - Trapani (free)

The railway network in Sicily is quite good and cheap. Regular, quite fast trains run on the main lines between Messina and Palermo and Catania, with fewer trains on the other routes.

Trains on some routes can be infrequent and slow so it's worth checking times in advance and having a plan B. Sometimes a service listed on a station timetable is actually a bus service leaving from outside the station.

As in the rest of Italy, tickets must be validated in the yellow machines found at stations - conductors may be lenient to tourists who didn't know this, but not necessarily.

The bus network in Sicily is quite extensive and cheap. The main hubs are Palermo and Catania, but routes link most of the main towns frequently and most small towns at least once a day. From virtually any town you will be able to get a bus direct to Palermo. For the AST company, go to the website and click on 'Autolinee'. There is also Interbus.

There are regular ferries and hydrofoils from Sicily to its islands, although services are somewhat reduced during Spring and Autumn and even more so during Winter. Individual companies: SIREMAR [3], Liberty Lines^{[dead link]} and NGI. The main routes are:

• The Aeolian Islands from Milazzo. A few also run in Summer from Napoli, Cefalu, Palermo and Messina.
• Ustica from Palermo.
• Trapani to the Egadi Islands and Pantelleria.
• Porto Empedocle (near Agrigento) to Lampedusa and Linosa

If you have less time and more money, there are flights to Pantelleria and Lampedusa.

From Enna Water Aerodrome (Nicoletti Lake) with amphibious aircraft you can reach the Aeolian Islands, Palermo and Siracusa.

See locations pages for respective list of attractions. Check with the region's tourism web pages for updates.

The Parks and the Nature Reserve are not very well organized but for this reason you'll have the opportunity to enjoy and discover the Sicilian Mountains and nature. There are some wonderful treks on which to enjoy the beauty of the main Sicilian sites such as the Nebrodi mountains, Madonie mountains, Etna volcano.

Making the most of its island coasts, Sicily has one of the world's best cuisines to offer. Much of the island's food is made with creatures of the sea. Unlike in the northern parts of Italy, cream and butter are hardly used for typical dishes in Sicily. Instead, the natives usually substitute tomatoes, lard (rarely) or olive oil. The cuisine uses many spices, and has a number of unique flavours. Sicilians cultivate a uniquely Sicilian type of olive tree, which they affectionately call the "saracena". The food is typically Mediterranean but there are strong hints of Arabic and Spanish flavour (Sicily was conquered by many peoples during its long history). Sicilians like spices and have particular affinity for almond, jasmine, rosemary, mint and basil.

Sicilians notoriously have a sweet tooth and are among the best dessert-makers in Italy. Try 'cannoli' (tubular pastries filled with sweet ricotta cheese), 'granita' (ices mixed with real crushed fruit and juices), and their most famous export, 'cassata' (Arabic-inspired cake). Make sure to try the very popular pine-nut and almond biscuits.

'Arancini' (sometimes Arancine), fried rice balls with fillings, is a Sicilian fast food that is relatively cheap. They can be hard to find outside Sicily, so try them while you're there.

Sicilians are not big alcohol drinkers (Sicily has the lowest rate of alcoholism in Italy) although the island is home to more vineyards than any other Italian region and has one of Italy's most progressive wine industries. Noted mainly in the past for strong bulk wines and often sweet Moscato and Marsala, the island has switched its emphasis toward lighter, fruitier white and red wines.

Sicily is divided into three main wine producing districts:

• Trapani Wine Region – a rural and coastal area of western Sicily known for historic wine production, DOC-designated vineyards, and agrotourism. The region includes wine areas around Erice, Marsala, Salaparuta, and Paceco.
• Etna in the east
• Noto and Ragusa on the southeast tip

Best known Sicilian wines: Marsala, Nero d'Avola, Bianco d'Alcamo, Malvasia, Passito di Pantelleria, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco.

Some Sicilian wine producers: Planeta; Cusumano; Tasca d’Almerita; Tenuta di Donnafugata; Feudo Principi di Butera (Zonin); Morgante; Duca di Salaparuta; Benanti; Palari; Firriato; Marco De Batoli; Salvatore Murana; Icone.

Sicilians enjoy a fruity lemon liqueur called Limoncello during the long, hot and dry summers.

Most of Sicily's small/middle-sized cities and villages are completely safe. Big cities like Palermo, Catania and Messina are also safe but you should be aware of pickpockets and scammers in touristy areas. Some suburbs of Palermo (Zen, Brancaccio, Borgo Nuovo) and Catania (San Cristoforo, Librino) are quite dangerous, but are almost never visited by tourists.

The well-known mafia, which is also present in most parts of Italy, is almost never involved in crimes against visitors.

Driving habits in Sicily (and in most of the south of Italy) are very different from what you may be accustomed to, especially in big cities. Turn signals are not used, and parking is haphazard. Driving outside the big cities is OK, especially in highways (Autostrade) and in the main roads in general. Provincial roads in the interior of the island can be in bad condition.

On trains, especially during the night, keep your wits about you, and try to stay with other passengers.

Even if it's constantly decreasing, the Mafia is still active in some parts of Sicily, causing many problems and damaging the region's economy. Most Sicilians know that and are very upset about it; they are also very aware of the mafia-related crimes that have happened in the region. Many organisations, like AddioPizzo and Libera, have been founded specifically to fight the mafia. Do not make jokes about the mafia, and never say that all Sicilians are "mafiosi", even if it's a joke.

In general Sicilians are quite conservative and religious, although most young and educated people are becoming fairly liberal, especially in big cities. However public displays of affection between LGBT couples are best avoided: even in big cities, stares and whispers are almost always guaranteed, and sometimes something more can happen. Shorts and clothes showing much skin are OK everywhere but in churches.

Although quite common in the centre and north of Italy, blasphemy is definitely not cool in Sicily. Most people in Sicily are Catholic and expect visitors to respect their religion.

Why not explore neighbouring Sardinia? You have the chance to visit the second-largest island in the Mediterranean.

You can also explore more of what Southern Italy has to offer.