What to Visit in Sicily: 12 Places Not to Miss

Sicily, Italy is an island of contrasts, says World SheBuysTravel. Things to do in Sicily include visiting a volcano and Greek and Roman ruins, exploring outdoor food markets, and enjoying winetasting at vineyards. In a week exploring Sicily, she toured gold-mosaicked churches, tasted delicious street food, and even ate dinner in a cave. Choosing what to visit in Sicily was easy because La Rosa Works Sicily Tours tailored the itinerary.

12 Things to do in Sicily

1. Notice the mix of cultures
2. Greek, Roman, even older ruins
3. Outdoor food markets
4. Etna Volcano
5. Taormina
6. Wine
7. Ortigia
8. Villa Romana del Casale
9. Ceramics
10. Palermo
11. Catania
12. Beautiful Sicily landscape

For years, my husband and I had wanted to visit Sicily, Italy. So we were excited to spend a full week exploring things to do in Sicily, including visiting seven UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Is Sicily Part of Italy?

Yes! But Italy didn’t exist until 1860, and Sicily is ancient. In the U.S., anything over 100 is “old.” So it’s hard for me to fathom how ancient Sicily is. For example, Phoenicians first settled Palermo, Sicily’s capital, 2,800 (!) years ago. And about 2,500 years ago, Elymians – refugees from Troy – built a massive temple in Segesta that still stands.

1. Notice the mix of cultures

For thousands of years, empires have conquered Sicily. It is smack in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, a strategic location. And today, Sicily’s buildings, food, language all reflect its different invaders.

For example, we saw a snapshot of Sicilian invasions in the Baroque Cathedral in Ortigia, Siracusa. Around 400 BC, the Cathedral started out as a Greek temple to Athena. And inside the Cathedral, we saw the original Greek columns.

But the building has been in constant use since the Greeks. And each successive conquering culture changed the building. Romans turned it into a temple to Minerva, Byzantines into an Orthodox Church, Normans into a Catholic church. And the Spanish, relatively recently after the earthquake of 1693, added the Baroque facade. For almost 2500 years, different invaders adapted one building – but throughout, it remained the center of this Sicilian town.

Another example of Sicily’s mix of cultures. In a must-see church, the Duomo di Monreale, built during the Norman rule of Sicily, Arabs created the gorgeous geometric stone floor, using Arab designs. And in the same church, we saw gold Byzantine mosaics and Orthodox images of Mary and Jesus. But no crucifixes. Surprising, because it is a Catholic Church.

2. Greek, Roman, even older ruins

Sicily has both ancient Greek and Roman ruins. And in the hands of a good guide, the ruins come to life. We visited ruins of a town from around 500 BC, Morgantina. An archeologist explained what we were seeing – a theater, mosaic floors of a grand house, a mill, a shopping street.

Similarly, in both Siracusa (Syracuse) and in Taormina, we visited open-air Greek theaters built in the 5^thand 3^rdCentury BC. In both, our thoughtful guide put the ruins into historical context.

Also, in Siracusa, our guide brought us inside a massive cave, the Ear of Dionysus, once a rock quarry. The cave’s acoustics are amazing. And when a group of visitors began singing, it was magical. In fact, all of Siracusa is a UNESCO heritage site.

And Sicily has sites even older than its Greek ruins. We visited Villaggio Bizantino, a recently discovered archeological site with small prehistoric caves. Later, Romans and Byzantines turned the caves into burial grounds. Inside a cave, we saw a Byzantine cross carved in the wall. And this site is a hidden gem in Sicily. Our group, along with our archeologist guide, had the site to ourselves.

3. Outdoor food markets

I loved the bright colors of the fish and vegetable market in Catania, one of the fun things to do in Sicily. At the street food market in Palermo, we followed our guide, Giorgio, as he suggested what to try. From garlicky snails, pecorino cheese, beef and mozzarella stuffed arancini, to fried peppers, Giorgio used food to explain Palermo’s complex history of invasions.

For more on Sicily’s delicious food, click here. (I chickened out on sampling veal penis – I’m not kidding, it’s a popular street food.)

4. Mt. Etna volcano

Yes, it’s a volcano and a UNESCO site. But Mt. Etna is more than that. I’m glad our expert guides helped us appreciate the significance of Mt. Etna to life in Sicily – its wine, culture, and agriculture.

And I loved the subtle and varying colors of Mt. Etna. I was surprised the volcano is not all black lava but also the colors of its minerals – red for iron, white for calcium. Luckily, our biochemist guide explained why parts of Mt. Etna are empty black rock, like another planet. While other parts have green plants or even forest.

5. Taormina

We visited Taormina for its huge and well-preserved Greek-Roman theater, overlooking the sea. But we could have visited this charming Sicilian town for its dramatic cliffside setting.

The rocky hillside plunges into the sea, studded with villas. Drooling over the seaside view distracted me as our expert driver navigated twisting mountain streets, unfazed by streets barely wide enough for two-way traffic.

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The #sun lights up the vineyard leaves, so they look irridescent. The Vivare vineyard is at the base of Mt. Etna, and the volcanic soil gives the #wine its special flavor. A pleasure to enjoy a 4-course lunch and #winetasting here. See clouds gathering at the top of Mt. Etna? *********************************** #sicily #mysicily #sicilia #myitaly #travelling #travelitaly #instasicily #instamountain #vineyards ##winetravel #tmom

A post shared by Very Hungry Traveller (@veryhungrytraveller) on May 26, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

6. Wine

Our Sicily tour was tailored by La Rosa Works Sicily Tours & Travel to focus on history, culture, food, and wine. So we enjoyed wine tasting at several vineyards in Sicily, each with a delicious 4-course lunch. And two wine-pairing dinners at restaurants. I enjoyed meeting the families producing wine and learning about wine production from grapevine to the table. Also, I was glad we visited Mt. Etna before tasting wine at the foot of the volcano, where minerals in Vivera vineyard’s soil flavor its wines.

7. Ortigia

Ortigia, Sicily is small island town adjacent to Siracusa, and it is just as ancient. But Ortigia was rebuilt after a 1693 earthquake. We visited the Spanish Baroque Duomo on the lively main square, the Caravaggio painting in the Santa Lucia church, and enjoyed lunch in a cafe on the Mediterranean waterfront.

In Ortigia, I felt like I do in Venice: beauty is everywhere. With each turn, there were the Mediterranean’s blues and greens. Or an apartment balcony overflowing with flowers, a piazza, a pebble beach, a residential alley with a leaning bike, laundry drying, or a cat sunning itself.

8. Villa Romana del Casale

How to convey the magnificence of 60 connected rooms, each floor covered with 4th-century mosaics? The elaborate mosaics in this Roman palace show mythological scenes, hunting, chariot races, a noblewoman going to the bath with attendants, elaborate geometric patterns, children imitating chariots in carts pulled by birds.

My two favorite mosaics were athletic women competing in gymnastics (nicknamed “bikini girls”) and the fishing Cupids. This is a popular tourist spot for the best reason: it is unique. Despite the crowds, our archeologist guide thoughtfully explained what we were seeing.

9. Ceramics

I loved the joyfulness of the tile-covered staircase in Sicily’s ceramics center, Caltagirone, another UNESCO site. Tiles on each step level represent a phase of Sicilian history. As we climbed, we saw tiles representing Greek rulers, then Roman, Byzantines, Arab, Norman – up to modern times. And as we climbed, we got wonderful views of the town.

10. Palermo

I literally gasped at the stunning interior of the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, Sicily, another UNESCO site. Gold Byzantine mosaics cover its interior walls. And the carved wooden ceiling is Arab. Norman conquerers ruled Sicily in the 11^thand 12^thcenturies and hired artists from different religious traditions to work together.

In Palermo, we visited the Palermo Cathedral, the vibrant street food market, a fascinating private ceramics museum. And enjoyed a sunset dinner from a rooftop restaurant with a gorgeous view of city, mountains, and sea. Also, Palermo was our base for day trips to Monreale Cathedral and ancient ruins in Segesta.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Palermo casually observes garbage and traffic rules. I found crossing streets to be challenging. And I was glad La Rosa Works hired a professional driver for our group. In fact, I would not drive in Palermo.

11. Catania

In Catania, we enjoyed visiting ornate Baroque buildings, a legacy of the 15^th– 18^thcentury Spanish rule of Sicily. And the fish market, main pedestrian piazza, and restaurants. Also, Catania was our base for day trips to Mt. Etna, Siracusa, Taormina, and vineyards.

12. Beautiful Sicily landscape

As the van driver zipped us around the island, I loved the varying Sicily landscape. From dramatic cliffs overlooking rocky beaches to the shimmering Mediterranean, to rolling hills of crops and wildflowers, Sicily is stunning.

What to visit in Sicily? Let the expert plan.

I’m glad La Rosa Works Sicily Tours & Travel planned our first trip to Sicily. Throughout, we had local guides with relevant expertise – in archeology, history, science. And we visited not only popular tourist spots but off-the-beaten-path places not even Sicilians know about.

For example, one night in Catania, we ate a delicious dinner in a cave with a real spring. In Palermo, we enjoyed a 5-course dinner in the formal dining room of a real Sicilian palace, where the family coat of arms is a floor mosaic in the entry hall. And where the aristocrat’s family gave us a tour of the opulent palace, its paintings, sculptures.

Karen La Rosa tailors the itinerary to the group. While we traveled with a small group interested in history, archeology, food, and wine, Karen also tailors Sicily trips to focus on more kid-friendly things – like beaches, or what your kids enjoy. (And if your Italy plans include Sardinia, click here, or Vicenza, click here.)

Does anything about Sicily tempt you? Tell us about it in the comments.