Things to see & do on Sicily

You can’t walk two paces without tripping over a bit of ancient history in Sicily. The Ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina cracks open below the foothills of Mount Etna. The rock stacks off Catania were said to be thrown by Cyclops chasing away Ulysses. And over in Agrigento, pirates would use the Daz-white ‘Turkish Steps’ cliffs to make their landings. Absolutely everything, it seems, comes with a tale – and Sicilians are more than willing to share a yarn or five.

The Romans arrived in the 3rd century BC, pouring their wealth into villas, palaces and ports. Syracuse became the epicenter – make sure to explore the al fresco Archaeological Park and papyrus-lined Fountain of Arethusa at Ortygia. The Byzantine branch of the Roman Empire swung by in the 6th century, turning Syracuse into their shining HQ. Their influence is island-wide, with churches like Cefalu Cathedral glittering with Byzantine mosaics.

Later, arriving Arabs and Normans shaped cities like Palermo, when North African craftspeople worked with the Norman King William II to create the domes and Byzantine-style mosaics in Monreale Cathedral.

Inland, temperamental geology was just as influential as the ruler of the day. In 1693, an earthquake killed over 100,000 people and tumbled towns in the Noto Valley. Noto and Ragusa were almost completely rebuilt with a 17th century flourish; these days, the whole plateau is an ode to Sicilian baroque. Expect plenty in the way of warm honeyed stone and gloriously OTT doorways carved with roses, scrolls and cherubs.

As is standard in Italy, families are welcomed with open arms (your kids will just have to get used to the cheek-pinching). Book a tailor made tour, and your guide will adapt the activities to the abilities of both little and long legs. Sea kayaking and sailing in Isola Bella Marine Park is a real highlight; great guides will hunt out the turquoise tidal grottos and reveal the best place to snorkel with luminous rainbow wrasse and salpe.

Whatever you choose to do, small group tours are often your best option. Sicilian cycling and walking routes aren’t exactly known for their watertight waymarking. Plus, your guide will know the best swimming spots and family-run vineyards to catch your breath in. Then there’s your luggage – on a guided tour, it’ll be waiting for you at your next hotel after a hard day’s pedalling. All you have to do is remember to pack your swimsuit in your pannier.

Fancy finding out how the building blocks of Sicilian food are made? Go on a guided food vacation that balances city trips with country drives. Outside Ragusa, family-run set-ups show you how they make cheese and press olives. And the chocolatiers of Modica will fill you in on how they’ve been crafting their wares to an Aztec recipe brought over by Spaniards in the 1500s. Elsewhere, the pasticceria (traditional bakeries) of mountaintop villages like Erice and Motta Camastra cook up almond cake and gelato-filled brioche to generations-old recipes.

Of course, you’ll need to wash all that down with a glass of good Sicilian wine. Fortified Marsala is the classic. But island-made Malvasia comes a close second, along with the Etna DOC grown on the high-altitude slopes of the island’s resident volcano.

Many vacations to Sicily also nip over to the neighbouring Aeolian Islands, just an hour’s hydrofoil ride (or charter yacht ride, if you’re feeling swish) away from the east coast.

Long black beaches, thermal springs and sulphuric mud baths bubble on Vulcano. A walking vacation will take you up to the rim of the volcano to get a bird’s-eye view of the very much active fumaroles. Lipari rolls out a panoramic trail along the wild western coast and Roman spas in San Caolgero. Just over the water, Stromboli island is basically one big volcano that burps smoke about every 15 minutes. Guided tours will team you up with a volcanologist who’ll tell you all about the Sciara del Fuoco channel, where fiery lava shuffles down to the sea.