Turquoise-blue water on golden sandy beaches, ancient Greek temples and an impressive active volcanic landscape - Sicily, Italy’s largest island, is known for all this. On a five-day trip to Sicily, you can get to know its historical cities, dream beaches and Europe’s largest still active volcano.
The best time to travel to Sicily crowd-free is between March and May and between September and November. The climate is pleasant and you can even swim! If you want to go to Sicily without sunbathing on the beach, you can also use the winter. Summer is wonderful, but brings many crowds to the beaches.
If you would still like to explore Sicily in its full glory in the summer but want to avoid the crowds, chartering a yacht is the best option for you. Enjoy this wonderful island at your own pace, discover some secret spots and fall in love with its 1,000 kilometers of coastline.
You should undoubtedly visit Monreale, a huge Norman cathedral in Palermo, declared the eighth wonder of the world, and its magnificent Arab-Norman cloister: an admirable masterpiece of art, sculpture and inlaid semi-precious stones. Palermo is also a must-visit because it is one of the island’s cities richest in history and art.
Palermo is the fifth largest city in Italy and is a very meaningful historic town. The city possesses many architectural marvels, which forge splendidly with the popular, colorful life: in the old town, side by side with the characteristic street markets is a great number of monuments. One of the city’s landmarks is the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti with its red-tinted domes.
There are also many secret bays and small islets to explore. In order to avoid big crowds and have the experience all to yourself, you should rent a yacht and have the freedom of discovering hidden spots. Sicily also offers many historic towns. A visit to Cefalu, a charming medieval town on the north coast of Sicily, is highly recommended. There is an impressive Norman cathedral and a well-known Mandralisca Museum. From there, you can travel to Catania, a historic city on the north coast.
Catania’s historic center, a Unesco World Heritage Site offers magnificent churches and palaces, as well as wonderful baroque architecture. The color scheme of the buildings in the city center is black and dark gray, softened by white limestone details on doors and windows, which makes for an extremely elegant effect. There is a picturesque Cathedral Square, and the famous St. Benedict Monastery, another Unesco World Heritage Site in Catania.
Mount Etna is the highest volcano in Europe and one of the largest and most active in the world, now a Unesco Heritage Site. It lies in the Etna National Park and offers great hiking opportunities after which you are rewarded with magnificent views. Even in winter, you can visit Etna’s ski resorts and enjoy the fairytale.
You can also visit Taormina, a charming town known for its magnificent location above the sea and the famous view of Mount Etna. All these activities and sites will fulfil a perfect and active 5-day vacation to Sicily.
The coasts have a Mediterranean climate with a long, hot, dry summer. Ideal months to travel are May, June, September and October: temperatures and pleasant then, the sea is warm and the rush of the bathing season and Easter weeks is far away. Winter is sometimes rainy, but can also offer mild warm sunny days. Whatever time you choose for your Sicily-visit, it will not disappoint!
