sicily, italy

July 31st, 2015

Sicily is the largest Italian island and one of the most beautiful Mediterranean pearls. Is not hard to find breathtaking scenery, crystal-clear waters and a culture and traditions with centuries of history.

Nature has designed every inch of the island, the Etna volcano created beautiful mountains and cliffs that merge at sea whose blue tones are difficult to express. All the regions of Sicily seem to be interesting, ones for its natural beauty, others for their culture. But it was a small island called Favignana that made me to come here.

This post will tell you what to do in Sicily in six days, the best spots to visit and the best beaches for a swim … oh, and of course the best restaurants because the food here is divine!

We landed in Palermo almost at midnight. Palermo, the capital of Sicily and the fifth largest city in Italy seems a very interesting city, full of culture, unfortunately we didn’t had enough time to explore, so I’ll have to go back there again. Either way, I recommend you to stay at our hotel, Hotel Principe de Villafranca. Located in the heart of the city this boutique hotel is known for its simplistic rooms where vintage furniture and contemporary art blends perfectly. Read the whole experience of my stay with photos and video here.

HERE IS MY VIDEO BELLA ITALIA.

Post by João Cajuda.

WHEN TO GO

From May to October. Try to avoid August… too many tourists.

It is worth going to Sicily in the summer to enjoy the beautiful beaches. Temperatures range between 20° C and 30° C degrees, the water is warm enough to swim 30 minutes and cold enough to refresh (average sea temperature in summer months is 26 °C).

It’s not exactly what it comes to our mind when we think Sicily, but Ski lovers are also welcome during the winter, Etna is covered in white and there are excellent conditions to practice the sport.

HOW TO GET

Ryanair, easyJet and other airlines have direct flights to Palermo almost from all major Italian cities, the trip cost about 50€ and it takes just 1H. Those who are planning to rent a car, when landing at the arrivals, take a bus to the Rent a Car area, 5-minute drive and is free. You can also come by boat from the mainland, but it does not seem the best option given the low prices of airplane tickets.

COSTS

Accommodations – Hotels in Sicily are much cheaper than in Rome. Overall the night costs about 100€.

Food – Delicious, I think I have never eaten so much in my life. Meals with wine can easily reach 30€ per person, but the amount and quality of products is so much that is worth the money.

HOW TO MOVE

Rent Car – Car rental in Sicily is not expensive and in my opinion is the best way to explore the island. A 20 minute taxi ride will cost the same as renting a car 24H. The roads are in very good conditions and there’s a lot of gas stations along the way. You should buy a map or GPS and lose yourself on the back roads, my favorite one to discover unforgettable places. Gasoline in Italian is “benzene” and diesel is “gasolio” Almost every gas stations are open from 7:30AM to 12AM and from 3PM to 7PM. Many use the system “fai date” (self – service), it can be tricky to use the first time. Usually they all have convenience store. Warning to drivers, the more south, the more crazier. Calculating distances between cities.

DANGERS

Is Sicilia safe? In my experience yes, especially the island of Favignana where I’ve spent a great time. And the Mafia? Not exactly…. if you are expecting to see Al Capone or Don Corleone, forget it! Sicilia is not Chicago or New York in the 20’s. The decades of 70-90 were a very turbulent time for Palermo’s people. Judgments and all those who tried to oppose against the mafia were killed. Nowadays none of that happens anymore, there are small crimes of course, like in every city, pickpockets … Just pay attention to your belongings.

SITES TO VISIT

Zingaro Nature Reserve

A beautiful natural park, very similar to Arrábida in Portugal, huge cliffs with small beaches of turquoise water. You can’t enter the park by car, you must explore by foot. To get there head towards Scopello Castellammare del Golfo and follow the signs to the park. The entrance is 5€. There are several beaches along the 7 km’s in length of this nature reserve. My favorite is the Cala Capreria (20 minutes walk from the park entrance), very small, a bit crowded, but the water is phenomenal. If you have time try to visit the beach of Cala dell’Uzzo also quite beautiful (on the other side of the park). At the end of the day, we left the park and went to Erice, a medieval town on the way to Trapani. Website

ERICE

Located near Trapani, this small medieval town (at 751m) offers one of the best views of Sicily. Throughout history the city was going from invaders to invaders, besides the battles, the city architecture remain untouched. The city offers in addition to the great views, picturesque streets with small Sicilian handicraft shops, two castles that can be visited, the Pepoli and the Castle of Venus and… 60 churches! What??? Here you can also find the best pastry in Sicily (La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico), although the sweets are good, nothing beats the Cassatella I ate in Favignana. You can reach the city by car or taking the cable car in Trapani.

FAVIGNANA

Favignana is the largest of the Egadi Islands, three islands off the coast of Sicily. Despite the airport in Trapani which makes it very accessible to all of Europe, the island is mostly visited by Italian tourists. The island has 9 Km’s length and you can take a tour around the island by car in less than 1H. Find out who I fell in love with this Island.

Travel Blog