Must-see attractions in Sicily

  • Piazza Armerina, Enna, Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale

    Central Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale is sumptuous, even by decadent Roman standards, and is thought to have been the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus,…

  • Agrigento, Sicily, Italy - October 9, 2017: Tourists visiting Park of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.

    Valley of the Temples

    Agrigento

    Sicily's most enthralling archaeological site encompasses the ruined ancient city of Akragas, highlighted by the stunningly well-preserved Tempio della…

  • Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni.

    Cappella Palatina

    Palermo

    Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…

  • Smoke Signals

    Stromboli Crater

    Stromboli

    For nature lovers, climbing Stromboli is one of Sicily's not-to-be-missed experiences. Since 2005 access has been strictly regulated: you can walk freely…

  • Vertical view of ruins in ancient temple, Agrigento, Sicily

    Tempio della Concordia

    Agrigento

    One of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples in existence, the Temple of Concordia has survived almost entirely intact since it was constructed in 430…

  • Mosaics in the Sala di Ruggero (Hall of King Roger) in the Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale).

    Palazzo dei Normanni

    Palermo

    Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…

  • View from Belvedere Quattrocchi, Lipari, Aeolian Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean, Europe

    Quattrocchi

    Lipari

    Lipari's best coastal views are from a celebrated viewpoint known as Quattrocchi (Four Eyes), 3km west of town. Follow the road for Pianoconte and look on…

  • Greek theatre in Taormina

    Teatro Greco

    Taormina

    Taormina's premier sight is this perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, with Mt Etna looming on the southern horizon. Built in…

  • Agrigento, in Sicily. Concordia Temple, frontal view

    Museo Archeologico

    Agrigento

    North of the temples, this wheelchair-accessible museum is one of Sicily's finest, with a huge collection of clearly labelled artefacts from the excavated…

  • Giardino della Kolymbetra

    Agrigento

    In a natural cleft between walls of soft tuff (volcanic rock), the Giardino della Kolymbetra is a lush garden of olive and citrus trees interspersed with…

  • Spiaggia dei Conigli

    Lampedusa

    Few beaches in the world enjoy such legendary status as this long stretch of pristine white sand lapped by turquoise waters, with pretty views out to a…

  • Ruins of Segesta

    Western Sicily

    One of western Sicily's must-see attractions, the ruins of Segesta straddle a lonely hilltop less than an hour from Palermo and Trapani. The…

  • Parco Archeologico di Selinunte

    Western Sicily

    The ancient Greek metropolis of Selinunte was built in the 7th century BC on a promontory overlooking the sea, and over two and a half centuries became…

  • Cattedrale di Vergine Assunta.

    Cattedrale di Palermo

    Palermo

    A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…

  • ITALY - APRIL 08: Amphorae in the Archaeological Museum of Lipari, island of Lipari, Sicily, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

    Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano

    Lipari

    A must-see for Mediterranean history buffs, Lipari's archaeological museum has one of Europe's finest collections of ancient finds. Especially worthwhile…

  • View of coastline and town of Cefalu, Sicily, Italy

    Duomo di Cefalù

    Cefalù

    Cefalù's cathedral is one of the jewels in Sicily's Arab-Norman crown, only equalled in magnificence by the Cattedrale di Monreale and Palermo's Cappella…

  • Gibellina, Trapani, Italy. 11/07/2105.Cretto of Burri, land art work realized site-specific by Alberto Burri; Shutterstock ID 1697588782; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

Cretto di Burri

    Cretto di Burri

    Western Sicily

    Midway between the ancient ruins of Selinunte (38km south) and Segesta (45km north) lies this extraordinary modern marvel – a disconcerting, lunar-like…

  • ancient greek theater in Syracuse, Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, Sicily, Italy, Unesco world heritage list

    Parco Archeologico della Neapolis

    Syracuse

    For the classicist, Syracuse's real attraction is this archaeological park, home to the pearly Teatro Greco. Constructed in the 5th century BC and rebuilt…

  • Greek temple in Selinunte

    Acropolis

    Western Sicily

    The Acropolis, the heart of Selinunte's political and social life, occupies a slanted plateau overlooking the now-silted-up Gorgo di Cottone. Huddled in…

  • Palermo, Sicily, Italy

    Galleria Regionale della Sicilia

    Palermo

    Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…

  • Ragusa Ibla

    Ragusa

    Ragusa Ibla is a joy to wander, its labyrinthine lanes weaving through rock-grey palazzi to open onto beautiful, sun-drenched piazzas. It's easy to get…

  • Yellow wild flowers at dawn in Sicily

    Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro

    Western Sicily

    This coastal nature reserve is a hiker's paradise and a haven for wildlife, including the rare Bonelli’s eagle and 40 other bird species. Wild carob and…

  • Sailboat in the bay of the Valle Muria, Lipari island, Sicily, Italy, Europe

    Spiaggia Valle Muria

    Lipari

    Lapped by clean waters and surrounded by sheer cliffs, this dark, pebbly beach on Lipari's southwestern shore is a dramatically beautiful swimming and…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Syrakus, Ortigia, Dom Santa Maria delle Colonne und Rathaus (Municipio)  (Photo by Ihlow/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Duomo

    Syracuse

    Built on the skeleton of a 5th-century BC Greek temple to Athena (note the Doric columns still visible inside and out), Syracuse's 7th-century cathedral…

  • Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare

    Messina

    Messina's redeveloped regional museum is one of Sicily's lesser-known highlights, with an extensive collection of fascinating art and archaeology. Its…

  • Italy, Sicily, Siracusa, Greek theater

    Teatro Greco

    Syracuse

    The highlight of the Neapolis archaeological area is the Teatro Greco, a masterpiece of classical architecture that could accommodate up to 16,000 people…

  • Farm Cultural Park

    Mediterranean Coast

    In 2010, married couple Andrea Bartoli and Favara-born Florinda Saieva bought several abandoned buildings in the town's dilapidated heart and set up this…

  • Sciara del Fuoco Viewpoint

    Stromboli

    An alternative to scaling Stromboli's summit is the hour-long climb to this viewpoint (400m, no guide required), which directly overlooks the Sciara del…

  • Teatro Massimo at night.

    Teatro Massimo

    Palermo

    Taking over 20 years to complete, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe. The closing scene of The…

  • Piazza del Duomo

    Syracuse

    Syracuse's showpiece square is a masterpiece of baroque town planning. A long, rectangular piazza flanked by flamboyant palazzi, it sits on what was once…

  • Small snail-like creatures for sale at Ballaro market.

    Mercato di Ballarò

    Palermo

    Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…

  • Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte

    Central Sicily

    Caltagirone's most evocative sight is this monumental staircase, which rises from Piazza Municipio to Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte. Built in the early…

  • Cala Junco - small bay of Panarea - one of Aeolian Islands near Sicily (Italy). Lipari and Salina islands visible on the horizon.

    Cala Junco

    Panarea

    Directly below Panarea's prehistoric village, about 45 minutes south of San Pietro, steps lead down to this gorgeous little cove with a rock-strewn beach…

  • Grotta del Genovese

    Western Sicily

    Between 6000 and 10,000 years old, the Upper Palaeolithic wall paintings and Neolithic incised drawings at the Genovese Cave were discovered in 1949 by…

  • Museo Archeologico

    Gela

    This splendid archaeological museum offers insight into Gela's great artistic past. It contains artefacts from the city's ancient acropolis and is famed…

  • Palazzo Bonelli Patanè

    Southeastern Sicily

    Never judge a book by its cover, or a palazzo by its facade. Take the 19th-century Palazzo Bonelli Patanè, its demure neoclassical facade tight-lipped…

  • Mulino della Saline Infersa

    Western Sicily

    The southernmost of the region's two salt museums is housed in a beautifully restored 16th-century windmill opposite the Mozia boat dock, 10km north of…

  • Palazzina Cinese & Parco della Favorita

    Palermo

    Once a retreat for King Ferdinand IV and his wife Maria Carolina, this pagoda-inspired pavilion exemplifies the popularity of 'Oriental exotica' in 18th…