This is a small city on the Ionian coast, not as famous as Taormina but as beautiful as a gentle wave of the sea. Acireale has a very small and lovely Central square, not to mention the small and narrow alleys that go forever without seeing an end. Far away is the pale blue sea. We kept walking along small alleys to find that color of blue sea, but we forgot about our tired feet. In the past, Acireale used to be quite crowded with tourists, but due to the economic downturn, today the city is gradually deserted. I listened to uncle Grazia’s story and I saw that faint blue color become sadder. | sicily travel guide Noto In the south you should tour the luminously beautiful 17th-century towns of Noto, Ragusa and Modica*, their honey-hued baroque architecture the legacy of the Spanish. Bridging sweet and savoury, the juiciest red oranges come from the countryside most beloved by the sun, while the most famous pistachios , those from Bronte, now dominate the culinary scene thanks to their gastronomic flexibility, which ranges from their use as sweet cream in desserts to the intense pestos that bring together ancient grains [link to Sicilian Ancient Grains] in the form of inimitable first courses. Easy-to-follow maps (including a full-color overview of the island, Palermo street map, and the Mount Etna area)

Classic … Burt Lancaster in Visconti’s 1963 film of The Leopard. Photograph: Cinetext Bildarchiv/Titanus/Allstar In Sicily there are many delicacies rooted in tradition and faith , which become beloved symbols before they being consumed. Get ready to discover how Sicily can amaze you. Sicily will surprise you when you least expect it. As you stroll along the streets, you will come across the works of contemporary street art: it is intense, immediate and universal. Looking out, over the infinity of the Sicilian hinterland, from the Andromeda Theatre, you will see a mystical and ancestral place. You will feel like floating in sidereal space. You have the chance to visit artisan’s workshops, guardians of traditions handed down from father to son. Sicilian wines are exceptional, grown on the fertile volcanic slopes of Etna and the Aeolian Islands. Top up your glass with classy vintages from Tenuta di Castellaro in the Aeolian Islands, or Tenuta Regaleai, one of the island’s oldest wineries, south of Palermo.

The hot winds from Africa, the long sunny summer days, the saltwater coastal lands are all the perfect conditions for the birth of immense salt fields. Here, natural sea salt is still crystallized from the evaporation of water, just as the ancient Phoenicians did 2,700 years ago. Salt was sold throughout the Mediterranean, as far away as the Nordic countries. Thanks to salt, in the mid-16th century it was one of the most important ports in Europe. Today, although there are many different substitutes, the salt here is still preferred by culinary experts because of its purity, no preservatives and the salty taste of natural sea salt. Noto, half an hour from Siracusa, is easily the most harmonious town of those rebuilt after the earthquake, and during the mid-nineteenth century, it replaced Siracusa as provincial capital. In Sicily, you can visit the majestic volcano Etna, the Valley of the Temples, the Greek Theatre of Taormina and the one of Syracuse. You can learn more about Quasimodo, Verga, Il Gattopardo and the Rape of Persephone. Close your geography, science and art history books. Forget everything you learned at school and get ready to live a new experience. Enna is the highest town in Italy, and from here you can enjoy a panoramic view over the whole island. Caltanissetta has a historical centre full of Renaissance and Baroque monuments. In Sicily, the dinner table becomes a “stage” for exhilarating flavours: one case in point is pasta alla Norma , made with tomato sauce and fried aubergines, and so named because it is considered sublime like the work of the same name by the “Swan”, the composer Vincenzo Bellini.

Virtually everyone in Sicily – kids to grandmas – rides a moped or scooter, although the smaller models are not suitable for any kind of long-distance travel. They’re ideal for shooting around towns, and you can rent them in Taormina, Cefalù and other holiday centres. Crash helmets are compulsory. By ferry and hydrofoil And if you are wondering whether Sicily is the right destination for you, you will find the answer in a glass of local wine. Most of Palermo’s traditional budget hotels lie on and around the southern ends of Via Maqueda and Via Roma, close to Stazione Centrale, but you’ll get far more for your money in the city’s B&Bs, many of which are charming and extremely well run. Sutera is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The Teatro di Andromeda in Santo Stefano Quisquina is a magical place surrounded by the pastoral landscape of the Monti Sicani. Spring in Sicily ( USA) Manuela Darling-Gansser – A lavish introduction to the amazing fertility of the Sicilian landscape that, in spite of the title, is relevant year-round.Due to its prime location with hundreds of years of changing thrones, Sicily is the cultural exchange of many different cultures, the Sicilian people are famous for their multi-racial diversity and colorful culture. Coming to Sicily, you can see a blending of ancient indigenous civilizations such as Sicanians, Sicels, Elymians, to the civilizations of invaders such as Roman, Greek, Arab, Norman, Albania, France, Spain. A lot of people in Sicily today are of Albanian origin because this people have occupied and settled here since the 16th century… Carretto, a cultural symbol of Sicilian agriculture. Besides tourist services, people on Vulcano island mainly live by goat farming and hunting. So there are also great local cheeses like goat ricotta, and traditional dishes like fried ricotta, pasta with ricotta, seasoned with local specialties including herbs and spices. The medieval fishing village of Cefalu In July and Aug it’s a good idea to listen to the offers of rooms as you step off the boat in Lipari. Salina and Panarea both have plenty of choice but you'll need to book ahead. Catch a classical Greek drama at the Teatro Greco in the Parco Archeologico Di Neapolis, an extensive area that’s worth at least half a day's exploration. Sicily is 3km from Calabria (in mainland Italy), 160km from the coast of Africa, and to this day, it is still impossible to confirm whether Sicily was once attached to Africa or mainland Italy. Due to its geographical location, Sicily is the most important island in Mediterranean Sea. Charming steep streets. A brief history of Sicily