14 Places to Visit in Sicily That Will Make You Fall in Love, Just Like I Did

In the lines below I tell you about the most fascinating places to visit in Sicily, based on my personal impressions. They are located mostly on the east coast of the island, with some exceptions.

Until recently, I associated Sicily mainly with the Etna volcano, but now I know this is the island of sun, sea and ancient history. In seven sunny October days, I was exploring the island and realized that there are so, so many remarkable places to visit in Sicily. Each of those destinations revealed me a different face of this interesting island – remains of ancient cities, old streets of small towns, volcanic landscapes, a sea of ​​hills and dizzying sea panoramas. Those seven days turned out to be insufficient to see everything I wanted, but they definitely immersed me in the spirit of the Sicily.

Contents

A couple of pre tips
Places to visit in Sicily
When is the best time to visit Sicily
Flights to Sicily
Where to stay in Sicily
How to get around in Sicily
What to eat
Our visit to Sicily
Final thoughts

A couple of pre tips

Many of the tourist attractions on the island of Sicily charge an entrance fee, which is roughly between 15 and 22 euros. It is useful to know that there is also a free day, which applies to most places – this is every first Sunday of the month.

During our stay, we used the EasyPark app to pay for parking. It was valid for almost all the destinations in Sicily that we visited and where we parked in a blue zone. The app can be used throughout Europe. In general, in Sicily the price of parking was 1 euro per hour.

See also: Interesting facts about Sicily

Places to visit in Sicily

This chapter is dedicated to the most interesting places to visit in Sicily.

Valley of the Temples near Agrigento

Distance from Catania: 170 km.
Distance from Palermo: 130 km.

My first choice of top places to visit in Sicily is the Valley of the Temples, a really magnetic place. There are 3 parking lots near the Valley, and I recommend you use this one. It costs 1 euro per hour.

The Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) is a huge archaeological site located near the city of Agrigento and includes the remains of seven Doric temples from the 5th century BC, part of the UNESCO list and the largest archaeological complex in the world. It is definitely among the mandatory places to visit in Sicily. The best-preserved temple there – Concordia, is on the cover of many Sicily guidebooks.

In my eyes, this is one of the most extensive archaeological sites I have ever visited, both in terms of area and saturation of ancient ruins. The Valley of the Temples near Agrigento is one of those places where you can’t help but take great photos. The temples are located on a long hill and from there you can see impressive views of the surrounding areas. We even joked that this is not the Valley of the Temples, but the Hill of the Temples, with all due respect to the place.

After the Valley of the Temples, we went to see Scala dei Turchi, a popular natural landmark nearby. It is a huge white step-shaped rock on the seashore. It is located about 12 km east of the Valley of the Temples.

Etna Volcano

Distance from Catania: 33 km.
Distance from Palermo: 230 km.

Etna Volcano (3327 m) is the natural landmark in Sicily, which makes the island unique and that’s why it’s at the top of the list of places to visit in Sicily. It is exciting to walk at the foot of the crater of the highest and most active volcano in Europe. By car you can reach the so-called Sapienza Refuge (Rifugio Sapienza) at 1920 m above sea level, which is a complex of hotels, restaurants and shops.

Sapienza has a large paid parking lot at a price of about 1 euro per hour. You can also park on the extensions on the road just before the complex, and they are free of charge.

What can you do on the slopes of Etna? The most popular tourist activity is visiting the Silvestri craters, which are right next to the Sapienza refuge. They have been dormant for a long time. You can also climb to the higher craters nearby.

A lift leaves from Sapienza, which takes you to a height of 2500 meters. Visitors can climb independently to a height of 2800 meters, for higher altitudes it is mandatory to have a guide. However, bear in mind that the higher parts of Etna require good equipment.

Please note that on days when the Etna volcano is active, visits are not allowed.

Palermo

Distance from Catania: 209 km.

This is the capital of the Sicily island and a gorgeous city, so it is also among the must-visit places in Sicily.

Palermo has a ZTL (limited traffic zone) covering the entire historic center, where only vehicles with a valid pass are allowed. Restrictions apply almost every day, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with extended hours from Friday morning until early Sunday. On Sundays and public holidays, the ZTL is not in effect and the city center is freely accessible.

Where to park? There are plenty of parking garages in the center of Palermo, but you also have to take into account the ZTL zone. A good option is to look for a spot on the streets around the Botanical Garden. It is within walking distance of the center and free.

Main landmarks:

• Porta Nuova – a city gate of Palermo
• Palermo Cathedral “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”
• Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele
• Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel
• Piazza Pretoria and the Fontain of Shame
• Piazza Bellini
• Piazza Quattro Canti
• Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, also called Martorana
• Church of San Cataldo
• La Zisa castle
• Capuchin Catacombs

Taormina: among the most beautiful places in Sicily

Distance from Catania: 53 km.
Distance from Palermo: 261 km.

For parking in Taormina, I recommend the parking lot next to Porta Catania. Here is the location.

Taormina is one of the most charming places to visit in Sicily – a town endowed with impressive nature and a rich historical heritage. Situated on a steep and rugged terrain high above the Ionian Sea, it captivates with its cozy historic center, filled with narrow cobblestone streets, small shops and aromatic restaurants. Just one step inside is enough to feel how the city gets you back in time and hug you with a particularly pleasant atmosphere.

I would highlight 4 main landmarks in Taormina: the Ancient Greek Theater, perhaps the most beautiful I have ever seen, Piazza IX Aprile, the Cathedral of Taormina, and the main street, Corso Umberto, which will take you through the most interesting part of the city.

See my guide about Taormina here.

Places to visit in Sicily: Siracusa

Distance from Catania: 66 km.
Distance from Palermo: 260 km.

In Syracuse we used two parking lots – near the Archaeological Park here and in the old town on the island of Ortigia here. We paid 1 euro per hour for both of them via the EasyPark app.

Syracusa is one of the largest and most important cities on the island of Sicily, the successor to a powerful ancient Greek colony from Magna Graecia. The Roman orator Cicero described it as “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of all”. Located on the east coast of the island, Syracusa welcomed us on the second day of our autumn journey through Sicily with an atmosphere that intertwines antiquity, Sicilian baroque and maritime romance.

The main attractions of the city are concentrated in two areas – the Historic Center of Ortigia Island and the Archaeological Park of Neapolis, which reveal different layers of its rich past.

See more about Syracusa here.

The Roman villa near the city of Piazza Armerina (Villa Romana del Casale)

Distance from Catania: 103 km.
Distance from Palermo: 177 km.

There is a large paid parking lot next to the villa, part of the tourist site. The price for parking is about 3-4 euros.

I put quite high Villa del Casale in my list of top places to visit in Sicily. This is a large ancient Roman villa with exquisite mosaics with thousands of images. It is located near Piazza Armerina in the central part of the island. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villa and its works of art date back to the beginning of the 4th century AD. It was a luxurious vacation villa for high-ranking Romans. The villa or parts of it, with various functional adaptations, were also inhabited during the Arab (1160-61) and Norman (1776-1779) periods of Sicilian history.

The villa is truly enormous and consists of many rooms, a thermal complex, a courtyard with a garden and a swimming pool. There is a separate tourist route inside, abundant with information boards.

Noto

Distance from Catania: 92 km.
Distance from Palermo: 290 km.

This is where we parked in Noto. It was a blue zone and cost us 1 euro per hour.

The city of Noto is known as the “Baroque Capital of Sicily” and the “City of Light” because of its beautiful Baroque architecture, which became its hallmark. The city was destroyed by the earthquake in 1693 and rebuilt from scratch, with a completely new layout and buildings in a honey-peach color.

I will remember two things from our visit to Noto – the wonderful historic center with huge buildings and the medieval costume and reenactment event that we came across there. I couldn’t help but include Noto on my list of the top places to visit in Sicily.

The top sights in Noto are located along or very close to the central street of the historic center, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and they are:

• The Royal Gate (Porta Reale)
• Piazza Immaculate Conception and Church of San Francesco
• Palazzo Ducezio
• Cathedral of San Nicolò
• Palazzo Nicolaci
• Church of San Carlo al Corso
• Piazza XVI Maggio and Church of San Domenico

Have a look at my guide about Noto here.

Catania

Distance from Palermo: 209 km.

Catania is the second largest city in Sicily. The airport there is the main on the island. Thus, a lot of people start exploring Sicily just from Catania.

If you have only a few days in Sicily, it is convenient to use Catania as your base – there you can find hotels at a good price, in addition, Catania is well-connected to many places in Sicily by public transport – busses or trains.

We spent half a day in Catania and needed to park in a convenient place near the center. We parked here for 1 euro per hour.

Here are some of the most interesting sights in Catania:

• the cathedral and the cathedral square;
• the Greco-Roman theater;
• the church of Saint Nicholas and the incredible view from its roof;
• the Ursino Castle;
• the Roman amphitheater.

See my Catania travel guide here.

Savoca

Distance from Catania: 71 km.
Distance from Palermo: 262 km.

Where did we park? Parking in Savoca was a bit of a challenge. The village is hilly and its streets are narrow, passing is difficult, and the parking signs point to places with a fairly limited number of spaces. There are a few parking spaces at the very beginning of the village. I advise you to park there if you see a free space. It is a 5-6 minute walk to the village center. We missed this opportunity and then got lost, but ended up parking on a street right next to Bar Vitelli here. Keep in mind that (almost) everywhere is a blue zone and you pay 1 euro per hour.

Savoca is a picturesque village with preserved old houses and cobblestone streets. It is surrounded by steep hills and is itself on a hill. The road to the village winds, going around one and then another. It offers incredible views of the Ionian Sea, and in certain places the Etna volcano can also be seen. The village gained world fame thanks to the film “The Godfather”, which was partly filmed there – the Bar Vitelli in the center of the village and the church of San Nicolò a little further up are among the most visited places. In front of Bar Vitelli is a statue of the film’s director, the great Francis Ford Coppola.

In the highest part of Savoca, you can also see the massive remains of a fortress.

We spent about two hours in the village, taking a circular walk from Bar Vitelli to the church of San Nicolo, touring part of the fortress outside (its gates were closed), passing several beautiful houses with swimming pools and incredible views of the sea, then exploring the church of San Michele (Chiesa di San Michele) and closing the circle to Bar Vitelli.

Caltagirone

Distance from Catania: 67 km.
Distance from Palermo: 195 km.

Where did we park in Caltagirone? In a free parking lot, not far from the center here.

Caltagirone remains off the main tourist trail, but after being there I wouldn’t hesitate to include it among the top places to visit in Sicily. The city of is best known for two things. It is:

• an ancient center of ceramics production, especially terracotta and majolica (a type of ceramic similar to faience);
• part of the late Baroque towns of Val di Noto, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The city is located on a hill and rises above the surrounding valley. The views from the valley to it and from it to the valley are stunning.

Among the main attractions of Caltagirone are:

• the monumental staircase of Santa Maria del Monte (Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte), also called the Staircase of Ceramics.
• the Basilica of San Giuliano and its majestic bell tower.

See more about Caltagirone here.

Randazzo

Distance from Catania: 65 km.
Distance from Palermo: 199 km.

Where did we park? We found an easy parking space here in a small square on the main street Via Giuzeppe Bonaventura. It was free of charge.

Randazzo is a quiet and peaceful town at the northern foot of Etna. It is located less than 20 km from the main crater of the volcano and has suffered damage and destruction several times over time as a result of earthquakes and lava flows. Most of the buildings and streets of the town are built of blocks of volcanic rock.

Main places to see in Randazzo:

• Aragonese Gate (Porta Aragonese) and the fortress wall next to it;
• Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta (Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta);
• Church of St. Nicholas (Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Nicolò);
• Street of Arches (Via Degli Archi);
• the town hall (Comune di Randazzo);
• the ruins of the church of Saint George;
• a house wall and solidified lava from the eruption of Etna in 1981 – very close to Randazzo.

See more about Randazzo here.

Messina

Distance from Catania: 96 km.
Distance from Palermo: 230 km.

Keep in mind that finding a parking space in Messina Historic center is not an easy task. We drove around it several times trying to find a place. Google showed us several parking lots and places in the blue zone, but everything turned out to be occupied. So we parked on a street in the upper districts. From there, we walked to the center in about 15 minutes.

Messina is an important port and the third largest city on the island of Sicily. It is called the “gateway to Sicily” because of its strategic location.

Messina was our first stop on the fifth day of our trip around Sicily. What impressed me most about Messina was the huge cathedral with a beautiful bell tower, its high hills and the wonderful panoramic views from the upper parts of the city. This is why it got on a list of top places to visit in Sicily.

Main things to do in Messina include visiting:

• Messina Cathedral “Santa Maria Assunta” (Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)
• The port and the lighthouse with the beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary of the Letters (Stele della Madonna della Lettera)
• The town hall building – Zanca Palace (Comune di Messina – Palazzo Zanca)
• The church of Santa Maria di Montalto and the panoramic terrace (Santuario Parrocchia S.Maria Di Montalto)
• The church-sanctuary of Christ the King (Sacrario di Cristo Re)

See more about Messina sights here.

Acireale

Distance from Catania: 18 km.
Distance from Palermo: 233 km.

Acireale was our last stop on our first trip to Sicily. My impressions are that it is definitely not popular with tourists, although apart from us we saw one larger group with a tour guide. It was two o’clock when we parked the car on a street with a blue zone, not far from the historic center and headed to the local cathedral “Santa Maria Annunziata” (Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata). Most of the shops we passed were on their lunch break from 14:00 to 16:00 and there were not many people in the center. Even the cathedral was closed.

The most important sights in Acireale are located around the cathedral square (Piazza Duomo). These are the cathedral basilica that I already mentioned, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, attached to the cathedral, the town hall, and the Modo Palace, right across from the Church of St. Peter and Paul on the other side of the main street. I really liked the facades of both basilicas.

On our way to the cathedral, we came across another remarkable church — San Sebastiano (Basilica Collegiata di San Sebastiano). Built in the Baroque style after the plague epidemic of 1466, it is considered the oldest church in the city. During our visit, the church was open and preparations for a wedding were underway both inside and in front of it, which allowed us to step in and admire it. Whether because of the occasion or simply by chance, we were lucky to see its magnificent interior. The church is truly impressive, with rich decoration and an elegant façade that make it beautiful both inside and out.

After exploring the cathedral square and the surrounding buildings, we continued along Via Romeo — the street between the square and the town hall that leads down toward the sea. We crossed the railway line and the road using a specially built pedestrian walkway, which took us to La Timpa, a nature reserve along the coast.

The shoreline here is high and rocky, but a well-designed path has been carved into the cliffs, winding down in gentle serpentines toward the sea. The views along the way were truly beautiful. At the end of the descent, we reached a coastal district of Acireale with interesting buildings in a typical Mediterranean style, though somewhat neglected. Even so, the walk was fascinating, especially with views of a small lava island at the northern end of the promenade. Nearby, a retaining wall is dramatically interrupted in two places by cooled lava flows, adding a striking reminder of the area’s volcanic past.

When is the best time to visit Sicily

If you are a traveler at heart and like to go sightseeing, the best time to visit Sicily is in spring (May-June) and autumn (September-October). Then the weather is pleasantly warm, without being unbearably hot, and there are relatively fewer tourists. Winter is mild and calm – ideal for cultural attractions, although with more rain. Summer there will offer you hot sun and warm sea, suitable for a beach holiday, but more tourists and higher prices.

Flights to Sicily

Sicily is easily accessible by air, with several international and domestic flights arriving daily. The island has three main airports – Palermo (Falcone–Borsellino), Catania (Fontanarossa), and Trapani (Vincenzo Florio) – all well connected to major European cities, especially during the tourist season. Catania Airport is the busiest and often offers the widest range of flight options, while Palermo serves as a convenient gateway to western Sicily. Thanks to low-cost and full-service airlines, finding affordable flights to Sicily is usually straightforward, particularly if you book in advance or travel outside the peak summer months.

Where to stay in Sicily

I won’t mention individual hotels here, as there are many accommodation options in Sicily.

If you prefer to stay in one place and have it as your starting point, I would recommend accommodation in Catania.

If you prefer to be very close to the sea – look for hotels in Giardini-Naxos or Letojanni, near Taormina.

If you like luxury and can afford it, head to the hotels in Taormina.

How to get around in Sicily

Here are the options to go around the best places to visit in Sicily.

Public transport

Trains in Sicily are an easy and pleasant way to travel between many of the main places to visit in Sicily, offering beautiful views and convenient connections between Palermo, Catania, Messina, Syracuse. The rail network is operated by Trenitalia.

Buses are often the most convenient, and sometimes the only way to travel to smaller and more remote towns that are not connected to the rail network. Among the main carriers are Interbus, AST and SAIS Autolinee. Tickets can be bought from newsstands and cigarette kiosks or directly at the stations.

Car rental

The most convenient and flexible option for exploring the many places to visit in Sicily is to rent a car. If there are only two of you, it will probably be more economical to use public transport. However, if there are three or four of you, renting a car in Italy will cost you the same or even cheaper than the train or bus.

Here at the link you can see the best deals on car rentals in Sicily on the Discover Cars portal. Its search engine displays options from different car rental companies, so you can choose the most suitable one for you.

Parking in Sicily

For each destination in Sicily from the list above, I have tried to offer you a convenient parking spot, in case you are traveling by car. In many cities, parking is available in a blue zone at a price of 1 euro per hour. How can you detect if it is a blue zone? Parking spaces in the blue zone are marked with blue markings, and those for which you do not pay – with white. However, even in the case of white markings, look for signs around.

You can use the EasyPark application to pay for parking almost everywhere.

What to eat

During our stay in Sicily, we had breakfast at the hotel, and the rest of the time – in bars and restaurants. In general, we did not come across an establishment with bad food or bad service. We emphasized the traditional Italian pizza and pasta, and we also ate steaks.

From the traditional local dishes, we tried the sweet cannoli – dough rolled up with filling, and breaded rice balls (arancini) with various additives such as eggplant, meat and cheese. I really liked them.

Our visit to Sicily

It happened at the beginning of this October. We flew there on the first Saturday of the month and returned a week later. We traveled from Sofia to Catania with Ryanair. During both flights, I leaned against the window and the weather was almost cloudless, so I enjoyed beautiful panoramas of the land and tried to recognize familiar spots along the route (without much success, I admit, but the views were great).

We had rented a car from Catania airport in advance, even my husband, as the driver, signed the documents online, so picking up the car was pretty quick.

The first stop was a parking lot near the historic center of Catania. This was also the first destination in Sicily that we explored. Our itinerary in Sicily by day was:

Our base was a hotel on the first line in the resort village of Letojanni, right next to Taormina. I did not tell you about the sights in Letojanni above, because there are not many of them – the local cathedral of San Giuseppe and the monument to Francesco Durante (1844-1934), a famous surgeon for his time, who was the first in Italy to perform a successful operation on a brain tumor.

Letojanni is a place mainly for sunbathing – the beach is quite long, as is the coastal promenade along it. In addition, the beach and promenade offer wonderful views of the hills of Taormina to the south, and to the east – to the “finger of the Boot”, where the Calabria region of mainland Italy is located.

Final thoughts

After seven days in Sicily, I can define it as a great jewel in the heart of the Mediterranean – an island that unites a rich history, diverse culture and impressively jagged landscape. Here you can find traces of ancient civilizations – Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans, whose legacy has left a deep mark on architecture, cuisine and traditions. The remains of this legacy and the natural features (and protrusions of the relief 🙂 ) are part of the best places to visit in Sicily. An island that is both ancient and alive, wild and hospitable.

There we also found warm people, picturesque towns, beaches and delicious food, garnished with pistachios and sweet cannoli. Impressions that we will remember for a long time and plans for more places that will make us return.