Sicily places to visit and attractions

Aci Trezza

Aci Trezza is a small seaside resort whose port looks onto interesting rock formations in the sea. See guide

Acireale

Acireale has several interesting churches in the historic centre. See guide

Adrano

Adrano is an interesting city with a medieval centre and a Norman castle amongst its highlights. See guide

Aeolian Islands

Hugely popular not only for their great beaches and water sports but also the possibility of visiting active volcanoes. See guide

Agrigento

Agrigento in Sicily has several impressive Greek temples See guide

Aidone

Visitors will want to admire the Baroque architecture of Aidone. See guide

Akrai

The archaeological ruins at Akrai include a Greek Theatre and the Temple of Aphrodite. See guide

Alcamo

Alcamo Marina is a popular seaside resort and the old town has a castle and plenty to enjoy. See guide

Ancient Theater in Catania

The archaeological site of Catania has an impressive ancient theatre, an odeon and a small museum See guide

Bagheria

Bagheria has some marvellous villas to explore and many other monuments including a look out tower which is open to visitors. See guide

Buscemi

Following an earthquake in the 17th century much of the town and churches were rebuilt in Baroque style. See guide

Butera

A castle and an excavated Necropolis are some of the draws to the increasingly popular town of Butera. See guide

Caltabellotta

Situated on Mount Kratas and surrounded by mountain peaks the fortified town of Caltabellotta offers great scenery and historic monuments. See guide

Caltavuturo

Caltavuturo cathedral holds some important artistic works. See guide

Campofelice di Roccella

With a castle overlooking the long sandy beach Campofelice di Roccella is a popular summer destination. See guide

Capo d'Orlando

Capo d'Orlando is a small beach resort in north-east Sicily See guide

Carini

A castle, a beach and some great shops count amongst the attractions of the town of Carini. See guide

Caronia

Visit the Norman castle and medieval old town of Caronia. See guide

Cassibile

Cassibile is not only a popular seaside town and resort, but is also home to the most important prehistoric settlement in Sicily. See guide

Castellammare del Golfo

The Gulf of Castellammare has beaches, cliffs and interesting monuments and is a lovely part of Sicily. See guide

Castelmola

Castelmola is a beautiful hilltop village above Taormina See guide

Castroreale

With great views and some important art treasures Castroreale is worth a visit. See guide

Catania

The second largest city in Sicily, Catania has some fine buildings and interesting Roman remains. See guide

Cefala Diana

An attractive tourist destination, Cefala Diana has an Arab baths and a castle to visit. See guide

Cefalu

Cefalu is one of the main tourist destinations of Sicily. The pretty seaside town is an important artistic and historic centre. See guide

Cefalu Cathedral

Cefalu cathedral is a beautiful building with a fortress-like style. See guide

Centuripe

Centuripe is an ancient town with an interesting archaeological museum. See guide

Chiaramonte Gulfi

Explore the pleasant medieval centre of Chiaramonte Gulfi See guide

Church of San Carlo Borromeo

The Church of San Carlo is one of the best places for views across the historic centre of Noto See guide

Church of San Nicolo Inferiore

The Church of San Nicolo Inferiore is an unusual 12th century cave church with ancient frescoes in the heart of Modica old town See guide

Cinisi

Cinisi is a pretty coastal town not far from Palermo and its airport. See guide

Comiso

Visit the lovely baroque architecture of Comisco. See guide

Corleone

Corleone is famous both for its 100 churches and for its Mafia connection. See guide

Duomo Saint George

The duomo in Ragusa is an imposing church, built in the baroque style in the heart of Ragusa Ibla (old town) See guide

Eloro

As well as beaches and a modern town Eloro has a fascinating archaeological site. See guide

Enna

Enna is a historic hilltop town with a medieval castle and fabulous views. See guide

Erice

Visit the splendid hilltop town of Erice with its ancient walls, castle and churches. See guide

Favignana

Favignana is the largest of the 'Isole Egadi' islands and is a popular day trip from Trapani. See guide

Filicudi

Filicudi is one of the Aeolian islands and is particularly great for scuba diving. See guide

Gardens of the Kolymbethra

The Gardens of the Kolymbethra are historic gardens within the valley of the temples at Agrigento See guide

Gela

Gela is an industrial town but if you are nearby it has some interesting monuments in the old centre. See guide

Geraci-Siculo

Geraci Siculo is a hill town in the lovely Natural Park of Madonie See guide

Giardini Naxos

Giardini Naxos is a beach resort a few kilometres south of Taormina See guide

Greek Theatre of Taormina

The Ancient theatre of Taormina is in a stunning location overlooking the sea and the town as well as Mount Etna See guide

Isola Bella and Mazzaro

Close to Taormina, Isola Bella is a pretty island nature reserve and Mazzaro is a beach destination See guide

Ispica

Ispica is home to an extensive prehistoric cave system. See guide

Kamarina

Most people visit Kamarina for the nearby beaches but it also has the remains of a settlement dating from late antiquity. See guide

Lampedusa

Lampedusa is one of the Pelagian islands and is almost African in character. See guide

Lampione

Lampione is an uninhabited island closer to Africa than Sicily. It is popular with scuba divers. See guide

Levanzo

Explore the lovely white-washed houses around the harbour of Levanzo. See guide

Licata

Explore the coastal town of Licata with a wealth of historic and artistic treasures. See guide

Linosa

Linosa is a tiny island closer to Africa than Sicily. It is popular with scuba divers. See guide

Lipari

Lipari is the liveliest of the Aeolian islands and has an attractive harbour and town and great beaches. See guide

Lipari Aeolian Museum

Lipari Archaeological Museum of the Aeolian islands contains a wide ranging selection of items from the islands , dating from several thousand years ago to the present time See guide

Lipari cathedral

Lipari cathedral and 11th century cloister is one of the most important historic monuments on Lipari See guide

Marsala

Marsala is of course famous for its wine but also has an interesting historic centre. See guide

Mascali

Destroyed on several occasions by eruptions from Mount Etna, Mascali has largely been rebuilt after 1926. See guide

Mazara-del-Vallo

With pretty streets and harbour Mazara del Vallo has plenty to explore. See guide

Menfi

Menfi has some good beaches and a pleasant town centre. See guide

Messina

Damage from world wars and earthquakes has been extensively repaired according to the original plans. See guide

Messina cathedral

Messina cathedral and clocktower are a highlight of your visit to this historic town in Sicily See guide

Milazzo

Milazzo has a Spanish quarter and an enormous castle among the places of interest See guide

Milazzo cape

The Cape of Milazzo is a beautiful area of coast in Sicily, including the Pool of Venus See guide

Milazzo castle

The enormous castle of Milazzo is a 16th century fortified castle in an enviable position overlooking the coast of north Sicily See guide

Mineo

The ancient streets of Mineo contain a number of churches and monuments. See guide

Modica

Modica is an impressive town built up the sides of a gorge. See guide

Monastery of San Nicolo l'Arena

The benedictine Monastery of San Nicolo l'Arena in Catania inorporates two cloisters and a very large church, among other sites of interest See guide

Monreale

Best known for its remarkable cathedral and mosaics, Monreale also has a small historic centre to explore See guide

Monreale Cathedral

The cathedral in Monreale is well known for its impressive byzantine mosaics See guide

Montalbano Elicona

The hilltop village of Montalbano Elicona is classified as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy. See guide

Morgantina

The Greek city of Morgantina is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Sicily. See guide

Motta Sant'Anastasia

A maze of narrow streets and a castle make Motta-Sant'Anastasia interesting to visit. See guide

Mount Etna

Mount Etna is an active volcano on the island of Sicily. Most of the time it can be visited. See guide

Naso

Naso was a popular summer residence for city dwellers of Palermo until a landslide See guide

Noto

The stunning city of Noto has UNESCO World Heritage status for its beautiful baroque architecture. See guide

Noto cathedral

Noto cathedral is one of the most impressive baroque churches in Sicily and a UNESCO listed monument See guide

Oliveri

A sandy bay and a castle on a rocky outcrop are the attractions of this quiet hamlet. See guide

Paceco

Visit the Salt Works Natural Reserve of Paceco which with its windmills and canals looks like a little bit of Holland! See guide

Palatine Chapel

The Palatine Chapel in Palermo is a very beautiful church in the Byzantine style See guide

Palazzo Ducezio

The Palazzo Ducezio, now the town hall of Noto, is an impressive 18th century baroque building See guide

Palazzolo Acreide

Admire the Baroque architecture of the old town of Palazzolo Acreide. See guide

Palermo

Palermo is a splendid city with a wealth of Arab-Norman architecture listed with UNESCO. See guide

Palermo cathedral

Palermo cathedral is an impressive cathedral with Arab-Norman origins See guide

Palermo church of la Martorana

The church of la Martorana in Palermo has an exceptional interior of 12th century byzantine mosaics See guide

Palermo church of Saint-Cataldo

The Church of San Cataldo is a beautifully restored 12th century church in the heart of Palermo See guide

Palermo church of Saint-Catherine

The Church of Saint-Catherine is a magnificnt baroque and rococo church in the historic centre of Palermo See guide

Palermo Royal Palace

The Palermo Palace of the Normans is the oldest Royal Palace in Europe, and holds the Palatine Chapel and a museum as well as Sicilian government offices See guide

Panarea

Popular for its beaches and scenery Panarea is the second smallest Aeolian island. See guide

Partinico

The religious and civil buildings of Partinico are of interest. See guide

Paterno

Paterno has a Norman castle built in the 11th century. See guide

Patti

Visit the medieval centre of Patti as well as its castle and cathedral. See guide

Pelagian Islands

The Pelagian islands are closer to Africa than Sicily and this remoteness reduces tourist numbers. Their scenery and clear waters though still attract plenty of visitors. See guide

Petralia

Cobbled streets, villas, palaces and mansions await visitors to the lovely Petralia. See guide

Piazza Armerina

Medieval and Baroque architecture and some fabulous Roman mosaics attract lots of visitors to Piazza Armerina. See guide

Polizzi

Admire the views from the small town of Polizzi. See guide

Ragusa

A magnificent town, Ragusa is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Baroque architecture. See guide

Randazzo

Randazzo is the closest town to Mount Etna and attracts visitors wishing to climb the mountain. See guide

Realmonte

Realmonte is a pleasant resort on the prettiest stretch of coast in Sicily. See guide

Roccamena

From Roccamena you can visit the Calatrasi castle and the Mont Maranfusan archaeological site. See guide

San Cataldo

Many of the buildings in San Cataldo date from the 17th century and include some fine religious buildings. See guide

San Giuseppe Jato

Most visitors to San Giuseppe Jato come for the nearby archaeological park. See guide

San Vito lo Capo

San Vito lo Capo is a small town with some of Sicily's best beaches nearby. See guide

Savoca

Savoca is a beautiful hill town made famous as the location for some scenes of 'The Godfather'. See guide

Scala dei Turchi

Scala dei Turchi is an impressive white cliff on the coast of Sicily See guide

Sciacca

A lovely coastal town with beaches, Sciacca is also the oldest spa resort on Sicily. See guide

Scicli

An impressive castle, UNESCO listed Baroque buildings and beaches all attract visitors to Scicli. See guide

Scopello

Scopello is visited for the Tonnara de Scopello, an ancient fishing centre - now a visitor centre and museum - in a very beautiful location See guide

Segesta

Segesta is home to various ancient monuments including Segesta Temple. See guide

Selinunte

Visit the majestic ruins of Selinunte, an ancient settlement. See guide

Sperlinga

A castle and troglodyte caves are amongst the attractions of Sperlinga. See guide

Stromboli

Stromboli is one of the Aeolian Islands and is home to an active volcano. See guide

Syracuse

Syracuse has UNESCO World Heritage status because of the importance of its historical centre. See guide

Syracuse cathedral

Syracuse cathedral incorporates a baroque facade, an ancient temple and a romanesque church in its structure See guide

Taormina

The beautiful setting, the ancient theatre and attractive town of Taormina makes this one of the most popular destinations in Sicily. See guide

Termini Imerese

Termini is an important historical town with ancient ruins and buildings from the Middle Ages and beyond. See guide

Terrasini

With lovely beaches, caves and creeks, Terrasini is popular with holiday makers. See guide

Tindari

Tindari is home to the beautiful Tindari Sanctuary but also has many other interesting sites to visit. See guide

Tindari ancient city

The ancient city of Tindaris was founded 2500 years ago, and the theatre, basilica and parts of the town can still be visited See guide

Tindari sanctuary

The sanctuary of Tindari is an important pilgrimage destination because of the statue of the black Madonna it contains See guide

Trabia

Trabia is a working town with a fortress and several churches to visit. See guide

Trapani

Trapani has an interesting old town with historic buildings dating from the 14th to the 20th century. See guide

Tusa

A popular seaside resort, Tusa has an interesting medieval centre. See guide

Ustica

Ustica is an island off the coast of Sicily and is very popular with scuba divers. See guide

Villa Romana del Casale

Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily has an extraordinary range of well preserved Roman mosaics to see See guide

Vizzini

Vizzini has a rich architectural heritage with churches, a Town Hall and tanneries. See guide

Vulcano

Vulcano is the island of a dormant volcano and you can trek to its craters and see the sulphur-emitting fumaroles. See guide

Zingaro Natural Reserve

The natural reserve of Zingaro is along the coast of north-west Sicily and includes trails through beautiful countryside with sea views See guide