Guide of the Best Self Guided Tours of Sicily and Sicily Tour Packages

Most tourists ask “Why visit Sicily?”

Well, the answer is in what Sicily is: nature, landscapes, mounts, volcanoes, natural parks and reserves, coasts, sea, beaches, folk-lore, history, monuments, archaeological sites, cities and villages, local food…hey stop!

[The Coast of Trapani, West Sicily]

Sicily has the unique characteristic of being house of all the types of attractions for all the trips. In fact Sicily offers the possibility for historic itineraries thanks to its archaeological sites, monuments, cities and villages.

But nature won’t disappoint your expectations: Natural Parks, Natural Reserves, Mounts, Volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli) are the best places to do interesting excursions through landscape.

Sicily has a wild atmosphere because preserves something of prehistoric and uncontaminated. The lunar landscape of the Etna soil over 2000 metres and the view you can enjoy will hit. Animals, vegetations, hidden paths, grottos, old trees and many other such as rivers and coasts.

Visiting Sicily means excursions, archaeological finds, but also relax in the many beaches and summer resorts thanks to the
Mediterranean climate that makes this place a natural paradise in the heart of Mediterranean sea.

[Trip on Mount Etna]

Many touristic facilities will escort your vacations with activities such as excursion in the small rocky archipelagos around the island.

Note also the vivacity of Sicilian nightlife with the many discos, restaurants, pubs, particularly in Catania and Taormina.

Taormina is the most famous summer resort of Sicily and goal of many tourists such actors, singers and many other important people.
The main street Corso Umberto connects the two archaic access gate of Porta Catania and Porta Messina. You’ll walk in a crowd of people that try to catch every piece of history, folklore, thanks to museums and the old structure of the village.

Catania is the most crowded city of Sicily, in fact here you will meet many types of entertainments: discos and pubs in every part of the city centre. Catania is particular thanks to its beach: the plaja, full of discos on sandy beaches: the morning you can join summer facilities that on night become discos and restaurants. The centre will offer to you a walk through the enlighten monuments and palaces.

How to Arrive b y plane:
In Sicily there are 2 main airports. That one of Catania and the one Palermo.

The airport of Catania Fontanarossa.
The airport of Catania Province has daily connections with the main Italian and European cities.

To get a complete overview of flights just look at this site:

How to reach the airport of Catania:
The airport of Catania “Fontanarossa”, is located south of the city towards San Giuseppe La Rena. The airport is accessible by taxi and bus Office Amt departing from the train station.

How to reach Catania:
There is a link Alibus society AMT municipal connecting the port, railway station and the airport every 20 minutes.
For more information please visit Amt
It ‘also a Taxi service: +39 095 330966 Radio Service night +39 095 386794

The services at the airport:
Links suburban bus: (The bus terminals are located directly at the airport)

* A.S.T. | Tel. +39 095 7461096 www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it connects the airport with the municipalities of Avola, Caltagirone, Carlentini, Grammichele, Ispica, Lentini, Mazzarrone, Mirabella Imbaccari, Modica, Noto, Palagonia, Piazza Armerina, Pozzallo, Rosolini, S. Michele di Ganzaria, Scicli, Sigonella
* CIRCUMETNEA | Tel. +39 095 541250 ww.circumetnea.it connects the airport with Adrano, Misterbianco, Paternò and Randazzo, Linguaglossa, Fiumefreddo, and other neighbouring municipalities.
* ETNA TRANSPORT | Tel. +39 095 532716 www.etnatrasporti.it Connect the airport with Aidone, Fiumefreddo, Gela, Giardini Naxos, Recanati, Licata, Piazza Armerina, Ragusa, Marina di Ragusa, S. Croce Camerina, Taormina, Valguarnera, Vizzini
* GIUNTABUS | Tel. 39 090 673782 / 675749 – 39 090 679677 Fax www.giuntabus.it Connect from April to September the airport to the port of Milazzo coinciding with ships and hydrofoils for the Aeolian islands
* INTERBUS | Tel. +39 095 532716 – +39 0935 565111 www.interbus.it Connect the airport with Agira, Avola, Catenuova, Leonforte, Nicosia, Nissoria, Noto, Pachino, Portopalo, Priolo, Regalbuto, Syracuse
* MOLICA | Tel. 39 0941 301461 From June 15 to September 15 connects the airport with Porto Rosa, Gioiosa Marea and Capo D’Orlando.
* SAIS Transportation | Tel. +39 095 536201 www.saistrasporti.it Connect the airport to Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Canicattì
* SAIS AUTOLINEE | Tel. +39 0935 524111 – Fax +39 0935 500520; 095-536168 www.saisautolinee.it Connect the airport to Enna, Messina, Palermo

The airport of Palermo:

Travel to Airport

By car:

* From Palermo: Highway A29 direction Trapani, exit “Puntaraisi – Airport Falcone and Borsellino”
* From Trapani: A29 motorway towards Palermo, exit “Puntaraisi – Airport Falcone and Borsellino”

By Taxi:
Info: +39 091 225455
The Trinacria Express connecting the city of Palermo directly with the Terminal. The cost of a ticket is € 4.50 Tickets: 199-166-177

By bus:

* Train Links with Palermo every 30 minutes fare € 5: Bus Prestia and Comandè tel. +39 091 580457
* Links to Trapani: Bus Segesta tel. 091 6167919. From Trapani hours 09.00 From 12.45 hours Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 6.40 €
* Links to Agrigento / Porto Empedocle: Bus Ps tel. 0922 401360 Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 8.20 €
* Links with Sciacca Ribera: Bus Gallo tel. 091 6171141 Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 7.25 € for Sciacca, for Ribera € 7.75

For more information, please visit the website at Palermo here: http://www.aeroporto.palermo.it “Falcone and Borsellino – 90045 Punta Raisi – Cinisi – Palermo

Arriving by ferry in Sicily:
The connections via ferry are:

1. Palermo to Naples, Cagliari, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Tunis, Ustica, Salerno
2. Trapani to Cagliari, Tunis, Egadi islands, Pantelleria,
3. Catania to Naples, Livorno, Ravenna, Malta

These are all companies that deal with transfers for the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi Islands, pelagie The islands, Pantelleria, Ustica,

Here is a list of the main links and shipping companies ferry in Sicily:

* Tirrenia – (Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Grandi Navi Veloci (Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Snav (Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Lauro Lines Ferries: (Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Siremar (Call Center – Phone +39-091-7493111)
* Ustica Lines (Call Center – Phone +39-0923-222000)
* TTT Lines Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Charon and Tourist (Call Center – Phone +39-010-5731800)
* Adriatica di Navigazione: (Call Center – Phone +39-041-781611)
* Virtu Ferries: (Call Center – Phone +39-095-7222295)
* Ma.Re.Si.: (Call Center – Phone 356-233129)

Ferry crossing the Strait of Messina:

* Italian General Navigation: (Call Center – Phone +39-090-679141)
* Tourist Shipping: (Call Center – Phone +39-090-364463)
* Tourist Ferry-Boat: (Call Center – Phone +39-090-3718511)

For more information about how to find and book tickets for the ferries to Sicily you can visit this website: http://www.traghettionline.net

Arriving in Sicily by train:
The Strait of Messina can be crossed by train. The railway lines linking Milan, Rome and Naples to Messina, Palermo, Catania and Siracusa. The lines Milan-Rome-Naples and Milan are linked by ‘eurostar; From Rome to Naples is the Intercity. For more information you can visit the official website of Trenitalia.

The internal connections between the Sicilian city:
The backbone more traffic, which affects the two poles urban Palermo and Messina also reaching the town of Trapani, is that tirrenica, so called because it faithfully follows the coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the northern side of the island. This ridge is divided into lines Palermo-Messina and Palermo-Trapani, thus fully covering the Tyrrhenian side of Sicily.

This is the second most important line of the island, after the Palermo-Messina railway. It is 182 km long from Messina Central in Syracuse. The first was planned that the line passed behind Etna, as it does now Circumetnea, while the line was built between 1867 and 1871, with the same pattern today when excluding variations between Fiumefreddo and between Catania and Messina Central and Messina Giampilieri.

The center line, Today, convoys departing from Palermo are then sorted in Roccapalumba, where most go to Agrigento, while others continue to Caltanissetta and Enna.

The station is located in Catania:
Piazza John XXIII – Catania – tel. +39 095 532226
Call Center tel. 892021
Switchboard tel. +39 095 532710
Tickets tel. +39 095 532227
From the station at the airport bus service AMT Alibus every 20 minutes.

The railway station of Palermo is located in Piazza Giulio Cesare. It is also the station of origin of service of metropolitan cities and for liaising with the Palermo Airport-Punta Raisi.

The Circumetnea:
The circumetnea is a railway that since 1859 makes the rounds of villages that are located on the slopes of the volcano.
The service is open Mondays to Saturdays, and you can start from the station of Catania Borgo, in Via Etnea, or Giarre, near the train station.

Getting on Etna from Catania:
You can reach Etna by Train (circumetnea). Leaving the station in Catania, Giarre or Acireale and descend to Randazzo stops or Linguaglossa (cost 1.77 €)

Via car, from Catania take the road to Nicolosi or take the A18 motorway Catania-Messina, exit Fiumefreddo and continue until Linguaglossa

You can take the bus departing from the railway station of Catania arriving in Linguaglossa Nicolosi or until the square of Rifugio Sapienza (The bus line and ‘Catania-Nicolosi-dell’AST Etna, and part to 8.15 from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza and to 16.30 from Rifugio Sapienza back to Catania.)

How to reach the various towns in Sicily:
Bus SAIS:

* Link from Catania (Railway or Airport) in Palermo: Daily
* Link from Catania (Airport) in Agrigento: Daily
* Link from Catania (airport or rail station) in Messina (railway station): Daily
* Link from Messina (Piazza della Repubblica) in Palermo (Train by paul Balsamo): Weekdays

Marsala

The site show a gate and two towers. See also a house with rooms and mosaics dated at III BC.

-Segesta
The most magnificent find is the Doric temple immersed in a green landscape
The ancient people of Segesta asked to Annibale to destroy their main enemy Selinunte
But the distruction reache also Segesta by Agatocle in IV BC. Under Roman dominance this village revived.

See also the theatre dated at III BC. Today it is active for the shows of ancient drama.

-Erice
Another amazing site where you can admire the old walls, medieval fortress called “Venere castle” and the ruins of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Venere Ericina dated at V-IV BC.

-Gela
In Capo Soprano there are defensive walls preserved in the Archaeological Park.
They are 350 metres, but once were probably more than 3 Km
In the Park there are ruins of some buildings of VII BCMegara Hyblaea
Other to see are the thermal bath.

-Megara Hyblaea ruins dated at VIII BC. (Syracuse)
Here it is possible to see the ruins of the old walls of the village.
Inside the walls there are the ruins of two temples.
In the Agorà are visible the ruins of the ancient civilization

-Solunto (Palermo)
An ancient punic village founded in the IV BC.
The town plane is the classic Greek one of Ippodamo da Mileto

What to see
Here it is possbile to see the base of that once could be a termal bath.
Other thing is the Way that bring to Agorà, the main square of a Greek city
Ginnasio, an ancient patrician roman house
Casa di Leda is another patrician roman house
Agorà, the main Greek square
Old Greek Theatre
The ruins of the Odeon, a small theatre for music shows.
The ruins of a Roman Villa

-Cava d’ispica (in the Ragusa province).
Here you can enjoy a splendid natural landscape consisting in a mediterranean vegetation.
The pit consists in two parts:
-The north part between Modica and Ispica is called Larderia and it is the site of catacombs of IV-V BC. An interesting thing is the inscription of the Cavallino acefaleo.
Here it is possible seeing the traces of ancient habitations, but you can’t miss the amazing archaeological scenario of necropolis, the S.Maria church, two old habitation such as “Grotte Cadute” and “Castello”, S Nicola church of byzantine epoch that contains old frescos such as “San Nicola” and “Madonna col Bambino”. See also the ruins of the byzantine church of San Pancrati.

“Parco Forza” is the name of the second part of the pit.
The wonderful historical panorama will accompany you also in this site, where you can admire the Annunziata church that today preserves
sepulchre caves, and Scuderia Grotto. See also the rests of Marchionale palace.
Another interesting attraction is the visit of the Centoscale site, under river level, where many galleries are useful for water buildup.

-Syracuse

Syracuse is the most representative Greek colony.

What to see:
-Eurialo castle, built by Dionisio il Vecchio between the 402 and 397 BC. Ages ago this was a defensive building against carthaginian threat. The many other rulers brought about transformation to the castle.
-Greek Theatre, placed in the Temenite hill, a scenic historical demonstration of Greek civilization.
We have attestation of its existence before than V BC.
During roman epoch this wonderful attraction undergoed some transformation for typical roman shows.
-”La latomia del Paradiso” is a cave famous for its “Orecchio di Dionisio” grotto: a legend tells us that Dionisio locked his prisoners in, and from a hole in a high point of the cave he heard waht they said.
-Apollo temple. Attestation of the grandeur of Greek culture, during its long life undergoed the modification of the rules come in Sicily.
In fact this temple was modified in a byzantine church, arab mosque, and norman church.

*Alcàntara Park
Between Catania and Messina provinces,along the 50 Km of Alcàntara river, this place can us live again the prehistorical life of an uncontaminated territory. The Gorges and the cold river carry us back when here an ancient river flowed on a pug bed covered by a lava cast that caused the downfall of these sediments. The result are the magnificent colonnades today visible.

Alcantara Gorges
At 1200 meters, on the slopes of the Etna, there is a little volcanic river formed by an eruption: The Alcantara river. Miles of years ago a lava eruption covered the bed of the river.
The magma, cooling off, formed prism basaltic high walls and the erosion of the river transformed it in a canyon. Between the high and black lava walls, flow limpid small lakes, cascades and small beaches. The excursion to the gorges demands approximately an hour.
In the summer months you can walk entirely the bed of the river between 50 and i 200 m.

*Etna Park

It was born on 17th march 1987.

The extent of the Park start from the summit of crater and reah the higher borders of the etna villages.

Etna is situated on a place where thousands of years ago were a gulf between Iblei and Peloritani Mounts. Thanks to the many eruptions under the sea Etna was formed, and with the years has reached the present form.

In the Etna park there is a variegated landscape: lunar scaenario of the many eruptions, woods, ancient trees and Grottos, such as Intraleo grotto (Adrano), Palombe grotto, Grotta del gelo (Ice-Freeze Grotto).

Vegetation
Vineyards, oak tree, chestnut tree.
Above 2000 m of altitude there will be beech tree and birch trees.
Between 2500 and the summit any form of life is possible, and the only scenario is the volcanic desert such as a lunar landscape.

Animals
Many animals are visible, and many other are dying out:
fox, wild cat, furetto, dormouse, hare, rabbit, weasel, bat, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, long-eared owl, hedgehog and Viper are example of the animal living on the Etna.

Activity
It’s easy to walk in the park and fell the nature rinasance into the destructive scenery of the past eruptions, hear voices of animals and enjoy the peace. You can do an excursion in the paths inside the wood, or a walk until the grottos of the volcano.
Aside the classic pic nic in the pine forest, you can follow the suggestions for this itineraries:

-Piano Provenzana (in LInguaglossa territory).
Here it is possible to visit the pine forest “Ragabo”, the scenario of a old lava eruption and some beech tree.
The lencht of the route is 4/5 Km and it is practicable by everyone

- Piano dell’Acqua – Monte Calanna (in Zafferana territory).
The landscape that you’ll admire is the wild scenario of lava eruption that seems of being in a lunar soil.
The route’s lenght of 1 Km is of a mild difficult level

One of the famous activity done by inhabitant of the Catania province is the mushrooms hand picking. For the safety of every one it is better abstaining from this activity for inexperienced persons. In fact it is possible pick up some poisonous mushroom, and the cases of poisoning are not rare.

*Nebrodi Regional Park

It is situated between Catania and Messina province
The highest summit is Soro mount (1847 m)

Attractions
Forestes, magnificent trees, its extension arrive until Maniace and Bronte with its
Pisatchio cultivation.

Lago Bivere is a magnificent natural attraction you can’t lose, with its variegated flora and fauna.

*Madonie Regional Park

Vegetation: Fir tree of Madonie, oak chesnuts, beech tree.
The main paths for excursions are the three itinerary of southern, centre, northern part of the park

Also here it is possible seeing some mushroom, and its hand picking is a common activity

Natural Reserves

*Zingaro Natural Reserve (Trapani province)

Created in 1981, this wonderful area is one of the most interesting natural reserve of Sicily overlooking the Castellammare gulf.

Itineraries

Here two different itineraries are possible.
The first will consists in the visit of Naturalistic Museum, Equipped Area, Cala Capreria:

-Exhibition of local objects made by old craftsmans
-Herbarium, where all the types of veggies are preserved in the Zingaro
-Naturalistic Museum wich inside you will see all the fauna living in the reserve
-Area equipped for picnic where you can also cook.

Lenght
600 metres

The second will consists in a path near the sea with the view of Cala del Varo, Cala della Disa, Ethnographic Museum, Museum of marine Actvities:

-Specimen of dwarf Palm tree
-Water fount of Zingaro Reserve
-Ethnographic Museum containing traditional agricultural utensils. An activity that express the local folklore is the work of expert master doing different types of object by weaveing veggies fibres.
-Museum of marine Actvities will offer to you carrion-crowthe view of tolls used for fishing activity suc as the famous “Tonnara” used for tuna fish.

Lenght
6 Km

Other things worth a visit are:
-Pianello, the only artificial conifer wood attending in this natural area
-Speziale mount: from this panoramic point you can admire a large part of the reserve
-Tunnel and sunken grottos such as Colombaccio grotto, Corvina grotto, Craperia grotto, Mustia grotto and Ficarella grotto.
-Amazing is the view of the sea with its crystal-clear water and its particular fishes.
-The animals living here demonstrate how the creation of the Reserve has an important function for ecosystem. Amazing will be the view of Seagulls, Pigeons, grey Carrion-crow, Magpie, Nightingale, Hoot owl, Fox, Rabbit, Weasel

*Vendicari Natural Reserve

this magic place is situated on the Syracuse province, between Noto and Marzamemi.

The bogs of this place are useful as a break place for the migratory birds that come from Africa and are directed to other Europe places.

Landscape
-Rocky coast, sandy coast, Mediterranean scrub, bogs, salt mines, cultivated areas.

What to see
-Archaeological settlements, Necropolis
-Ruins of Byzantine period such as churches, catacombs, small houses and Necropolis
-Other hisotic symbol is the Sveva Tower, built under Pietro d’Aragona order.
-Vendicari Tonnara, a old bulding dated at XVIII century around.

Birdwatching
A particular activity to do in Vendicari is Birdwatching of that species of birds that take a break in Vendicari Reserve during their travel from Sarah to North Europe.

What kind of birds?
-Wading birds
-Storks
-Gulls
-Herons
-Cormorants

When?
The best period to do this activity is the month of December

Other animals are here visible, such as Green Toad, Biacco snake, turtles, fox, wild rabbit.

*Oasi del Simeto (Catania)

A protected area of Catania territory crossed by the longer Sicily river Simeto, that starts its route in the Nebrodi mounts.
The reserve is an ecosystem rich of fauna and flora where many interesting natural activities will accompany your visit.

The reserve was created in 1984 to preserve vegetation and animals dying out.
One of the most important thing after the institution of the reserve was the demolition of unauthorized constructions that treathened the life of flora and fauna of this area.

Description and landscape

The landascape consists in the view of dunas and pine forest immersed in a territory where sea, Simeto river and sandy beach dominate.
The flat country undergoes floods in winter and dehydration in summer, and a variegated flora and fauna will make you visit more interesting, in fact here you can admire the rare slimy soil vegetation such as wetland reed, stuoia bulrush, Lische with tight leafs.

Activity
-Birdwatching
One of the most practicable acitivity of the reserve is Birdwatching of the many birds that use this reserve such as a stage of their migration. The types of birds are Ash Heron cenerino, White Heron, Red Heron, goldfinch, chaffinch and mmany others

-Excursions
Your route will consists in a visit of the pine forest in front of the sea coast, the Gomalunga lake and the beautiful coast where Simeto ends its route. Thanks to the panorama your experience seems to be in a mediterranean paradise, an exotic and uncountaminated reserve where the green pine forest, the sea and the river encounter in a unique and amazing natural place.

How reach the reserve?
From Catania centre go the south part of the city (industrial zone), arouund 10m Km until Ponte Primosole. Here is the entrance of the reserve

Equipment
binoculars
camera
lotion against gnats
hiking boots

The right behaviour
It is better every visitor doesn’t disturb the quiet of the reserve by an inadequate behaviours such as screaming, trampleing upon vegetation, bringing radios, bothering animals and dumping.

*Beaches
Sicily is the goal of who want to enjoy of the mediterranean scenario that none other place can offers.
The variegated sicilian coast wiil hit your attention offering to your the ppossibility of different types of landscape such as different types of sandy beaches and amazing rocky beaches.

Marina di Ragusa
* Marina di Modica, paradise for windsurfers
* Pozzallo, 30 km from Ragusa
* Sampieri, close to Scicli and Modica

Cefalù Some beaches of Cefalù, are:

* Salinelle, 7 km from Cefalù in Palermo direction, advised to who want to do windsurf.
* Capo Playa, 4 km from the Cefalù center.
* Mazzaforno/Ogliastrillo, 3 km from Cefalù.
* Caldura, 20 minute on foot from the historical center of Cefalù.
* S.Ambrogio, 6 km from Cefalù in Messina direction.
* Finale di Pollina, in Messina direction to approximately 12 km from the Cefalù center.

Catania

*Plaja beach (with a lengh of 25 Km in the southern part of Catania), with its many summer facilities that on night become discos the sandy beach.
*Fondachello, 25 Km in the northen part of the province
*Rocky coast of Acireale where you can visit the Timpa and its natural landscape
*Acitrezza, the fisherman villages famous for the setting of the Malavoglia Family, protagonist of the Verga’s novel.

Other beaches worth a visit are Mondello in Palermo, Giardini Naxos and south Taormina

Sicily has a great thigh to be an island containing all the types of attractions for different tours: archaeological sites, natural reserves, natural regional parks, volcanoes, mounts, sea and beaches, historical cities and village, food tasting. Well, all this things worth a visit allow you to organize more than one tour, making Sicily tour an experience full of new thing to discover.

You can do a mixed tour joining various attractions. For example you can organize five stages each of which will consists in different thing to see: the first day you can do visit to Catania, the second pay a visit to Vendicari Natural Reserve, the third go to Valley of the Temples, the fourth pay a visit to Palermo and mondello beach, the fifth return to east part of island to visit Etna and its regional park.

The coloured things here you can see make Sicily unique in the world, allowing you to come here and relax, doing excursion, tasting food, visiting museums and living local folk-lore.

I suggest to search information about the things you can visits, so you can organize your tour in the best way.

Here you will find all the types of attractions attending in the island.

Nature

Nature is a great Sicilian resource. The variety of the landscape give you the possibility to chise different types of trip: you can climb a volcano or mount, you can do an excursion in the more than two hundred Etna’s grotto, you can visit the Vendicari Reserve and do an original activity such as Birdwatching, or you can enjoy of the beautiful view of Sicilian coasts such as jonic coast, tirreno coast, south coast where there is the famous summer resort of Marina di Ragusa.

Other interesting thing done by many foreign tourists is a Sicily bicycle tour through the most beautiful place of the island.

You will find well-preserved natural attraction: remember that Sicily house three important protected areas such as Etna Regional Park, Madonie Regional Park, Nebrodi Regional Park, Alkàntara Regional Park. You will live the sensation that here man has never come

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are the more interesting things. They show a lunar landscape and make you live an unforgettable experience.

Many tourists that have climbed Etna talked of the landscape that is possible to admire from that altitude: the Jonic coast from Messina to Syracuse, Calabria, Eolie islands. Goethe climbed until Monti Rossi, not until crater, but also a low altitude allowed him to enjoy the same view.

You can climb Etna until main crater at 3340 m. Sea level, or visit the other craters. A guide is indispensable for this excursion, because the route is dangerous for the inexperienced people.

Etna has a natural view that doesn’t run out in the lunar landscape of summit or of craters, but also worth a visit that Pine forest near Linguaglossa Pineta Ragabo, where you can admire its old trees immersed in the fog forest. But you could see also animals such as viper of Etna.

Grottoes are the goal of interesting excursions: Etna has more than 200 grottoes!

Grotta del Gelo at 2000 m sl, (in Randazzo territory). It is difficult find this grotto without the help of a guide, also becasue there are not signs tha allow you to reach the destination.
This grotto is famous for its everlasting ice, some cracks and stalactites.

Moving inside is difficult and the visit here are not possible until spring, because the entrance is covered by snow.

Other grottos: Grotta delle Femmine, Grotta delle Palombe, Grotta comune (in Trecastagni village), Grotta La Fenice (Zafferana) and many others.

Visit Etna means see the places of past lava casts: casts of 2002 and of other years . You will admire the gathered whole of lava that make the view wild such as the territories of Belpasso, Nicolosi. But most famous wild region of Etna is Valle del Bove

Other volcano is Stromboli. It gives the name to the island where it is found and the summit crater reach 926 m of altitude. It has 400 Inhabitants.

Twice during the 20th century (in 1919 and 1930) there have been large eruptions that caused significant damage and killed people.

The last eruption happened on 2003: strong explosions followed by lava flows into the sea, the collapse of a part of the Sciara del Fuoco produced a tsunami that caused serious damages.

Vulcano island. Here is possible visit the crater and the signs of its past geological life.

Ferdinandea Island, emerged in 1831. It appeared such as a great steamy volcanic rock.
Positioned between Sciacca and Pantelleria island, Ferdinandea island isn’t today visible because it is covered by water.

This submarine phenomenon is not unusual in Sicily, in fact all the island around Sicily have a volcanic origin.

The main activity to do in Sicilian volcanoes is hiking, trying to climb and reach the summit craters. This activity needs of an expert guide, because go there alone can be difficult and dangerous.

Natural Regional Parks

The vegetation and animals of this natural paradise will be the more interesting attraction the many excursions you can do.

You will walk through paths with amazing and uncontaminated landscape, the whole immersed in a wild atmosphere as man here has never come.

Cities and villages

* Catania e province
* Taormina
* Palermo
* Etna Villages
* Monreale

Archaeological sites

Sicily is full of archaeological sites, and this is a testimony of past Greek dominance. Many finds are well-preserved, and see them will be an amazing experience.

* Selinunte
* Marsala
* Morgantina
* Piazza armerina
* Agrigento
* Giardini Naxos
* Pantalica

Where are the best beaches?
Here are the complete list of the most beautiful beaches:

* Mondello Lido (Mondello), near Palermo. The sandy beaches extend for 2 km.
* Mortelle, the best beaches in the north-east of Sicily near Messina.
* Black Sands Beach (Volcano), unique of their kind, are the beaches of black sand volcanic Aeolian Islands.
* Lido Mazzarò (Taormina), the best Sicilian beach. It ‘a language of beach on board the coast. Linked to 15 of Taormina and cable car with its historic center.
* The beach of Giardini Naxos, Just below the promontory on which resides Taormina. (link Gardens)
* Marina di Ragusa, south-east near the city of Ragusa.
* The beaches of Catania. Catania has the peculiarity of having 3 different types of beaches.
o The beach of San Giovanni licuti, near the nerve centre of the city, characterized by the presence of volcanic sand.
o The beach Playa, one long smears of yellow sand that extends south to Syracuse
o The reef, which also includes the towns of Acicastello and Aci trezza, characterized by the rocks resulting from lava flows of Etna.

Sicily can be visited all the year. The mild climate allow you not to find difficult about the weather.

The rains are not much and winter is not very cold, in fact you could see people doing a swim in the sea also in january.

Summer is very hot, and the best thing to do is choise Sicily as a summer resort, bacuse visitign the cities under the hto sun will be very hard.

The best period to visit monuments and cities is spring

The Sicilian climate is usually mild, as is typically Mediterranean. In winter, the temperature is warmer than the rest of Italy and Europe. Indeed, during the winter, the rain is present for a few months. In autumn and spring, the weather is pleasantly warm.

The summer is very hot, especially in July and August, or when the Sirocco wind, coming from Africa, causes an increase in temperatures during some periods of the year.

In Sicily, minimum temperatures are between 5 ° C and 15 ° C from January to May and from October to December, while the highest in recent months are between 10 C and 25 C.

From June to September, minimum temperatures are between 15 C and 20 ° C and the maximum between 25 ° C and 35 ° C.

The most sunny months are from May to September, with an average of 250 hours of sunshine per month, except July who has 350. The rain is rarely from November to May, with an average of 50mm of rain per month.

The capital is Palermo, which is located on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The weather here is usually sunny and there is little rain.

The second largest city in Sicily is Catania. And ‘often hottest other Italian cities and is located on the eastern coast of the island, on the Ionian Sea.

About visiting Catania, can not miss the spectacle of Etna. Here, the climatic conditions are different compared to Catania. During the summer months, climate Etna is more cold then coastal and it’s likely to find low temperatures.

Then, during an excursion on the mountain, we must have the right equipment. Of course, in winter, the mountain is covered with snow from November to March.

The Ionian Sea is also the city of Messina, considered colder then the other cities on the island because of its position close to the mountains (Peloritani).