DESTINATION SICILY: Attractions & Culture

The position of Sicily as a stepping stone of sorts in the center of the Mediterranean Basin has lent it strategic importance throughout history, resulting in an endless procession of settlers and conquerors. Strong ties exist between Sicily, mainland southern Italy and Greece.

Quick Links Palermo Taormina Syracuse Cefalu

DESTINATION SICILY: Agrigento, Catania, Cefalu, Marsala, Messina, Mount Etna, Palermo, Ragusa, Selinunte, Syracuse, Taormina,

DISCOVER AGRIGENTO Agrigento is the name of a town on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, capital of the province of Agrigento. It is located at on a hill overlooking the sea. The city is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragras (also Acragas, Agrigentum in Latin, Kerkent in Arabic), one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia ...

DISCOVER CATANIA Catania has a commercial seaport in the city, an international airport to the South, a central train station on the main lines Messina-Syracuse, Catania-Gela and Catania-Palermo, as well as the Circumetnea railway which runs from Catania round the base of Mount Etna, attaining the height of 976 m above sea level ...

DISCOVER CEFALU Cefalu is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, each year attracts millions of tourists from all parts of Sicily and also, generally, from all over Italy and Europe. In summer the population reaches even triple, making the crowded main streets and major roads in the country, this thanks to a young atmosphere and lively nightlife ...

DISCOVER MARSALA Marsala occupies the site of Lilybaeum, the principal stronghold of the Carthaginians in Sicily, founded by Himilco in 396 BC after the abandonment of Motya. Neither Pyrrhus nor the Romans were able to reduce it by siege, but it was surrendered to the latter in 241 BC at the end of the First Punic War as a condition of the peace treaty ...

DISCOVER MESSINA Founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC, Messina was originally called Zancle, from the Greek meaning 'scythe' because of the shape of its natural harbour (though a legend attributes the name to King Zanclus). In the early 5th century BC, Anaxilas of Rhegium renamed it Messene in honour of the Greek city Messene ...

DISCOVER MOUNT ETNA Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain ...

DISCOVER PALERMO Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians, but named by the Ancient Greeks (as Panormus). Palermo became part of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and eventually part of the Byzantine Empire, for over a thousand years. From 827 to 1071 it was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when it first became a capital ...

DISCOVER RAGUSA The origins of Ragusa can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BC, when in its area there were several settlements of the ancient Sicels. The ancient city, located on a 300 m high hill, entered in contact with the nearby Greek colonies. The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore ...

DISCOVER ANCIENT SELINUNTE Selinunte is an ancient Greek archaeological site on the south coast of Sicily, southern Italy, between the valleys of the rivers Belice and Modione in the province of Trapani. The archaeological site contains five temples centered on an acropolis. Of the five temples, only the Temple of Hera, also known as 'Temple E', has been re-erected ...

DISCOVER SYRACUSE The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth, exerting influence over the entire Magna Grecia area of which it was the most important city. Once described by Cicero as 'the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all', it later became part of the Roman Republic ...

DISCOVER TAORMINA Taormina is a small town in the island of Sicily in Italy. In ancient times was a Greek colony, dating from about 400 BC, which submitted to Roman authority in 212 BC during the Second Punic War. Taormina is in the Province of Messina, together with the beautiful Aeolian Islands and the ancient city of Milazzo ...

SICILY HOTELS & ACCOMMODATION

SICILY TOURS, TRAVEL & ACTIVITIES