Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet. Sicily 2014

Seductively beautiful and perfectly placed in the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has been luring passersby since the time of legends. The land of Scylla, Charybdis and the Cyclops has been praised by poets from Homer to Virgil and prized by the many ancient cultures Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks whose bones lie buried here. Whether in the classical perfection of Agrigentos Concordia temple, the monumental rubble of Selinuntes columns or the rare grace of a dancing satyr statue rescued from Mazara del Vallos watery depths, reminders of bygone civilisations are everywhere.

Sicilys varied landscape makes a dramatic first impression. Fly into Catania and the smoking hulk of Etna greets you; arrive in Palermo and itll be the sparkling mountain fringed Golfo di Castellammare. This juxtaposition of sea, volcano and mountain scenery makes a stunning backdrop for outdoors activities. Sicily and its dozen-plus offshore islands offer enough swimming, diving, hiking and climbing to build an entire vacation around.

A crazy layer-cake of culinary influences, Sicilys ancient cuisine continues to rely on a few key island-grown ingredients: shellfish and citrus, tuna and swordfish, pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds, ricotta and wild herbs. Traditional ties to the land run deep here. Talk to the septuagenarian chef at a Catania restaurant and shell not only confide that she still uses her grandmothers recipe for pasta alla Norma , but will also share the poetic imagery that links it to Mt Etna: the tomatoes are lava, the aubergines cinders, the basil leafy greenery, the ricotta snow. Modern chefs may play with the details, but Sicilys timeless recipes from the simplest cannolo to the most exquisitely spiced fish couscous live on.

As if its classical heritage werent formidable enough, Sicily is bursting at the seams with later artistic and architectural gems. In a short walk around Palermo youll see Arab domes and arches, Byzantine mosaics, baroque stuccowork and Norman palace walls. This embarrassment of artistic riches remains one of the islands most distinctive attractions.

Why I Love Sicily

By Gregor Clark, Author

Decades after my first visit, I still find Sicily one of the worlds most mesmerisingly beautiful places. Among the islands innumerable charms, here are a few personal favourites: the ever-present scent of lemon trees, the purity of dawn light on terracotta walls, the colourful decrepitude of Palermos markets, the drama of Stromboli erupting against a darkening sky, the sense that history lurks always just around the next corner, the reflective marble glow of late-night Ortygia and Marsala streets, the lonely majesty of Segesta, the exotic flavours of Sicilian food and the kindness of its people.

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