Insight Guides Staff - Sicily - Insight Guides

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book

This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Sicily, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editors Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Sicily. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Sicily are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

Youll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Sicily. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.

About Insight Guides

Insight Guides have more than 40 years experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.

Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

2016 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Sicilys Top 10 Attractions

Sicily has something for everyone. The temples and other remains of ancient civilisations Greek, Roman, Arab-Norman are breathtaking, but the dramatic scenery, the vibrant cities, the food and the seductive way of life are just as appealing.

Top Attraction 1

The Riserva dello Zngaro . Set on the rugged coastline between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo, this is Sicilys most successful nature reserve, with walks, beaches, birdlife and cosy guesthouses nearby. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 2

Mount Etna . Europes largest active volcano can be reached by cable car, with a hike to the craters up the basalt-encrusted slopes or a trail-bashing jeep ride up to the ragged summits; you can even ski on Mount Etna. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 3

Sicilian Baroque in the Val di Noto . This Unesco World Heritage site in southeastern Sicily embraces a cluster of cities where the Baroque architecture is often matched by the rugged scenery beyond. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 4

The Valley of the Temples . Agrigentos Greek temples are as fine as any ancient ruins remaining in Greece. Februarys almond blossom festival is a lovely time to visit. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 5

Granitas . Flavoured with fruit, almonds or coffee, these Sicilian sorbets are often eaten for breakfast, with sweet brioche. The best haunts include the Bam Bar in Taormina and Caff Sicilia in Noto. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 6

Palermos Arab-Norman heart . From the Moorish, red-domed churches to the royal palace and the Cappella Palatina to the pleasure dome of La Zisa, these exotic monuments evoke The Arabian Nights . For more information, .

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 7

Wine tasting in an estate . Whether a grand estate such as Florio in Marsala or the organic Sirignano Wine Resort near Alcamo, this is a great experience, possibly including lunch or even a cookery course. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 8

Island-hopping around the Aeolian Islands . Vulcano boasts a smouldering volcano, as does Strmboli; Salina is sleepy and family-friendly; Panarea is chic; remote Alicudi is the land that time forgot. For more information, .

Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 9

Sicilian castles . Sweep away the cobwebs by visiting great medieval castles, including those in Sperlinga, Cccamo, Catania, Enna, Erice and Siracusa, generally built by the Normans or the Swabians. For more information, .

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Top Attraction 10

Villa Romana mosaics . This superb villa in Piazza Armerina boasts some of the most extensive and beautiful Roman mosaics ever known, even if ongoing restoration means parts may be closed. For more information, .