For the richest layering in the Mediterranean — Greek temples, Baroque towns, an active volcano and Arab-Norman cities, wrapped in the best food in Italy. Sicily offers more history, landscape and cooking per mile than almost anywhere, in a place that feels like its own country rather than a region of Italy.

Where is the best area to stay in Sicily?

The south-east (Noto, Ragusa, Syracuse) for Baroque towns and clean beaches; the east (Taormina, Etna, Catania) for the volcano and glamour; the Madonie interior for rural quiet; Palermo and the north-west for the wild capital and Cefalù. Pick one corner — the island is bigger than it looks.

How many days do you need in Sicily?

A week minimum, two to do it justice — the island is large and the roads are slow, so a single week suits one region (the Baroque south-east, say, or the east around Etna). Two weeks lets you pair the south-east with Palermo and the west, or add the interior and the south coast.

Do you need a car in Sicily?

Yes — outside Palermo and Catania, a car is essential. The Baroque towns, the beaches, Etna and the interior are spread across long distances with thin public transport, and the best of Sicily is reached on its own back roads. Avoid driving in central Palermo itself.

When is the best time to visit Sicily?

May, June, September and October — warm and swimmable without the punishing heat and crowds of July and August. Spring brings wildflowers and Noto's May Infiorata; autumn brings the harvests and Etna's wine country at its best; high summer is for the sea, if you can take the heat.

Which airport is best for Sicily?

Catania for the east and the Baroque south-east, Palermo for the west and the north coast — the island's two main airports, roughly three hours apart by road. Choose by region: Catania is about an hour from Noto, Palermo the gateway to the capital, Cefalù and the Madonie.

Boutique Hotels in Sicily, Italy — Madonie to Val di Noto

The south-east: the Val di Noto and the Baroque towns

The south-eastern corner is Sicily at its most composed. When the 1693 earthquake levelled the region, its towns were rebuilt wholesale in golden tufa stone, in a single sustained burst of late Baroque — and Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli are the UNESCO-listed result, stage-set towns of churches, palazzi and theatrical staircases best seen at the evening passeggiata. Noto is the showpiece, its Corso and Cathedral the set-piece of the whole movement; each May its streets carry the Infiorata, a vast carpet of flower petals. Around the towns, the Val di Noto runs to dry-stone walls, carob trees and the cleanest beaches on the island — the Vendicari reserve, the Lido di Noto — while Syracuse and the ancient island of Ortigia sit just up the coast. It is the corner for travellers who want culture, food and quiet in equal measure, with Catania's airport an hour away.

Etna, Taormina and the rest of the island

Beyond the Baroque south-east, Sicily opens into its other selves. The east coast is dominated by Etna — Europe's largest active volcano, climbable and ringed by vineyards growing some of Italy's most exciting wines — with Taormina, the cliff-top resort town and its Greek theatre, as the glamorous high-season counterpoint. The interior is the empty heart: the Madonie mountains, wheat country and remote stone farms, where the island slows to the rhythm of the harvest and the views run unbroken for miles. To the west, Palermo is the chaotic, magnificent capital — Arab-Norman churches, baroque decay and the greatest street-food markets in Italy — with the cathedral town of Monreale above it and the resort coast of Cefalù along the way. Agrigento's Valley of the Temples, on the south coast, holds Greek temples as fine as any that survive.

When to visit Sicily

May, June, September and October are the island's best months — warm, swimmable, and clear of the fierce heat of high summer. July and August are very hot, especially inland, and the coast and Taormina fill with Italian holidaymakers; the sea is at its warmest but the popular spots are busy and dear. Spring is glorious for the Baroque towns and the countryside, with wildflowers and the Noto Infiorata in May; autumn adds the grape and olive harvests and Etna's vineyards at their best. Winter is mild on the coast and genuinely quiet — good for the cities and the archaeology, with snow on Etna for the skiers.