Cast adrift from mainland Italy, the Mediterranean’s largest island has been caught in the crosshairs of civilizations for centuries. Fraught as this may have been, it has rendered the island totally unique—Sicily is a fierce melting pot of cultures and customs, a place that potently exhibits the indelible effect of architecture, community spirit, food, and phenomenal landscapes on humans. Conquered, invaded, coerced—the layers of history are manifest throughout the island, from the Norman Palace of Palermo to the North African-influenced spiced couscous and chickpea dishes of Trapani. Ancient temples and crumbling palazzos sit alongside innovative agriturismos and vineyards, stoic in the shadow of Mount Etna. On its fringes, volcanic islands gurgle and spit, their fertile slopes ablaze with wildflowers, capers, and Malvasia grapes. The Sicilian spirit is not one easily bottled—it’s complex, proud, and afflicted. But to live like a Sicilian is to live well, prioritizing food and family above all else, starting the day on a sweet note with brioche con tuppo or granita; whiling away afternoons on sun-bleached concrete before plunging into turquoise water; scurrying under the watchful gaze of Baroque cathedrals for endless joshing and jousting in markets.
So rather than simply beelining for Taormina’s tourist-choked White Lotus filming spots, why not venture into this island’s rugged, ever-contradictory soul? Take in the beauty of its beaches, the mystical presence of Etna, ever looming, and inordinate amounts of moreish, sweet ricotta-filled cannoli. If it’s shorefront bliss you’re looking for, head to the rocky, pebbled beaches that drop off into turquoise swirls of sea (Scala dei Turchi is a firm favorite), while oenophiles should head directly to the foothills of Etna, where fertile soil made the land ripe for vineyards—and there are plenty of hotels to rest your spinning head afterwards, complete with sweeping views of the Sicilian landscape. City lovers, plan a stop-off in Palermo, an exceedingly overlooked destination where artisans produce some of Italy’s most brilliant craftwork and jaw-droppingly impressive architecture looms at every turn. These are the best things to do in Sicily, in no particular order.
What is Sicily best known for?
Knockout beaches that inspired Homer’s Odyssey, crumbling, honey-hued palazzos, mafia lore, and ancient temples—Sicily effortlessly blends a sunny Mediterranean escape with lashings of history, culture, and life-changing food. Etna has an almost sacred hold, dominating the scenery and treating al-fresco diners to the occasional fiery belch (best viewed from Taormina). The island’s southeastern Baroque towns bear the architectural stamps of a prosperous age, where soaring cathedrals and churches display jewel-box interiors, and grand palazzos have wrinkled with age, baked in the sun. Sicily’s cuisine shifts as you move around the island, revealing the influence of various invaders and traders, and it’s famed for its caponata (a sort of eggplant ratatouille), busiate alla norma (an eggplant and ricotta pasta dish), and granita con brioche (sweet ice mopped up with a large brioche bun for breakfast).
How many days in Sicily is enough?
The beauty of the island is that so much can be covered in a short space of time. To even scratch the surface of the Southeast Baroque towns, you’ll need at least three days and can fill the rest of the week with downtime along one of Toarmina’s beaches or wine tasting and hiking along Etna’s slopes. Two weeks is enough for Sicily’s spell to fully take hold, landing in Palermo and moving southeast along the coast via Scopello and south to Agrigento for the temples and then to the Baroque South East. Spend time in the pretty, prairie-like fringes of Noto before edging up towards Etna and, if time permits, hop on a hydrofoil to the volcanic Aeolians, where the sea glows a shade of blue that feels too exotic for Europe.
How we choose the best things to do in Sicily
Every review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that activity. When choosing things to do, our editors consider landmarks and experiences that offer an insider’s view of a destination, keeping authenticity, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
Greek Theatre in Taormina, Sicily
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1. Visit the Baroque towns
There are eight towns in Southeast Sicily strung together like pretty beads to form the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but four of them should feature on any itinerary to this amber-hued maze. Noto is an opulent haze of honey-hued walls, all belittled by the pillared-and-pompous cathedral that sits atop a series of steps like a Baroque jewel. Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the orderly artery street amid a chaotic labyrinth beyond it, where coffee lovers make their Sicilian pilgrimage to the legendary Caffè Sicilia (open since 1892).
Amid all its hilly, Baroque glory, Modica is all about chocolate. Antica Dolceria Bonajuto along Corso Umberto is Sicily’s oldest chocolate factory—the chocolate here is dark, richly flavored, and crumbly rather than smooth. Scicli feels like a Noto or Modica shrunk in the wash—quieter, fewer tourists, stricter siesta code—though its bejeweled palazzos still whisper tales of a thumping prosperous age, their windows’ stucco brows crumbling, their facades mottled with age. Beneath them lie little cannoli boutiques, pocket-sized antique shops, and film locations for Inspector Montalbano. Ragusa Ibla runs with the Baroque theme but feels closer to scenes from a Hans Christian Anderson tale, with pastel-pink houses, little Sicilian puppet theaters, wooden toy shops, and misty views over the Hyblaean mountains from the old town’s swirly, wrought iron balconies.
