IONIAN COAST

Magnificent, overdeveloped, crowded – and exquisitely beautiful – the Ionian coast is Sicily’s most popular tourist destination and home to 20% of the island’s population. Moneyed entrepreneurs have built their villas and hotels up and down the coastline, eager to bag a spot on Sicily’s version of the Amalfi Coast. Above it all towers the muscular peak of Mt Etna (3329m), puffs of smoke billowing from its snow-covered cone. The volcano is surrounded by the huge Parco dell’Etna, the largest unspoilt wilderness remaining in Sicily.

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MESSINA

pop 244,000

Messina is a chaotic, traffic-clogged city; most people come here to travel the high seas to mainland Italy or because they have four flat tyres and no car jack. The reality is that Messina is all about the straits, a veritable highway of seafaring traffic. The Greeks myth­ologised the clashing currents as the twin monsters of Charybdis (the whirlpool) and Scylla (the six-headed monster), and strong currents still make swimming a danger.

Beneath the choppy surface of the sea a geological fault line has brought both prosperity and adversity to the city. In 1908 it was responsible for one of the worst natural disasters to hit the island – an earthquake sank the shore by half a metre and killed 84,000 people – but the narrow waterway is also the secret of Messina’s economic success. Plans to build the world’s largest suspension bridge to span the straits between Sicily and the mainland – already on the drawing board for years – are still a bone of contention among Sicilians (see boxed text, Click here).

Orientation

Wide boulevards and a practical grid system make Messina relatively easy to navigate, although the style of driving is a combination of dodgem and Formula One. The main transport hub, home to the train station and intercity bus station, is Piazza della Repubblica, just south of the centre; Trenitalia ferries also arrive here.

Those visitors coming by hydrofoil from Reggio di Calabria arrive about 1km north of the city on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, while drivers on the private car ferry from Villa San Giovanni land a few kilometres further along, just north of the trade-fair area (Fiera).

Information

Sights

Messina is a rusty tiara with a few precious gems. The Norman cathedral (Piazza del Duomo; 8am-6pm) is one of the most attractive in Sicily despite having been stricken by one disaster after another. Built in 1150, it suffered its first mishap in 1254 at the funeral of Conrad IV (son of Frederick II), when a mass of candles set the church on fire. Devastating earthquakes in 1783 and 1908, and a WWII incendiary bomb in 1943, put paid to the rest. True to their patrician nature, the Messinese rebuilt it faithfully in the style of the original basilica, complete with its mosaic apses. The lovely stripy marble inlay, the tracery of the facade and the Catalan-Gothic portal with its sculpted columns are some of the few original elements that were salvaged.

The magnificent 1668 Golden Mantle (a cloth that’s draped around an image of the Virgin at key religious festivals), designed by Innocenzo Mangani, is kept in the cathedral treasury (adult/concession €3/1; 9am-1pm Mon-Sat). Outside, the elegant campanile (admission €3.50; 9am-1pm Mon-Sat) houses the world’s largest astronomical clock. It strikes at noon, setting in motion a procession of slow-moving bronze automata that set off a comical roaring lion and crowing cockerel. You can climb the bell tower and see the enormous figures up close and personal.

Below the tower, the pale marble Fontana di Orione (1553) commemorates Orion, the mythical founder of Messina. It was constructed by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (a pupil of Michelangelo) to celebrate the construction of Messina’s first aqueduct (the local residents were the first in Sicily to receive running water).

Catch the city tram at Piazza Carioli (or the train station), and take a laid-back ride up the sickle-shaped harbour. Halfway up is Messina’s other great fountain, the 16th- century Fontana del Nettuno. Get off here to enjoy views over the harbour and admire the huge golden statue of the Madonnino del Porto. Alternatively, continue on to the end of the tram line to the Museo Regionale ( 090 36 12 92; Viale della Libertà 465; adult/concession €4.50/2; 9am-1.30pm Mon, Wed & Fri, 9am-1.30pm & 3-5.30pm Tue, Thu & Sat, 9am-12.30pm Sun). It houses works of art including the Virgin and Child with Saints by Antonello da Messina (born here in 1430) and two masterpieces by Caravaggio – L’Adorazione dei pastori and Resurrezione di Lazzaro.

If you have your own transport, the drive north along the coast from Messina to Capo Peloro and then round to the east is pretty, and there are some reasonable beaches between the Cape and Acquarone. Alternatively, you can take bus 79 or 80 to the lighthouse at Torre del Faro (8km north) and the popular summer resort of Mortelle.

Sleeping

Despite being a major transport hub, Messina is not geared for tourists. If you do have to stay here, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with insurance salesmen and the like. Prices generally don’t vary with the season.

Hotel Touring ( 090 293 88 51; www.hoteltouring-me.it; Via N Scotto 17; s/d €40/60; ) This is a pleasant, well-maintained cheap sleep near the station.

Royal Palace Hotel ( 090 65 03; www.nh-hotels.it; Via Tommaso Cannizzaro 224; s €60-86, d €100-125; ) Rooms at this grey concrete monster have dated, dizzying-patterned decor; the public areas are more attractive. Sixth-floor rooms with terraces are nicest.

Grand Hotel Liberty ( 090 640 94 36; www.nh-hotels.it; Via I Settembre 15; s €85-137, d €104-165; ) The most comfortable hotel in Messina, the Grand is a renovated Liberty-style villa with luxurious rooms decorated in fashionable earthy colours.

Eating

Messina is most famous for its delicious swordfish dishes.

Trattoria da Mario ( 090 4 24 77; Via Vittorio Emanuele II 108; meals €20-25; closed Wed) Opposite the Ustica Lines hydrofoil dock, this fish restaurant is popular with locals. Antipasti are laid out buffet-style – a delicious mixture of fish and vegetables.

Da Piero ( 090 640 93 54; Via Ghibellina 121; meals €35-45; Mon-Sat) A classy restaurant frequented by well-heeled Messinese. It’s an excellent place to try the typical swordfish agghiotta, flavoured with pine nuts, sultanas, garlic, basil and tomatoes. Reservations are essential.

Also recommended: Pasticceria Irrera ( 090 67 38 23; Piazza Cairoli 12; pastries from €1; 8am-9pm), a fabulous pastry shop celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010.

Getting There & Away

BOAT

Messina is the main point of arrival for ferries and hydrofoils from the Italian mainland, just a quick hop across the straits.

Trenitalia/Bluvia ( 090 66 16 74; www.trenitalia.it; Ferry Dock) runs frequent passenger-only ferries to Reggio di Calabria (€3.30, 35 minutes) and car ferries to Villa San Giovanni on the Italian mainland (passenger/motorcycle/car €1.50/6/23, 35 minutes).

Ustica Lines ( 090 36 40 44; www.usticalines.it; Via Vittorio Emanuele II) runs hydrofoils to Reggio di Calabria (€4.30, 15 minutes, two daily) and Lipari in the Aeolian Islands (€22.90, 1½ hours, five daily in summer, one in winter).

IN SUSPENSION

Like a never-ending ping-pong match, debate rages on about plans for a bridge across the Strait of Messina. Despite receiving EU approval and having a construction schedule already in place, the bridge was put on hold back in April 2006 when Italy’s centre left came to power. But with Silvio Berlusconi back in the driver’s seat, the bridge has once again gotten the green light – in March 2009 the re-elected premier pledged €1.3 billion towards its completion.

Supporters argue that the bridge is an essential infrastructure project that would boost the depressed Sicilian economy and provide jobs for some 40,000 people. Environmentalists have long been fiercely opposed to the project, while other critics argue that it would be unsafe in an earthquake-prone area and would waste billions of euros. Still others fear Mafia involvement, saying that crime clans would be able to obtain lucrative building contracts by intimidating competitors and bribing local officials. Stay tuned – as always, the bridge remains a very volatile political hot potato.

Caronte ( 800 62 74 14; www.carontetourist.it; Viale della Libertà) runs ferries to Salerno (passenger/car €30/80, eight hours, two daily).

BUS

Interbus ( 090 66 17 54; www.interbus.it; Piazza della Repubblica 6) runs a regular service to Taormina (€3.50, 1½ hours, hourly Monday to Saturday, three on Sunday).

SAIS ( 090 77 19 14; www.saisautolinee.it; Piazza della Repubblica) serves Palermo (€14.80, 2¾ hours, eight daily Monday to Friday, two daily Saturday and Sunday) and Catania (€7.50, 1½ hours, half-hourly Monday to Saturday, five on Sunday).

Giuntabus ( 090 67 57 49; www.giuntabustrasporti.com; Piazza della Repubblica 278) runs a service to Milazzo (€3.80, 50 minutes, at least hourly Monday to Saturday, three on Sunday) to catch the ferries and hydrofoils to the Aeolian Islands.

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

For Palermo (or Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands), turn right from the docks and follow Via Garibaldi along the waterfront. After about 1km, turn left into Viale Boccetta and follow the green autostrada signs for Palermo. To reach Taormina and Syracuse, turn left from the docks into Via La Farina and follow the autostrada signs for Catania.

Car hire is widely available along Via Vittorio Emanuele II between the train station and the Ustica Lines hydrofoil dock.

TRAIN

Several trains daily connect Messina with Milazzo (€3.10, 30 minutes), Taormina (€3.70, 40 to 75 minutes), Catania (€6.45, 1½ to two hours), Syracuse (regional/InterCity train €9/14.50, three to 3½ hours) and Palermo (regional/InterCity train €11/18, three to four hours). However, be aware that the train stations for Milazzo and Taormina are inconveniently located some distance from their respective town centres.

From Messina you can also take the train across the straits for Rome and Milan (for details, Click here).

Getting Around

An electric tram runs the length of the town, from Piazza Cairoli via the train station up to the Museo Regionale. You can buy a single-ride ticket (€0.50) or a two-hour ticket (€1) from local tabacchi.

City buses (tickets €1, valid for two hours) run from outside the train station.

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TAORMINA

pop 11,000 / elev 204m

Spectacularly situated on a terrace of Monte Tauro, with views westwards to Mt Etna, Taormina is a beautiful small town, reminiscent of Capri or an Amalfi coastal resort. Over the centuries, Taormina has seduced an exhaustive line of writers and artists, aristocrats and royalty, and these days it’s host to a summer arts festival Click here that packs the town with international visitors.

Perched on its eyrie, Taormina is sophisticated, chic and comfortably cushioned by some serious wealth – very far removed from the banal economic realities of other Sicilian towns. But the charm is not manufactured. The capital of Byzantine Sicily in the 9th century, Taormina is an almost perfectly preserved medieval town, and if you can tear yourself away from the shopping and sunbathing, it has a wealth of small but perfect tourist sites. Taormina is also a popular resort with gay men.

Be warned that in July and August the town is choked with tourists and the only space left on the beach may well be next to the rubbish bins.

Orientation

The train station (Taormina-Giardini) is at the bottom of Monte Tauro. From there you’ll need to hop on an Interbus coach (€1.50) to get to the bus station on Via Luigi Pirandello. A short walk uphill from the bus station brings you to Corso Umberto I, which traverses the length of the medieval town and connects its two historic town gates, Porta Messina and Porta Catania.

Information

There are plenty of banks with ATMs along Corso Umberto I.

Sights

One of the chief delights of Taormina is wandering along its medieval main avenue, and browsing among the antique and craft shops, delis and designer boutiques. If you’re seeking more tranquillity, check out Teatro Greco ( 0942 2 32 20; Via Teatro Greco; adult/concession €6/3; 9am-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4.30pm Nov-Mar), Taormina’s premier attraction. This perfect horseshoe-shaped theatre, suspended between sea and sky, was built in the 3rd century BC and is the second largest in Sicily (after Syracuse), and the most dramatically situated Greek theatre in the world. In summer the theatre is used as the venue for the international arts festival, Taormina Arte (Click here). In peak season the site is best explored early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

When the shops and the sights have exhausted their charms, revel in the stunning panoramic views from Piazza IX Aprile and pop your head into the charming rococo church, Chiesa San Giuseppe (Piazza IX Aprile; 9am-7pm).

On the western side of Piazza IX Aprile is the 12th-century clock tower, Torre dell’Orologio, which leads you through into the Borgo Medievale, the oldest quarter of the town. Head down here to Piazza del Duomo, where teenagers congregate around the ornate baroque fountain (built 1635), which sports a two-legged centaur with the bust of an angel, the symbol of Taormina. On the eastern side of this piazza is the 13th-century cathedral (Piazza del Duomo; 8am-noon & 4-7pm). It survived much of the Renaissance-style remodelling undertaken throughout the town by the Spanish aristocracy in the 15th century. The Renaissance influence is better illustrated in various palaces like Palazzo Duca di Santo Stefano with its Norman-Gothic windows, Palazzo Corvaja (the tourist office) and Palazzo Ciampoli (now the Hotel Palazzo Vecchio).

To get away from the crowds, wander down to Villa Comunale (Parco Duchi di Cesarò; Via Bagnoli Croci; admission free; 9am-midnight summer, 9am-10pm winter). Created by Englishwoman Florence Trevelyan, these hanging gardens are a lush paradise of tropical plants and delicate flowers. There’s also a children’s play area.

For eye-popping views of the coastline, head 5km up Via Leonardo da Vinci to Castelmola with its ruined castle; the walk will take you around an hour along a well-paved route. Alternatively, Interbus runs an hourly service (€1.50) up the hill.

Activities

Many visitors to Taormina come only for the beach scene. To reach Lido Mazzarò, directly beneath Taormina, take the cable car (Via Luigi Pirandello; one way/return €2/3.50; 8am-8.15pm, to 1am in summer). This beach is well serviced with bars and restaurants; private operators charge a fee for umbrellas and deck chairs (€5 per person per day). To the west of the beach, past the Sant’Andrea hotel, is the minuscule Isola Bella, set in a stunning cove with fishing boats. You can walk here in a few minutes but it’s more fun to rent a small boat from Mazzarò and paddle round Capo Sant’Andrea.

Nike Diving Centre ( 339 196 15 59; www.diveniketaormina.com; Contrada Isola Bella Spiaggia; dive from €30), located opposite Isola Bella, offers a wide range of courses for children and adults. Dive Sicily ( 360 28 95 55; www.divesicily.com; Lido Mazzarò) offers similar deals.

For a sandy beach you will have to go to Spisone, just beneath the autostrada exit (left from the cable-car station). When you reach Le Capinera restaurant, take the staircase on your right, which will take you through a tunnel and out onto the large sandy beach.

Spiaggia Bianchi, popular with gay men, is located around 1km north of the cable-car station.

Other activities involve short excursions around Taormina, one of the most popular being to the Gole dell’Alcàntara, a series of vertiginous lava gorges swirling with rapids. The Gole dell’Alcàntara runs tours ( 0942 98 50 10; adult €4.30) on-site and hires out the necessary wellies and wetsuits (€6). Take the bus from Taormina (€4.30, one hour, four daily Monday to Saturday). It’s forbidden to enter the gorges from around November to May due to regular flooding.

Festivals & Events

The Taormina Arte festival ( 0942 2 11 42; www.taormina-arte.com) from June to August includes films, theatrical events and music concerts from an impressive list of international names.

Raduno del Costume e del Carretto Siciliano is a parade featuring traditional Sicilian carts and folkloric groups. It’s usually held in autumn; ask at the tourist office for details and dates.

Sleeping

Taormina has plenty of expensive and luxurious accommodation; the following are among the more reasonable options. You will also need to book your parking place at most hotels. This usually incurs an extra charge of €10 to €15 per day.

Taormina’s Odyssey ( 349 810 77 33; www.taorminaodyssey.com; Traversa A, Via Gaetano Martino 2; dm/s/d without breakfast €19/30/60; ) This welcoming hostel has earned a flurry of complimentary letters from Lonely Planet readers who highly rate its warm, friendly atmosphere, lack of curfew and open kitchen. It’s a 10-minute walk from the town centre.

Pensione Casa Diana ( 0942 2 38 98; Via Di Giovanni 6; s/d €35/50) This centrally located pensione is resided over by an elderly, deaf, Italian signora (with no English). The rooms are plain, small and clean, with well-dusted plastic flowers.

Isoco Guest House ( 0942 2 36 79; www.isoco.it; Via Salita Branco 2; s €65-120, d €85-120; ) Every room in this exceptionally welcoming, gay-friendly B&B is dedicated to an artist – from Botticelli to the sculpted buttocks and pant-popping thighs on the walls of the Herb Ritts room. The excellent breakfast, free internet access, sundecks and outdoor jacuzzi are great as well. In summer, owner Michele serves multi-course dinners on the terrace for €25 per person (including drinks).

Villa Fiorita ( 0942 2 41 22; www.villafioritahotel.com; Via Luigi Pirandello 39; s/d €110/125; ) A quiet, old-fashioned hotel decorated with oriental rugs, antiques and fine artwork. Private terraces and balconies have sea views. There’s a nice pool, a pretty garden and even an ancient Greek tomb.

Hotel Villa Schuler ( 0942 2 34 81; www.hotelvillaschuler.com; Via Roma, Piazzetta Bastione; s €120, d €134-190; ) Surrounded by shady terraced gardens and with views of Mt Etna, the rose-pink Villa Schuler is family-owned and preserves a homely atmosphere. A lovely breakfast is served on the panoramic terrace. A great choice.

Eating

Eating out in Taormina goes hand in hand with posing. It’s essential to make a reservation at the more exclusive choices. Be aware that Taormina’s cafes charge extraordinarily high prices even for coffee.

La Cisterna del Moro ( 0942 2 30 01; Via Bonifacio 1; sandwiches €5, pizzas €5.50-9.50) Affordability and aesthetics don’t usually go hand in hand in Taormina, but this restaurant down an alley off Corso Umberto I is a welcome exception. Enjoy pizza, sandwiches or full meals as you contemplate the view from their pleasant outdoor terrace.

Tiramisù ( 0942 2 48 03; Via Cappuccini 1; pizzas €7-10, meals €30-40; closed Tue) This stylish but unpretentious place hidden away just outside Porta Messina makes fabulous meals, from linguine cozze, menta e zucchine (pasta with mussels, mint and courgettes) to old favourites like scaloppine al limone e panna (veal escalope in lemon cream sauce). When dessert rolls around, don’t miss their trademark tiramisu, a perfect ending to any meal here.

Al Duomo ( 0942 62 56 56; Vico Ebrei 11; meals €45, tasting menu €60; lunch & dinner) This highly acclaimed restaurant with a romantic terrace overlooking the cathedral serves a mix-and-match menu of antipasti, first and second courses. Choose your favourite two or three items for a fixed price, or go all out and indulge in the chef’s comprehensive tasting menu.

Casa Grugno ( 0942 2 12 08; Via Santa Maria dei Greci; tasting menus €80-100; dinner Mon-Sat) Despite the Austrian chef in the kitchen, the cuisine is modern Sicilian – and sublime. This is Taormina’s most fashionable restaurant and has a walled-in terrace surrounded by plants.

Also recommended for quick, low-cost snacks are Pasticceria Minotauro ( 0942 2 47 67; Via di Giovanni 15; 9am-8.30pm), whose €0.50 mini-cannoli make the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up, and Da Cristina ( 0942 2 11 71; Via Strabone 2; snacks from €1.75) for tasty focaccia, arancini and pizza slices.

Drinking

Hammameth ( 349 849 71 18; Piazza del Duomo; 10am-3am) Sip your cocktail while sitting on satin cushions in a seductive candlelit atmosphere; there are also outside tables for balmy night-time quaffing.

Bar Turrisi ( 0942 2 81 81; Castelmola; 9am-2am) A few kilometres outside Taormina, in the hilltop community of Castelmola, this whimsical bar is built on four levels overlooking the church square. Its decor is an eclectic tangle of Sicilian influences, with everything from painted carts to a giant stone minchia (you’ll need no translation once you see it). Sip a glass of almond wine, enjoy the view, and don’t forget to check out the bathrooms on the way out!

Shopping

Taormina is a shopper’s paradise, choked with smart boutiques, quaint antique shops, stylish jewellers and tempting delis. The quality in most places is high but don’t come here expecting a bargain – instead think of purchasing one or two memorable items such as a piece of quality ceramic art from Carlo Mirella Panarello (Via Antonio Marziani). If olive oil, capers, jam and wine are more your cup of tea, head for La Torinese (Corso Umberto I 59).

Getting There & Around

BUS

The bus is the easiest way to reach Taormina. Interbus ( 0942 62 53 01; Via Luigi Pirandello) services leave daily for Messina (€3.70, 55 minutes to 1¾ hours, 10 daily Monday to Saturday) and Catania (€5, 1¼ hours, six to nine daily). The Catania bus also services the train station (€1.50). Additional services go to the Gola dell’Alcàntara (€4.30, four daily) and up to Castelmola (€1.50, 15 minutes, four daily).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Taormina is on the A18 autostrada and the SS114 between Messina and Catania. Parking is a complete nightmare and Corso Umberto I is closed to traffic. The only real place to park is the Lumbi car park ( 0942 2 43 45; 24hr), north of the town centre. There’s a shuttle service to the centre from Porta Messina.

California ( 0942 2 37 69; Via Bagnoli Croce 86; Vespa 125 per day/week €30/189, Fiat Punto €72/327) rents out cars and scooters at reasonable prices.

TRAIN

There are regular trains to and from Messina (€3.70, 40 to 75 minutes, hourly) and Catania (€3.70, 40 to 55 minutes, hourly), but the awkward location of Taormina’s station is a strong disincentive. If you arrive this way, catch an Interbus service (€1.50) up to the town. They run roughly every 30 to 90 minutes (less frequently on Sunday).

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CATANIA

pop 299,000

Catania is a true city of the volcano. Much of it is constructed from the lava that poured down the mountain and engulfed the city in the 1669 eruption in which nearly 12,000 people lost their lives. It is also lava-black in colour, as if a fine dusting of soot permanently covers its elegant buildings, most of which are the work of baroque master Giovanni Vaccarini. He almost single-handedly rebuilt the civic centre into an elegant modern city of spacious boulevards and set-piece piazzas.

Catania is Sicily’s second commercial city – a thriving, entrepreneurial centre with a large university and a tough, resilient local population that adheres strongly to the motto of carpe diem (seize the day).

Orientation

The main train station is near the port at Piazza Giovanni XXIII, and the intercity bus terminal is one block up at Via d’Amico. Most sights are concentrated around and west of Piazza del Duomo, while the commercial centre of Catania is further north around Via Pacini and Via Umberto I.

Information

Banks with ATMs are concentrated around Piazza del Duomo and along Via Etnea.

Etna Convention Bureau airport ( 095 093 70 23; aeroportoct@live.it; 9am-9pm); train station ( 095 093 70 24; stazionect@gmail.com 9am-3pm Mon-Sat) Has taken over airport and train station tourist information posts formerly operated by Catania’s provincial tourism board.

Municipal tourist office ( 095 742 55 73; bureau.turismo@comune.catania.it; Via Vittorio Emanuele 172; 8.15am-7.15pm Mon-Fri, 8.15am-12.15pm Sat)

Sights

Catania’s central square, Piazza del Duomo, is a Unesco World Heritage site. It’s a set piece of sinuous buildings and a grand cathedral, all built in Catania’s own style of baroque, with its contrasting lava and limestone. In the centre of the piazza is Catania’s most memorable monument, and a symbol of the city, the smiling Fontana dell’Elefante (built in 1736). The statue is crowned by a naive black-lava elephant, dating from the Roman period, surmounted by an improbable Egyptian obelisk. Legend has it that it belonged to the 8th-century magician Eliodorus, who reputedly made his living by turning men into animals. The obelisk is believed to possess magical powers that help to calm the restless activity of Mt Etna.

Facing the statue is Catania’s other defence against Mt Etna, St Agata’s cathedral ( 095 32 00 44; Piazza del Duomo; 8am-noon & 4-7pm), with its impressive marble facade. Inside the cool, vaulted interior lie the remains of the city’s patron saint, the young virgin Agata, who resisted the advances of the nefarious Quintian (AD 250) and was horribly mutilated. The saint’s jewel-drenched effigy is ecstatically venerated on 5 February in one of Sicily’s largest feste (see below).

A few blocks northeast you’ll stumble onto Piazza Bellini. Its centrepiece is the Teatro Massimo Bellini (www.teatromassimobellini.it; Via Perrotta 12; guided tours €5; tours Wed, Fri, Sat), named after the composer Vincenzo Bellini, the father of Catania’s vibrant modern musical scene. There’s a small museum, Museo Belliniano ( 095 715 05 35; Piazza San Francesco; admission free; 9am-1pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-1.30pm Sun & holidays), which houses a collection of memorabilia from the composer’s life.

The best show in town, however, is the bustling La Pescheria (fish market; Via Pardo; 5-11am) and adjoining food market (Via Naumachia; 8-9am & 6-7pm) where carcasses of meat, silvery fish, skinned sheep’s heads, strings of sausages, huge wheels of cheese and piles of luscious vegetables are all rolled together in a few noisy, jam-packed alleyways. The Fontana dell’Amenano marks the entrance to the market and is Tito Angelini’s commemoration of the Amenano River, which once ran overground and on whose banks the Greeks first founded the city of Katáne.

Catania also has a number of Roman remains dotted throughout the city. West along Via Vittorio Emanuele II is the Roman theatre and a small rehearsal theatre, the Odeon (Via Vittorio Emanuele II 266), both closed for restoration at the time of research. North of Piazza del Duomo, more leftovers from Roman days include a modest Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Stesicoro. For relief from the madding crowd, continue north along Via Etnea to the lovely gardens of Villa Bellini ( 8am-8pm) with its views of Mt Etna.

Catania’s Museo Civico ( 095 34 58 30; Piazza Federico II di Svevia; 9am-1pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-1.30pm Sun) is housed in the grim-looking Castello Ursino. The museum is the repository of the valuable Biscari archaeological collection, an extensive exhibition of paintings, vases and sculpture, plus an impressive coin collection.

Festivals & Events

There are hysterical celebrations during Festa di Sant’Agata (3 to 5 February), where one million Catanians follow as the Fercolo (a silver reliquary bust of the saint) is carried along the main street of the city accompanied by spectacular fireworks.

Held in July are Catania Musica Estate, a classical music festival; Settimana Barocca, a week of baroque concerts, pageants and other performances; and Etna Jazz – ask at the tourist office for information on these musical events.

Sleeping

Catania is served by a good range of reasonably priced places to stay, making it an excellent base for exploring the Ionian coast and Etna.

Agorá Hostel ( 095 723 30 10; www.agorahostel.com; Piazza Curró 6; dm €18-21, s €25-30, d €50-55; ) A classic hostel with rooms of six to 10 beds and some doubles. There’s no lockout, an internet point is provided (€2 per hour) and you can do laundry (€4 per wash). Its location near La Pescheria makes it a great base for self-caterers, and its restaurant-bar is one of Catania’s coolest night spots.

Hotel Bellini ( 095 715 09 69; www.bellinihotel.com; Via Landolina 41; s €35-40, d €50-60; ) A good budget choice near Teatro Bellini and its lively bar scene, with free wi-fi and limited free parking. Breakfast (optional) costs €5 extra per person.

B&B Faro ( 349 457 88 56; www.bebfaro.it; Via San Michele 26; s €50, d €70-80; ) You’ll need to call ahead to arrange your visit to this stylish B&B in the historic centre. There’s not even a sign outside – yet the place does a brisk word-of-mouth business. Artists Anna and Antonio have completely remodelled four spacious rooms with polished wood floors on the upper floor of an older building, incorporating double­-glazed windows, top-of-the-line modern bathroom fixtures, antique tiles and bold colours into a uniquely cohesive design concept. The one larger suite is especially nice, and during slower season can sometimes be booked for the price of a double. They also rent out a lovely apartment with its own kitchen near the Roman amphitheatre on Piazza Stesicoro (€35 per person).

Pensione Rubens ( 095 31 70 73; www.hotelrubenscatania.com; Via Etnea 196; s/d/tr/q €45/75/95/115; ) Seven comfortable, spacious rooms are kept in tip-top condition by the affable Signor Caviezel, whose advice on his home town makes for a rewarding and enjoyable stay; book ahead.

Hotel del Duomo ( 095 250 31 77; www.hoteldelduomo.it; Via Etnea 28; s €50-65, d €75-95; ) Enjoying an ideal location between Piazza del Duomo and Piazza dell’Università, this hotel occupies an entire wing of an ancient palazzo. The rooms have elegant Regency-style furnishings, and many offer romantic views over the floodlit piazza at night.

B&B Crociferi ( 095 715 22 66; www.bbcrociferi.it; Via Crociferi 81; s/d €65/90; ) Affording easy access to the animated nightlife of Catania’s historic centre, this B&B in a beautifully decorated family home is one of Catania’s most delightful places to stay. With only three rooms, it fills up fast, so advance booking is essential. Rooms are spacious, with tall ceilings and artistic accoutrements brought back from the owners’ travels in India. Mario (who speaks French) can offer tours of the coastline in his private boat, while Teresa (who speaks excellent German and English) makes a memorable breakfast, often including freshly squeezed orange juice, scrambled eggs and home-made cake.

Il Principe ( 095 250 03 45; www.ilprincipehotel.com; Via Alessi 24; s €89-114; d €124-159, ) This boutique-style hotel in an 18th-century building features luxurious rooms on one of the liveliest nightlife streets in town (thank goodness for double glazing!). Perks include international cable TV, free wi-fi and fluffy bathrobes to wear on your way to the Turkish steam bath. Check online for regularly updated special rates. More expensive rooms have marble bathrooms with jacuzzis and spiral staircases leading to a second level.

Also recommended: Hotel Etnea 316 ( 095 250 30 76; www.hoteletnea316.com; Via Etnea 316; s/d €60/80; ), located opposite the Bellini gardens.

Eating

Aside from some very good restaurants, the city has a number of street-facing bar counters serving arancini (fried rice balls filled with meat, cheese or tomatoes), cartocciate (bread stuffed with ham, mozzarella, olives and tomato) and pasta alla Norma (with basil, aubergine and ricotta), a dish that originated here.

Al Cortile Alessi ( 095 31 54 44; Via Alessi 28; pizzas €6-8; 8pm-1am) Catanians of all ages flock here on weekend evenings, drawn by the excellent pizzas, draft beer and relaxed atmosphere. The outdoor courtyard is especially fun, with its banana trees and overhanging silk tapestries.

Nievski Pub ( 095 31 37 92; Scalinata Alessi 15; meals €15-25; 8pm-2am) Popular with Catania’s alternative crowd, this place serves affordable food and alcohol with a slightly arch attitude (one sign at the bar translates as, ‘we don’t serve minors, and we don’t serve Red Bull or other crap like that’). Cuban revolutionary posters adorn the walls, while the menu is an eclectic mix of salads, vegetarian fare and fish brought in daily from La Pescheria market. At night the beer flows freely as students gather on the steps outside.

Trattoria La Paglia ( 095 34 68 38; Via Pardo 23; meals €15-25; closed Sun) This is a great, cheap trattoria with an in-your-face view of the action around La Pescheria market.

Fiaschetteria Biscari ( 095 093 27 61; Via Museo Biscari 8; meals €25-30; closed 1 variable day per week) In the former stables of Palazzo Biscari, this wonderfully atmospheric wine bar and restaurant places a high value on quality; the menu is built around ultra-fresh ingredients from the nearby fish and produce markets.

Osteria Antica Marina ( 095 34 81 97; Via Pardo 29; meals €30-35; closed Wed) This rustic-style trattoria behind the fish market is the place to come for seafood. Try the local favourite, a raw anchovy salad (tastier than it sounds!). Decor-wise think solid wooden tables and rough stone walls. Reservations are essential.

Metrò ( 095 32 20 98; Via Crociferi 76; meals €25-35; closed Sun) This Slow Food—recommended eatery prides itself on stylish presentation and innovative adaptations of traditional Sicilian specialities. Their tonno in cipuddata (tuna steak smothered in caramelised onions) is fabulous, as is the dialogo fra il cioccolato e il pistacchio (a slice of sinfully dense chocolate cake topped with a thin layer of cream and accompanied by a dome of pistachio flan).

Grand Cafè Tabbacco (Via Etnea 28) An old-style pasticceria (pastry shop) with outdoor seating at the lively junction of Via Etnea and Piazza del Duomo, this is the perfect place to people-watch during the passeggiata. Try a selection of mini-tarts filled with fresh fruit.

The morning market adjacent to La Pescheria (Click here) is a fantastic place to shop for fruit, cheese, and sandwich fixings (don’t let those staring swordfish intimidate you!).

Drinking

Not surprisingly for a busy university town, Catania has a reputation for its effervescent nightlife. Fun streets for bar-hopping include (from west to east) Via Alessi, Via Collegiata, Via Vasta, Via Mancini, Via Montesano, Piazza Spirito Santo and Via Teatro Massimo.

Tertulia ( 095 715 26 03; Via Michele Rapisardi 1-3; 4.30pm-1.30am Sep-Jul) A nocturnal bookshop­-cafe with a stylish tea-house atmosphere. There’s occasional live music, plus literary evenings and book presentations.

Agorá Bar ( 095 723 30 10; www.agorahostel.com; Piazza Curró 6) The super-atmospheric bar here is in a neon-lit cave 18m below ground, complete with its own subterranean river. The Romans used it as a spa and now a cosmopolitan crowd lingers over drinks in the cavern. Meals cost €20 to €25.

Waxy O’Connor’s (Piazza Spirito Santo 1) A popular Irish pub where revellers down pints of Guinness on the sidewalk terrace while listening to (sometimes pretty dodgy) live music and watching the dancers shake their booties. There’s another Irish pub, Joyce, just across the street.

Osteria i Tre Bicchieri ( 095 715 35 40; Via San Giuseppe al Duomo 27; 8pm-midnight Mon-Sat) The dark wood-panelled interior creates the perfect atmosphere for this elegant wine bar that stocks more than 400 different labels. There’s a classy restaurant adjacent (meals €30 to €35).

Entertainment

Pick up a copy of Lapis, a free bi-weekly program of music, theatre and art available throughout the city.

Teatro Massimo Bellini ( 095 730 61 11; www.teatromassimobellini.it; Via Perrotta 12; Oct-May) Ernesto Basile’s art-nouveau theatre stages opera, ballet and music concerts. You can book tickets online.

Zò ( 095 53 38 71; www.zoculture.it; Piazzale Asia 6) Just northeast of the train station, Catania’s former sulphur works, Le Ciminiere, has been renovated into a very cool cultural centre featuring films, live music, dancing, and a bar-cafe-restaurant serving good food.

Getting There & Away

AIR

Catania’s airport, Fontanarossa ( 095 723 91 11; www.aeroporto.catania.it), is 7km southwest of the city centre. To get there, take the special Alibus 457 (€1, 30 minutes, every 20 minutes) from outside the train station. Etna Transporti/Interbus ( 095 53 03 96; www.interbus.it) also runs a regular shuttle from the airport to Taormina (€5.60, 1½ hours, six to nine daily). All the main car-hire companies are represented here.

BOAT

The ferry terminal is located south of the train station along Via VI Aprile.

Virtu Ferries ( 095 53 57 11; www.virtuferries.com; one way/return €87/119) runs direct ferries from Catania to Malta (three hours) at least once weekly from May through October, with more frequent service to Malta via the southern port of Pozzallo (four hours including connecting coach from Catania to Pozzallo).

TTT Lines ( 800 91 53 65, 081 575 21 92; www.tttlines.it) has a daily ferry from Naples to Catania (seat €38 to €60, cabin per person €63 to €165, car €75 to €115, 10½ hours).

BUS

Intercity buses terminate in the area around Piazza Giovanni XXIII, in front of the train station, and depart from Via d’Amico one block north. Catania’s buses surpass the rather plodding train service.

AST ( 095 723 05 35; www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it; Via Luigi Sturzo 230) runs similar services to SAIS and Interbus, as well as to many smaller provincial towns around the Catania region, including to Nicolosi (€2.20, one hour, half-hourly).

Interbus ( 095 53 03 96; www.interbus.it; Via d’Amico 187) runs buses to Syracuse (€5.20, 1¼ hours, hourly Monday to Saturday, eight on Sunday), Piazza Armerina (€8.30, 1¾ hours, six daily Monday to Saturday) and Taormina (€5, 1¼ hours, six to nine daily).

SAIS ( 095 53 61 68; www.saisautolinee.it; Via d’Amico 181) serves Palermo (€13.90, 2¾ hours, hourly Monday to Saturday, four on Sunday), Agrigento (€12.20, three hours, at least 10 daily) and Messina (€7.50, 1½ hours, hourly Monday to Saturday, five on Sunday). It also has an overnight service to Rome (€46, 12 hours).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Catania is easily reached from Messina on the A18 autostrada and from Palermo on the A19. From the autostrada, signs for the centre of Catania will bring you to Via Etnea.

TRAIN

Frequent trains connect Catania with Messina (€6.65, 1¾ hours, hourly) and Syracuse (€6, 1¼ hours, 11 daily). There are one or two direct trains to Palermo (€11.95, 3¾ hours) and Agrigento (€10.95, 3¾ hours, five daily) each day, but the bus is usually a better option for these cities.

The private Ferrovia Circumetnea train line circles Mt Etna, stopping at the towns and villages on the volcano’s slopes; for details, Click here.

Getting Around

Many of the more useful AMT city buses ( 095 736 01 11) terminate in front of the train station. These include Alibus 457 (station to airport every 20 minutes), bus 1-4 (station to Via Etnea) and bus 4-7 (station to Piazza del Duomo). A 90-minute ticket costs €1. In summer, a special service (D) runs from Piazza G Verga to the sandy beaches.

For a taxi, call CST ( 095 33 09 66).

For drivers, some words of warning: there are complicated one-way systems around the city and the centre has now been pedestrianised, which means parking is scarce.

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MT ETNA

elev 3329m

Dominating the landscape of eastern Sicily and visible from the moon (if you happen to be there), Mt Etna is Europe’s largest volcano and one of the world’s most active. Eruptions occur frequently, both from the four craters at the summit and on the slopes of the volcano, which is littered with fissures and old craters. The volcano’s most devastating eruptions occurred in 1669 and lasted 122 days. A huge river of lava poured down its southern slope, engulfing a good part of Catania and dramatically altering the landscape. Considerably more recently, in 2002, lava flows from Mt Etna caused an explosion in Sapienza, which destroyed two buildings in the complex and temporarily wiped out the use of the cable cars. Locals understandably keep a close eye on the smouldering peak.

Since 1987 the volcano and its slopes have been part of a national park, the Parco Naturale dell’Etna, a territory that encompasses a fascinatingly varied natural environment, from the severe almost surreal summit to deserts of lava and alpine forests.

Orientation & Information

The two main approaches to Etna are from Piano Provenzano on the northern flank and Rifugio Sapienza on the southern flank. You can pick up information at a number of sources, the most convenient being the main tourist office in Catania.

On Etna the office of the Parco dell’Etna ( 095 82 11 11; www.parcoetna.ct.it, in Italian; Via del Convento 45; 9am-2pm & 4-7.30pm) is in Nicolosi on the southern side. Near the summit at Rifugio Sapienza, you will find the Etna Sud Tourist Office ( 095 91 63 56; 9am-4pm), plus souvenir shops, restaurants, a couple of albergos (hotels) and groups of shivering tourists wishing they had remembered to dress warmly.

On the northern side of the mountain, the local tourist office ( 095 64 73 52; www.prolocolinguaglossa.it; Piazza Annunziata 5; 9am-3pm) in Linguaglossa is the best source of information.

Sights & Activities

With a daily bus link from Catania via Nicolosi, the southern side of the volcano presents the easier ascent to the craters. The AST bus drops you off at the Rifugio Sapienza (1923m) from where Funivia dell’Etna ( 095 91 41 41; www.funiviaetna.com; cable car one way/return €14.50/27, incl bus & guide €60; 9am-4.30pm) runs a cable car up the mountain to 2500m (the ticket office accepts credit cards).

Once out of the cable car you can attempt the long walk (3½ to four hours return) up the winding track to the authorised crater zone (2920m). If you plan to do this, make sure you leave yourself enough time to get up and down before the last cable car leaves at 4.45pm. Otherwise hop on one of the Mercedes Benz trucks (with obligatory guide; €21).

On a clear day, the landscape above the cable-car station is stunning – the black cone of the Cratere Sud-Est against a bright blue sky. The guided tour takes you on a 45-minute walk around the Bocca Nuova. On the eastern edge of the volcano, the Valle del Bove falls away in a 1000m drop. Smoke billows up from its depths, enveloping you on the ridge above.

On the northern flank of the volcano, you can also make an ascent from the Piano Provenzano (1800m). This is the area that was severely damaged during the 2002 eruptions and, although it has been largely rebuilt, the bleached skeletons of the surrounding pine trees bear testament to the disaster. There are regular 4WD excursions to the summit from here (around €40 per person). To reach this side of the volcano you will need a car, however, as there’s no public transport from Linguaglossa, 16km away.

If you’re interested in hiking solo on Mt Etna, pick up a copy of the excellent free Mt Etna and Mother Nature tourist map from tourist offices throughout the region; it has detailed mapped-out routes of 14 hikes of varying difficulty.

Passionate hikers should also consider visiting the Parco Regionale dei Nebrodi (www.parcodeinebrodi.it) just northwest of Etna, which covers some 85 hectares of densely wooded and mountainous countryside. A very well-signposted 70km, three-day hike known as La Dorsale dei Nebrodi recently opened here, which includes places to stay. Check the website for details.

Tours

Volcano Trek ( 333 209 66 04; www.volcanotrek.com; Via Minicucca 16, San Giovanni La Punta) is run by expert geologists. Several tour options are available; see the website.

Siciltrek ( 095 96 88 82; www.sicilitrek.it; Via Marconi 27, Sant’Alfio) runs group tours up Etna, including the cable car and bus trip to 2900m. Andrea Ercolani of Siciltrek also organises and leads excellent private tours throughout the region.

Gruppo Guide Alpine Etna Sud ( 095 791 47 55; Via Etnea 49, Nicolosi) is the official guide service on the mountain’s southern flank, running day or multiday guided itineraries from their hut below Rifugio Sapienza.

Gruppo Guide Alpine Etna Nord ( 095 64 78 33; Piazza Santa Caterina 24, Linguaglossa) runs a similar tour service to Etna Sud, taking in the north side of the volcano.

Sleeping & Eating

There’s plenty of accommodation around Mt Etna, particularly in the small, pretty town of Nicolosi. For information on local B&Bs, contact EtnaTourism ( 095 791 62 87; www.etnatourism.it), a consortium whose members will also grant you a 20% discount on the Mt Etna cable car.

B&B Massalargìa ( 095 791 45 86; www.massalargia.it; Via Manzoni 19; s €30-40, d €48-70; ) An amiable owner runs this pleasant place, 2km from Nicolosi en route to Catania. The rooms are large with lots of thoughtful, homey touches and there’s a sitting room for the use of guests.

B&B La Giara ( 095 791 90 22; www.giara.it; Viale della Regione 12a, Nicolosi; s €35-55, d €55-80; ) The rooms here are washed in bright colours and sport wrought-iron beds, rattan furniture, colourful prints and large balconies. There’s free wi-fi, and your friendly, English-speaking hostess Patrizia can help with excursions, bike rental and transfers from the Catania airport (€40).

Rifugio Sapienza ( 095 91 53 21; www.rifugiosapienza.com; Piazzale Funivia; per person B&B/half-board €55/75) As close to the summit as you can get, this place adjacent to the cable car offers comfortable accommodation with a good restaurant (fortunately – there’s not a lot of choice in these parts!).

Getting There & Away

Having your own transport will make life much easier around Mt Etna, but there are some public transport options.

BUS

AST ( 095 53 17 56) runs daily buses from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza (one way/return €3.40/5.60, one hour). Buses leave from the car park opposite Catania’s train station at 8.15am, travelling via Nicolosi, and return at 4.45pm.

TRAIN

You can circle Etna on the private Ferrovia Circumetnea (FCE; 095 54 12 50; www.circumetnea.it; Via Caronda 352a, Catania) train line. Catch the metro from Catania’s main train station to the FCE station at Via Caronda (metro stop Borgo) or take bus 429 or 432 going up Via Etnea and ask to be let off at the Borgo metro stop.

The train follows a 114km trail around the base of the volcano, providing fabulous views. It also passes through many of Etna’s unique towns such as Adrano, Bronte and Randazzo (€4.70, two hours).

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SOUTHEASTERN SICILY

This is a region of river valleys, fields of olive, almond and citrus trees and magnificent ruins. Within the evocative stone-walled checkerboard lies a series of handsome towns: Ragusa, Modica and Noto. Shattered by a devastating earthquake in 1693, they were rebuilt in the ornate and much-lauded Sicilian baroque style; that lends the region a honey-coloured cohesion and collective beauty. Writer Gesualdo Bufalino described the southeast as an ‘island within an island’ and, certainly, this pocket of Sicily has a remote, genteel air – a legacy of its glorious Greek heritage.

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SYRACUSE

pop 123,600

A dense tapestry of overlapping cultures and civilisations, Syracuse is one of Sicily’s most visited cities. Boosted by EU funding, derelict landmarks and ancient buildings lining the slender streets are being aesthetically restored. Settled by colonists from Corinth in 734 BC, Syracuse was considered to be the most beautiful city of the ancient world, rivalling Athens in power and prestige. Under the demagogue Dionysius the Elder, the city reached its zenith, attracting luminaries such as Livy, Plato, Aeschylus and Archimedes, and cultivating the sophisticated urban culture that was to see the birth of comic Greek theatre. As the sun set on Ancient Greece, Syracuse became a Roman colony and was looted of its treasures. Lacking the drama of Palermo and the energy of Catania, Syracuse still manages to seduce visitors with its quiet decrepitude, excellent hotels and fascinating sights.

Orientation

The main sights of Syracuse are in two areas: on the island of Ortygia and 2km across town in the Parco Archaeologico della Neapolis. The train station is located to the west of busy Corso Gelone. If you arrive by bus, you’ll be dropped across the street on Corso Umberto. Stay on Ortygia for atmosphere, great restaurants and good-quality hotels.

Information

There are numerous banks with ATMs throughout the city.

Sights

ORTYGIA

Despite its baroque veneer, the Greek essence of Syracuse is everywhere in evidence, from the formal civility of the people to disguised architectural relics. The most obvious of these is the cathedral (Piazza del Duomo; 8am-noon & 4-7pm), which is, in fact, a Greek temple that was converted into a church when the island was evangelised by St Paul. The sumptuous baroque facade, designed by Andrea Palma, barely hides the Temple of Athena skeleton beneath, and the huge 5th-century-BC Doric columns are still visible both inside and out.

Just down the winding main street from the cathedral is the Fontana Aretusa, where fresh water bubbles up just as it did in ancient times when it was the city’s main water supply. Legend has it that the goddess Artemis transformed her beautiful handmaiden Aretusa into the spring to protect her from the unwelcome attention of the river god Alpheus. Now populated by ducks, grey mullet and papyrus plants, the fountain is the place to hang out on summer evenings.

Just up Via Capodieci from the fountain is Museo Regionale d’Arte Medioevale e Moderna ( 0931 6 96 17; Via Capodieci 14). Closed indefinitely for restoration at the time of research, it houses a respectable collection of sculpture and paintings dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Its highlights include Byzantine icons and Caravaggio’s La Sepoltura di Santa Lucia (The Burial of St Lucy; 1608). The palazzo itself is Ortygia’s finest Catalan-Gothic mansion.

Simply walking through the tangled maze of alleys that characterises Ortygia is an atmospheric experience, especially down the narrow lanes of Via Maestranza, the heart of the old guild quarter, and the crumbling Jewish ghetto of Via della Giudecca. Renovations at the Alla Giudecca hotel (Click here) uncovered an ancient Jewish miqwe (ritual bath; 0931 2 22 55; Alla Giudecca, Via Alagona 52; hourly tours €5; 10am-7pm) some 20m below ground level. The baths were blocked up in 1492 when the Jewish community was expelled from the island and hadn’t been revealed since then.

Also in the Jewish quarter is Syracuse’s own thriving puppet theatre, Piccolo Teatro dei Pupi ( 0931 46 55 40; www.pupari.com; Via della Giudecca 17). See its website for a calendar of performances. The workshop, where you can buy puppets, is at No 5.

IL TEATRO DEI PUPI

Any preconceptions you may have about puppet shows being only fit to keep small children quiet at the seaside deserve to be challenged in Sicily. Since the 18th century the traditional Sicilian puppet theatre has been enthralling adults and children alike. The shows are a mini theatrical performance with some puppets standing 1.5m high – a completely different breed from the Pooh Bear—style of glove puppet popular in the West. These characters are intricately carved from beech, olive or lemon wood with realistic-looking glass eyes and distinct features. And, to make sure that they will have no problem swinging their swords or beheading dragons, their joints have flexible wire.

The tales are suitably swashbuckling; they centre on the legends of Charlemagne’s heroic knights, Orlando and Rinaldo, and the extended cast includes the fair Angelica, the treacherous Gano di Magonza and forbidding Saracen warriors. Good puppeteers are judged on the dramatic effect they can create – lots of stamping feet and a gripping running commentary – and on their speed and skill in directing the battle scenes.

Effectively the soap operas of their day, puppet theatres expounded the deepest sentiments of life – unrequited love, treachery, thirst for justice and the anger and frustration of the oppressed. Pretty timeless themes, you could say.

PARCO ARCHAEOLOGICO DELLA NEAPOLIS

For the classicist, Syracuse’s real attraction is the Parco Archaeologico della Neapolis ( 0931 6 62 06; Viale Paradiso; adult/concession €8/4; 9am-2hr before sunset, to 4.30pm during theatre festival), with its pearly white, 5th-century-BC Teatro Greco, hewn out of the rock above the city. This theatre saw the last tragedies of Aeschylus (including The Persians), which were first performed here in his presence. In summer it is brought to life again with an annual season of classical theatre. Check the www.apt-siracusa.it website for information.

Just beside the theatre is the mysterious Latomia del Paradiso – deep, precipitous limestone quarries out of which the stone for the ancient city was extracted. These quarries, riddled with catacombs and filled with citrus and magnolia trees, are where the 7000 survivors of the war between Syracuse and Athens in 413 BC were imprisoned. The Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysius), a grotto 23m by 3m deep, was named by Caravaggio after the tyrant, who is said to have used the almost perfect acoustics of the quarry to eavesdrop on his prisoners.

Back outside this area you’ll find the entrance to the 2nd-century-AD Anfiteatro Romano. The amphitheatre was used for gladiatorial combats and horse races. The Spaniards, little interested in archaeology, largely destroyed the site in the 16th century, using it as a quarry to build the city walls of Ortygia. West of the amphitheatre is the 3rd-century-BC Ara di Gerone II. This monolithic sacrificial altar to Heron II was a kind of giant abattoir where up to 450 oxen could be killed at one time.

To get to the park, take bus 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12 or 15 from Piazza della Posta to Corso Gelone/Viale Teracati. The walk from Ortygia will take about 30 minutes. If you have a car, you can park along Viale Augusto for €1 (for as long as you like).

MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO PAOLO ORSI & MUSEO DEL PAPIRO

In the grounds of Villa Landolina, about 500m east of the archaeological park, is the Museo Archeologico Paolo Orsi ( 0931 46 40 22; Viale Teocrito; admission €4; 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun). It contains the best organised and most interesting archaeological collection in Sicily (and one of the most extensive archaeological collections in Europe) and certainly merits a visit. The opening hours are all over the place and are often extended in summer; check with one of the tourist offices. The museum is wheelchair accessible.

Around the corner, the Museo del Papiro ( 0931 6 16 16; Viale Teocrito 66; admission free; 9am-1pm Tue-Sun) includes papyrus documents and products, boats and a good English-language film about the history of papyrus. The plant grows in abundance around the Ciane River, near Syracuse, and was used to make paper in the 18th century.

Activities

Syracuse is all about urban pleasures with few activities more energetic than shopping and sightseeing. You can book yourself a pew on Syracuse’s tiny Lido Maniace (www.lidomaniace.it), a platform crowded with sunbeds and shades (€10 for two people), where you can take a dip into the water – a pastime particularly recommended in midsummer when Ortygia steams like a cauldron. Longer stretches of sand can be found at Arenella (take bus 23 from Piazza della Posta) and the Fontana Bianche (bus 21 or 22), but note that they are very busy and, as with many Sicilian beaches, there are charges on certain sections. From mid-June to mid-September, there’s also great sunbathing (for a fee) and diving off the rocks adjacent to Bar Zen, 2km north of Ortygia.

One of the best activities is taking a boat trip on one of the gorgeous rigs rented out by Sailing Team ( 0931 6 08 08; www.sailingteam.biz; Via Savoia 14). The whole day costs €350 (for up to 12 people), departing at 10am and returning at 6pm, enabling you to explore the coastline and snorkel to your heart’s content.

Landlubbers should consider an excursion with Ente Fauna Siciliana ( 338 488 8822; www.entefaunasiciliana.it). Itineraries include short hikes along the coastline (€5 per person) and archaeological and botanical itineraries. A calendario attività (activities calendar) with booking numbers and departure points can be downloaded from the website. Most of the tours are in Italian only.

Festivals & Events

In May and June Syracuse hosts the Ciclo di Rappresentazioni Classiche (Festival of Greek Theatre; 0931 48 72 48; www.indafondazione.org; Via Cavour 48). Syracuse boasts the only school of classical Greek drama outside Athens and the performances (in Italian) attract Italy’s finest performers. Tickets (€22 to €58) are available online, from the Via Cavour office in Ortygia or at the ticket booth outside the theatre.

During the Festa di Santa Lucia (13 December) the enormous silver statue of the city’s patron saint wends its way from the cathedral to Piazza Santa Lucia accompanied by fireworks.

Sleeping

Syracuse prides itself on discerning tourism, reflected in its excellent hotels. The best options are on Ortygia. Cheaper hotels are located around the train station.

BUDGET

B&B dei Viaggiatori, Viandanti e Sognatori ( 0931 2 47 81; www.bedandbreakfastsicily.it; Via Roma 156; s €35-50, d €55-70, tr €75-85, q €100, ) An old palace at the end of Via Roma cradles this lovely B&B. Rooms are colourfully and stylishly decorated, with super-comfy beds. There’s free wi-fi, and the sunny roof terrace with sweeping sea views makes a perfect breakfast spot.

B&B Aretusa ( 0931 48 34 84; www.aretusavacanze.com; Vicolo Zuccalà 1; s €55, d €79; ) This great budget option, elbowed into a tiny pedestrian street in a 17th-century building, has large rooms and apartments with kitchenettes, computers, wi-fi, satellite TV and small balconies from where you can shake hands with your neighbour across the way.

MIDRANGE & TOP END

Alla Giudecca ( 0931 2 22 55; www.allagiudecca.it; Via Alagona 52; s €60-75, d €80-120; ) Located in the old Jewish quarter, this charming hotel boasts 23 suites with warm terracotta-tiled floors, exposed wood beams and lashings of heavy white linen. The communal areas are a warren of vaulted rooms full of museum-quality antiques and enormous tapestries, and feature cosy sofas gathered around huge fireplaces. During renovations an ancient Jewish miqwe was discovered here (Click here).

Hotel Riviera ( 0931 6 70 50; www.hotelrivierasiracusa.com; Via Eucleida 7; s/d/tr/q €67/87/115/125; ) One of the only hotels in Syracuse with a seafront location, this friendly family-run place offers lovely views from the 1st-floor terrace and most rooms.

Azienda Agrituristica Limoneto ( 0931 71 73 52; www.emmeti.it/Limoneto; Via del Platano 3; s €50-60, d €90-120; ) This large country farm set amid attractive citrus and olive groves is noted for its organic produce and excellent restaurant (meals cost €25). You’ll find it 9km from Syracuse along the SS124.

Hotel Gran Bretagne ( 0931 6 87 65; www.hotelgranbretagna.it; Via Savoia 21; s €75-90, d €90-125; ) This handsome, small hotel is in a great location on Ortygia. Rooms are spacious, with chequered floors and high ceilings, a few adorned with frescoes. Don’t miss the glass panel adjacent to the breakfast room revealing the 16th-century town wall below.

Hotel Gutkowski ( 0931 46 58 61; www.guthotel.it; Lungomare Vittorini 26; s/d €80/110; ) Book well in advance for one of the seven sea-view rooms at this charming and friendly hotel on the Ortygia waterfront. Rooms in the original hotel have pretty tiled floors, colourful walls, and retain the building’s historic character, while those in the annexe down the street have a more modern feel. There’s a nice rooftop sun terrace with sea views, and a brand new bar adjoining the pleasant breakfast area.

Hotel Roma ( 0931 46 56 26; www.hotelroma.sr.it; Via Roma 66; s €80-90, d €100-150; ) Set in a restored palazzo, the Roma has individually decorated rooms with parquet floors, oriental rugs, wood-beam ceilings and tasteful artwork. Additional amenities include a peaceful courtyard, a gym and a Finnish sauna, plus wi-fi in the lobby and several guest rooms. Parking costs €10 extra.

Eating

The best restaurants are on Ortygia.

Sicilia in Tavola ( 392 461 08 89; Via Cavour 28; meals €16-30; closed Mon) A tiny place with a dozen tables that specialises in all manner of fresh pasta dishes (try the speciality of the house, seafood ravioli).

Taberna Sveva ( 0931 2 46 63; Piazza Federico di Svevia; meals €23-30; closed Wed) This charming tavern has a cosy terrace on a peaceful cobblestoned square, down near the castle at Ortygia’s southern tip. Food is top-notch, all the way from primi-like gnocchi al pistacchio (with olive oil, parmesan, pepper, garlic and grated pistachios) to a delicious tiramisu to wrap things up

Ristorante Medusa ( 0931 6 14 03; Via S Teresa 21-23; meals €25-35; closed Mon) At this elegant eatery run by an Italian-Tunisian family, the week’s highlight is the Thursday night couscous feast, but it’s worth a visit any day of the week for the delicious seafood-based pasta dishes and mains.

Osteria da Mariano ( 0931 6 74 44; Vicolo Zuccalà 9; meals €17-21; Wed-Mon) Specialising in the mountain cuisine of nearby Ragusa, with more meat than fish, this cheerful place sets out a river of tables under the lights and balconies of a narrow alleyway, with cosy indoor seating in a beamed dining room. Everything’s tasty and affordably priced, and the atmo­sphere’s very convivial, if you can forgive the sometimes lackadaisical service.

Do Schogghiu (Via Domenico Scinà 11; meals €20; closed Mon) A very basic, family-run spaghetteria that serves up pasta a million different ways, with plenty of agreeable father-son banter in the background. Ask for the free aperitivo offered on the menu.

Jonico ( 0931 6 55 40; Riviera Dionisio il Grande 194; pizzas €4-7, meals €20-30; closed Tue) Inconveniently located but worth the trek or taxi ride, Jonico’s Liberty (art nouveau) dining room and its open-air terrace have spectacular views of blue-green sea and sandstone cliffs, while the all-Sicilian menu features dishes such as tonno all siciliana (tuna with cherry tomatoes, capers and white wine) and orata c’aranci (gilthead with orange juice, orange peel and black pepper). Below the restaurant, the alluring Bar Zen (open 7.30pm to 2am mid-June to mid-September) doubles as a swimming area and solarium during the day, where you can plunge off rocks or lounge under an umbrella all day before retiring to the outdoor deck to sip drinks all night.

Syracuse’s produce market (Antico Mercato; 8am-1pm Mon-Sat) is near the harbour where red-canopied stalls overflow with piles of mussels, oysters, octopuses and shellfish.

Drinking

Syracuse is a vibrant university town, which means plenty of life on the streets at cocoa time.

Four recommended drinking spots in Ortygia are the literary Biblios Cafe (Via del Consiglio Reginale 11; 10am-1.30pm & 5-9pm, closed Wed & Sun mornings); Il Sale (Via dell’Amalfitania 56/2), hidden away in a courtyard and recognisable from the street only by the beckoning glow of its twin Paulaner München lamps Il Blu (Via Nizza), a superb wine bar with a cosy front porch near the waterfront; and lovely San Rocca (Piazzetta San Rocca), the most popular of several bars with tables sprawled across bustling Piazzetta San Rocca.

Shopping

Ortygia is full of quirky little shops such as Circo Fortuna ( 347 216 33 74, www.circofortuna.it; Via dei Tolomei 20), which produces lots of cheeky ceramics, and Massimo Izzo ( 0931 2 23 01; Piazza Archimede 25; 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sat, 4-8pm Mon), specialising in jewellery handcrafted from Sciacca coral and gold.

Getting There & Away

BUS

Long-distance buses operate from a strip along Corso Umberto, just east of Syracuse’s train station. Interbus ( 0931 6 67 10) runs buses to Catania (€5.20, 1¼ hours, 19 daily Monday to Saturday, eight on Sunday) and its airport, and Palermo (€15.30, 3¼ hours, two to three daily).

AST ( 0931 46 27 11) offers services to Noto (€3, 50 minutes, 12 daily Monday to Saturday) and Ragusa (€6.40, 2½ hours, six daily Monday to Saturday).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

If arriving from the north, you’ll enter Syracuse on Viale Scala Greca. To reach the centre of the city, turn left onto Viale Teracati and follow it south; Viale Teracati eventually becomes Corso Gelone.

There’s a large underground car park on Via V Veneto on Ortygia where you can park for €1.

TRAIN

More than a dozen trains depart daily for Messina (InterCity/regional train €14.50/9.25, 2½ to 3¼ hours) via Catania (€7.50/6, 1¼ hours). Some go on to Rome, Turin and Milan as well as other long-distance destinations. For Palermo, the bus is a better option. There are also local trains from Syracuse to Noto (€3.20, 30 minutes) and Ragusa (€7.25, 2¼ hours).

Getting Around

AST city buses 1, 4 and 12 make the trip from Ortygia’s Piazza della Posta to Parco Archeologico della Neapolis. A two-hour city bus ticket costs €1.

Allakatalla ( 0931 6 74 52; Via Roma 10; 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pm Sat) hires out bicycles (€15 per day) and scooters (€35 per day).

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NOTO

pop 23,500 / elev 160m

Flattened in 1693 by an earthquake, Noto was grandly rebuilt by its nobles. It is now the finest baroque town in Sicily, especially appreciable at night when the illuminations introduced in 2006 accentuate its beauty and intricately carved facades. The baroque masterpiece is the work of Rosario Gagliardi and his assistant, Vincenzo Sinatra, local architects who also worked in Ragusa and Modica. Recently added to Unesco’s list of World Heritage sites, Noto’s fragile sandstone buildings are currently undergoing extensive restoration. On 16 March 1996 the town was horrified when the roof and dome of the cathedral collapsed during a thunderstorm – luckily it was 10.30pm and the cathedral was empty. In June 2007 the cathedral finally re­opened after lengthy reconstruction.

Information

Ambulance ( 0931 89 02 35)

Sights

The San Nicoló Cathedral stands in the centre of Noto’s most graceful square, Piazza Municipio, and is surrounded by elegant town houses such as Palazzo Ducezio (Town Hall) and Palazzo Landolina, once home to Noto’s oldest noble family. The only palazzo that has so far been restored to its former glory, however, is the Palazzo Villadorata (Palazzo Nicolaci; 0931 83 50 05; www.palazzonicolaci.it; Via Corrado Nicolaci; adult/concession €4/2; 9am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun), where wrought-iron balconies are supported by a swirling pantomime of grotesque figures. Although empty of furnishings, the richly brocaded walls and frescoed ceilings of the palazzo give an idea of the sumptuous lifestyle of Sicilian nobles, as brought to life in the Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa novel Il Gattopardo (The Leopard; Click here).

Two other piazzas break up the long Corso Vittorio Emanuele: Piazza dell’Immacolata to the east and Piazza XVI Maggio to the west. The latter is overlooked by the beautiful Chiesa di San Domenico and the adjacent Dominican monastery, both designed by Rosario Gagliardi. On the same square, Noto’s elegant 19th-century Teatro Comunale is worth a look, as is the mirrored Sala degli Specchi in the Palazzo Ducezio opposite the Duomo (admission to either €2, combined ticket €3). For sweeping rooftop views of Noto’s baroque splendour, climb the campanile (bell tower) at Chiesa di San Carlo al Corso (admission €2; 9am-12.30pm & 4-7pm) or Chiesa di Santa Chiara (admission €1.50; 9.30am-1pm & 3-7pm).

Festivals & Events

Infiorata, held for two weeks in mid- to late May, is Noto’s colourful flower festival, celebrated with parades, historical re-enactments and a public art project in which artists decorate the length of Via Corrada Nicolaci with designs made entirely of flower petals.

Sleeping

B&Bs are plentiful in Noto. Ask at the tourist office for a detailed list.

Il Castello Youth Hostel ( 392 415 78 99, 329 396 11 71; world-service@simail.it; Via Fratelli Bandiera 2; dm €16) Directly uphill from the Duomo in a beautiful old building, this place commands fabulous views and is great value for money, despite a few downsides (no guest kitchen, a 10am to 3pm lockout and an 11.30pm curfew).

B&B Montandòn ( 0931 83 63 89; www.b-bmontandon.it; Via Sofia 50; s €40-55, d €65-80; ) Accessed via imposing vaulted hallways, this B&B in a crumbling palazzo near the top of town has lovely, light rooms with elegant furnishings. Upper rooms have panoramic views over town.

Hotel della Ferla ( 0931 57 60 07; www.hoteldellaferla.it; Via A Gramsci; s €48-78, d €84-120; ) This small, friendly hotel is located in a residential area near the train station, around 10 minutes’ walk downhill from the historic centre. Rooms are large and bright, with pine furnishings, small balconies and free wi-fi.

Eating

The people of Noto are serious about their food, so take time to enjoy a meal and follow it up with a visit to one of the town’s excellent ice-cream shops.

Trattoria del Carmine ( 0931 83 87 05; Via Ducezio 1; meals €15-20) A low-key eatery that’s popular with locals, serving classic Sicilian cuisine.

Trattoria Ducezio ( 347 858 73 19; Via Ducezio 51; meals €15-20) Ducezio is another popular local trattoria.

Trattoria Baglieri Crocifisso ( 0931 57 11 51; Via Principe Umberto 48; meals €25-30) This Slow Food–­acclaimed trattoria is one of Noto’s finest eateries. The list of bottled wines is extensive, but you can also get an excellent glass, starting at €3.50.

Ristorante Il Cantuccio ( 0931 83 74 64; Via Cavour 12; meals €30-35; dinner Tue-Sun, lunch Sun) Chef Valentina presents a seasonally changing menu that combines familiar Sicilian ingredients in exciting new ways. Try her exquisite gnocchi al pesto del Cantuccio (ricotta-potato dumplings with basil, parsley, mint, capers, almonds and cherry tomatoes) and follow it up with legaccio di spigola al limone con insalata d’arancia e finocchi (lemon-stuffed bass with orange-fennel salad).

Caffè Sicilia ( 0931 83 50 13; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 125) Dating from 1892, this vies with Dolceria Corrado Costanzo (below) for the honours of Noto’s best dessert shop. Sicilia is especially renowned for its granite.

Dolceria Corrado Costanzo ( 0931 83 52 43; Via Silvio Spaventa 9) This is just around the corner from Caffè Sicilia. Both make superb dolci di mandorla (almond cakes and sweets), cassata (with ricotta cheese, chocolate and candied fruit) and torrone (nougat). Costanzo is famous for its gelati.

Getting There & Around

Noto is easily accessible by AST and Interbus buses from Catania (€6.70, 1¾ hours, 12 daily Monday to Saturday, seven on Sunday) and Syracuse (€3, 50 minutes, 12 daily Monday to Saturday). From June to August only, buses run frequently between Noto and Noto Marina. Trains from Syracuse are frequent (€3.20, 30 minutes, 11 daily), but the station is located 1.5km south of the bus station area.

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MODICA

pop 54,300 / 296m

A powerhouse in Grecian times, Modica may have lost its pre-eminent position to Ragusa, but it remains a superbly atmospheric town with its ancient medieval buildings climbing steeply up either side of a deep gorge.

The multilayered town is divided into Modica Alta (Upper Modica) and Modica Bassa (Lower Modica). A devastating flood in 1902 resulted in the wide avenues of Corso Umberto and Via Giarrantana (the river was dammed and diverted), which remain the main axes of the town, lined by shabby palazzi and tiled stone houses.

Aside from simply wandering the streets and absorbing the atmosphere, a visit to the extraordinary Chiesa di San Giorgio (Modica Alta; 9am-noon & 4-7pm) is a highlight. This church, Gagliardi’s masterpiece, is a vision of pure rococo splendour, a butter-coloured confection perched on a majestic 250-step staircase. Its counterpoint in Modica Bassa is the Cattedrale di San Pietro (Corso Umberto I), another impressive church atop a rippling staircase lined with life-sized statues of the Apostles.

Modica is also famous for its confectionary, a legacy of the town’s Spanish overlords who imported cocoa from their South American colonies. To taste some sweet crunchiness – flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla and orange peel – head for Sicily’s oldest chocolate factory, Dolceria Bonajuto ( 0932 94 12 25; www.bonajuto.it; Corso Umberto I 159; 9am-1.30pm & 4.30-8.30pm Mon-Sat, 4.30-8.30pm Sun).

Sleeping & Eating

The quality-to-price ratio tends to be excellent, making Modica a top destination for discerning travellers.

Albergo I Tetti di Siciliando ( 0932 94 28 43; www.siciliando.it; Via Cannata 24, Modica Alta; s €30-35, d €42-60) A delightfully friendly guest house, with bright, artistically decorated rooms and balconies with views.

Palazzo Failla ( 0932 94 10 59; www.palazzofailla.it; Via Blandini 5, Modica Alta; r €100-195; ) This exquisitely restored 18th-century palace has retained its historical splendour, with original frescoed ceilings and hand-painted floor tiles. There’s a generous breakfast buffet, plus two good restaurants – one more traditional, one more innovative – under the same management nearby.

Osteria dei Sapori Perduti ( 0932 94 42 47; Corso Umberto I 228-230; meals €14-17) On Modica’s main drag, this attractive restaurant mixes rustic decor, elegantly dressed waiters, and very reasonable prices on Sicilian specialities like cunigghju à stimpirata (sweet and sour rabbit).

Taverna Nicastro ( 0932 94 58 84; Via S Antonino 28, Modica Alta; meals €13-19) With over 60 years of history and a Slow Food recommendation, this is one of the upper town’s most authentic and atmospheric restaurants; the nightly tourist menu is a bargain at €15 including antipasti, wine and dessert.

Getting There & Away

From Modica’s train station, 600m east of the centre, eight trains daily (three on Sunday) leave for Syracuse (€6.65, 1¾ hours). Buses run two to four times daily to Syracuse (€5.80) and Ragusa (€2.20, 30 minutes) from Corso Umberto I near Chiesa di San Giorgio.

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RAGUSA

pop 72,500 / elev 502m

Like a grand old dame, Ragusa is a dignified and well-aged provincial town largely overlooked by tourists. Like every other town in the region, Ragusa collapsed after the 1693 earthquake; a new town called Ragusa Superiore was built on a high plateau above the original settlement. But the old aristocracy were loathe to leave their tottering palazzi and rebuilt Ragusa Ibla on the original site. The two towns were only merged in 1927.

Orientation

Ragusa Ibla remains the heart and soul of the town, and has all the best restaurants and the majority of sights. A perilous bus ride or some very steep steps connect the lower town to its modern sister up the hill.

Information

Sights

Grand churches and palazzi line the twisting, narrow streets of Ragusa Ibla, interspersed with gelaterie and delightful piazzas where the local elderly gather on benches. If you continue east from the Via 11 Febraio intersection along Via del Mercato (which has excellent views of the valley below), you’ll get your first view of palm-planted Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the Cattedrale di San Giorgio ( 10am-12.30pm & 4-6.30pm). The cathedral, with its magnificent neoclassical dome and stained-glass windows, dates from 1739. The smaller Chiesa di San Giuseppe is on Piazza Pola, east of Piazza del Duomo.

At the eastern end of the old town is the Giardino Ibleo ( 8am-8pm), a pleasant public garden laid out in the 19th century that is perfect for a picnic lunch.

Sleeping & Eating

All places listed here are in Ragusa Ibla, the picturesque lower town.

Ai Giardini Iblei ( 0932 24 68 44; www.aigiardini.it; Via Normanni 4; s €35-40, d €50; ) Nicely positioned near the entrance to the public gardens, this simple B&B is run by a lovely Italian-Brazilian couple.

Risveglio Ibleo ( 0932 24 78 11; www.risveglioibleo.com; Largo Camerina 3; s €35-42.50, d €70-85; ) This welcoming place, housed in an 18th-century Liberty-style villa, has spacious, high-ceilinged rooms, walls hung with family portraits and a flower-flanked terrace overlooking the rooftops. The exceptionally warm older couple who run the place go out of their way to share local culture, including their own home-made culinary delights.

Locanda Don Serafino ( 0932 22 00 65; www.locandadonserafino.it; Via XI Febbraio 15; s €118-165, d €148-195) This historic building near the Duomo has beautiful rooms, some with original vaulted stone ceilings. Guests have access to the hotel’s private beach at Marina di Ragusa, 20km away.

Gelati DiVini ( 0932 22 89 89; www.gelatidivini.it; Piazza Duomo 20; ice cream from €1.80) You’ve never had ice cream like this before! DiVini (which is a play on the words ‘divine’ and ‘wine’ in Italian) makes wine-flavoured ice creams like marsala, muscat and traghetto d’acqua, along with exceptional offerings like rose, fennel and wild mint, all derived from the original plant.

Il Barocco ( 0932 65 23 97; Via Orfanotrofio 29; meals €17-30) This beloved traditional restaurant has an evocative setting in an old stable block, the troughs now filled with wine bottles instead of water. You can taste cheeses and olive oils and purchase all sorts of exquisite hand-selected Sicilian gastronomic treats at the newly opened enoteca (wine bar) next door.

Ristorante Duomo ( 0932 65 12 65; Via Capitano Bocchieri 31; meals €75-90, tasting menu €120) It has been called Sicily’s best restaurant. Inside, a quintet of small rooms are outfitted like private parlours, ensuring a suitably romantic atmosphere. Dishes reflect a creative approach to classic recipes.

Getting There & Around

There are four daily trains to Syracuse (€7.25, 2¼ hours) via Noto (€5.40, 1½ hours).

Interbus (Viale Tenente Lena 42) runs daily buses to Catania (€6.95, two hours, six to 10 daily); information and tickets are available at the nearby Caffè del Viale. AST ( 0932 68 18 18) offers service to Syracuse (€6.40, 2½ hours, six daily Monday to Saturday).

City buses 1 and 3 run from Piazza del Popolo in the upper town to Piazza Pola and the Giardino Ibleo in the lower town of Ragusa Ibla.

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CENTRAL & SOUTHERN SICILY

This is an area of great panoramas, where coastal plains push inland to the mountains. The juxtapositions continue with undulating fields and severe mountain ridges; shabby hilltop towns and superb sandy beaches; and the busiest and most lauded classical site in Sicily – unfortunately set against hectares of hideous modern development. Persevere in this ancient landscape and you will be rewarded with an insight into a more authentic Sicily not yet sanitised for tourists.

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ENNA

pop 28,100 / elev 931m

The highest provincial capital in Italy and a natural balcony frequently blanketed by cloud, this handsome working town and agricultural centre has long been the seat of a sacred cult of Demeter (the goddess of fertility). Throughout the Greek, Roman and Arab periods, Enna supplied far-flung places with grain, wheat, cotton and cane; a tradition it continues, albeit on a far smaller scale, today.

Information

Sights

Jealously guarded by locals, Enna’s massive Castello di Lombardia ( 0935 50 09 62; Piazza Mazzini; admission free; 9am-7pm) is the most obvious physical manifestation of the inward-looking nature of Sicily’s mountain villages. It is hardly surprising given the waves of invaders who sought to possess this mountain eyrie. This history is perfectly illustrated in the hotchpotch architecture of the cathedral ( 9am-1pm & 4-7pm), a catalogue of Graeco-Roman remains, medieval walls, Gothic doors and apses, Renaissance artwork and baroque carvings.

To enjoy a gorgeous sunset over the rust-red town of Calascibetta, situated on the opposite hill, head for Piazza Francesco Crispi and its spectacular belvedere.

Festivals & Events

During Holy Week (Easter), thousands of people participate in a solemn procession to the cathedral, wearing hoods and capes that represent the town’s different religious confraternities.

Sleeping & Eating

Grande Albergo Sicilia ( 0935 50 08 50; www.hotelsiciliaenna.it; Piazza Colajanni 7; s €55-62, d €75-91; ) Newly refurbished in 2009, Enna’s best hotel has a panoramic breakfast terrace and cheery, comfortable rooms with kitsch gold-framed Botticelli prints and wrought-iron bedheads.

Ristorante Centrale ( 0935 50 09 63; Piazza VI Dicembre 9; meals €25; closed Sat in winter) This place has friendly service, an outside terrace and excellent traditional mountain food.

Antica Hostaria ( 0935 2 25 21; Via Castagna; meals €30; closed Mon night & Tue) This Slow Food-acclaimed eatery is famous for its pork ragú, an ancient mountain staple served only in winter; no worries if you’re visiting in summer: the menu features other fine local recipes year-round.

Alkenisa ( 0935 2 64 35; Via Roma 481; 10am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-11pm Sat) Up near the castle, this newly opened literary cafe is beautifully sited amid the restored stone walls of an ancient mosque-turned-church.

Getting There & Around

Enna’s official bus station (Viale Diaz) is in the historic upper town (Enna Alta); however, service is much more frequent from the separate stop called Enna Bassa, 3km downhill. SAIS ( 0935 50 09 02) runs buses (mostly from Enna Bassa) to Catania (€7.20, 1½ hours, nine daily Monday to Saturday) and Palermo (€9.20, 1¾ hours, six daily Monday to Saturday). For connections to Agrigento, head to Caltanissetta (€3.70, one hour, six daily Monday to Friday) Regular buses also run to Piazza Armerina (€3, 45 minutes, six daily Monday to Saturday). Service to all destinations is significantly reduced on Sunday.

The train station is inconveniently located at the bottom of a steep hill 3.5km northeast of Enna Alta. Trains service Catania (€6, 1¼ hours, three daily) and Palermo (€8.40, 2¼ hours, two daily); purchase tickets from the machine on the platform. Local buses (€1) make the run to town hourly (except Sunday, when you might have to wait a couple of hours between buses). You can call for a taxi on 0935 50 09 05.

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VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE

Situated 35km southeast of Enna and 5km southwest of Piazza Armerina is the Villa Imperiale ( 0935 68 00 36; www.villaromanadelcasale.it; adult/concession €6/3; 8am-6.30pm), a stunning 3rd-century Roman villa and one of the few remaining sites of Roman Sicily. This sumptuous hunting lodge is thought to have belonged to Diocletian’s co-emperor Marcus Aurelius Maximianus. Buried under mud in a 12th-century flood, it remained hidden for 700 years before its magnificent floor mosaics were discovered in the 1950s. It is worth arriving out of season or early in the day to avoid the hordes of tourists.

The mosaics cover almost the entire floor (3500 sq metres) of the villa and are considered unique for their narrative style, the range of subject matter and variety of colour – many are clearly influenced by African themes. Along the eastern end of the internal courtyard is the wonderful Corridor of the Great Hunt, depicting chariots, rhinos, cheetahs and lions in rich golden colours. The stylised animals seem ready to jump out of the scene, watched by the voluptuously beautiful Queen of Sheba. On the other side of the corridor is a series of apartments, where floor illustrations reproduce scenes from Homer. But perhaps the most captivating of the mosaics is the so-called Room of the Ten Girls in Bikinis, with depictions of sporty girls in scanty bikinis throwing a discus, using weights and throwing a ball; they would blend in well on a Malibu beach.

The helpful multilingual staff at Omniaturist ( 0935 68 66 54; Via Umberto I 3, Piazza Armerina; 9am-8.30pm) provides free town maps and an Italian-English brochure about the villa and other local attractions.

From 1 May to 30 September, Autolinee Urbane runs eight buses daily to the villa (€0.70, 30 minutes), leaving Piazza Armerina’s Piazza Manescalchi on the hour (9am to noon and 3pm to 6pm) and returning from the villa on the half-hour.

If visiting outside of summer, you’ll have to walk (5km, mostly downhill), drive or get a taxi. Taxis (parked all over town) will take you there, wait for an hour and drive you back to Piazza Armerina for about €20. If you have your own car, head south along the SS117.

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AGRIGENTO

pop 59,200 / elev 230m

Surrounded by green, Agrigento’s rows of bland modern apartment blocks curve around Sicily’s oldest tourist site (the Valley of the Temples, or Valle dei Templi), first put on the map by Goethe in the 18th century. In ancient times, Pindar declared that the people of Akragas were ‘built for eternity but feasted as if there were no tomorrow’. Nowadays modern Agrigento, one of the liveliest and most aggressive cities in Sicily, has more in common with the character rather than the aesthetics of its ancient counterpart. Overshadowed by the new city on the hill above it, the splendid Valley of the Temples loses much of its immediate impact and it is only when you get down among the ruins that you can appreciate its true monumentality.

Orientation

Intercity buses arrive on Piazza Rosselli; the train station is slightly south on Piazza Marconi. Running between Piazzale Aldo Moro and Piazza Pirandello is the main street of the medieval town, Via Atenea. Frequent city buses run to the Valley of the Temples below the town (Click here).

Information

There are banks on Piazza Vittorio Emanuele I and along the high street, Via Atenea.

Sights

VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES

The Valley of the Temples is one of Sicily’s premier attractions. A Unesco World Heritage site, it incorporates a complex of temples and old city walls from the ancient Greek city of Akragas. Despite the name, the five Doric temples stand along a ridge, designed as a beacon to homecoming sailors. Although in varying states of ruin, the temples give a tantalising glimpse of what must truly have been one of the most luxurious cities in Magna Graecia. The most scenic time to come is from February to March when the valley is awash with almond blossom. The main entrance to the Valley of the Temples is at Piazzale dei Templi which also has a large car park. There’s a second entrance and ticket office, west of here, at the intersection of Viadotto Akragas and Via Panoramica dei Templi.

The archaeological park ( 0922 49 72 26; adult/concession/child €8/4/free, incl archaeological museum €10/5/free; 9am-11.30pm Jul & Aug, 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun & Mon Sep-Jun) is divided into two main sections. East of Via dei Templi are the most spectacular temples, the first of which is the Tempio di Ercole (Temple of Hercules), built towards the end of the 6th century BC and believed to be the oldest of the temples. Eight of its 38 columns were raised in 1924 to reveal a structure that was roughly the same size as the Parthenon. The magnificent Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concord) is the only temple to survive relatively intact. Built around 440 BC, it was transformed into a Christian church in the 6th century. The Tempio di Giunone (Temple of Juno) stands high on the edge of the ridge, a five-minute walk to the east. Part of its colonnade remains and there’s an impressive sacrificial altar.

Across Via dei Templi, to the west, is what remains of the massive Tempio di Giove (Temple of Jupiter), never actually completed and now totally in ruins, allowing you to appreciate the sheer size of the rocks. It covered an area of 112m by 56m with columns 20m high. Between the columns stood telamoni (colossal statues), one of which was reconstructed and is now in the Museo Archeologico (see right). A copy lies on the ground among the ruins and gives an idea of the immense size of the structure. Work began on the temple around 480 BC and it was probably destroyed during the Carthaginian invasion in 406 BC. The nearby Tempio di Castore e Polluce (Temple of Castor and Pollux) was partly reconstructed in the 19th century, although probably using pieces from other constructions. All the temples are atmospherically lit up at night.

The Museo Archeologico ( 0922 4 01 11; Contrada San Nicola; adult/concession €6/3; 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun & Mon), north of the temples, has a huge collection of clearly labelled artefacts from the excavated site. It also has wheelchair access.

MEDIEVAL AGRIGENTO

Roaming around the town’s lively, winding streets is relaxing after a day among the temples. The Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci (Salita Santa Maria dei Greci; 8am-noon & 3-6pm Mon-Sat), uphill from Piazza Lena (at the end of Via Atenea), is an 11th-century Norman church built on the site of a 5th-century-BC Greek temple. Note the remains of the wooden Norman ceiling and some Byzantine frescoes. If the church is closed, check with the custodian at Salita Santa Maria dei Greci 1, who will open the doors for you (don’t forget to tip).

Further up the hill is the fragile-looking cathedral (Via Duomo; 9am-noon & 4-7pm). Built in AD 1000, it has been restructured many times, and is dedicated to the Norman San Gerlando. Back towards the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele I, the Monastero del Santo Spirito was founded by Cistercian nuns at the end of the 13th century. Giacomo Serpotta is responsible for the stuccoes in the chapel. There’s a small Ethnographic Museum ( 0922 59 03 71; Via Foderà; admission free; 9am-1.30pm & 4.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat) above the old church. The nuns here will sell you cakes and pastries, including dolci di mandorla, cuscusu (couscous made of almonds and pistachio) and bucellati (rolled sweet dough with figs).

Tours

The tourist office can provide you with a list of multilingual guides. The official rate is €95 to €115 for a half-day.

Michele Gallo ( 0922 40 22 57) is an excellent English-speaking guide who can organise individual and group itineraries (two to 3½ hours) according to travellers’ specific interests.

Festivals & Events

The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore is a huge folk festival held on the first Sunday in February, when the Valley of the Temples is cloaked in almond blossom.

Festa di San Calògero (Feast of St Calògero) is held on the first Sunday in July. It’s a week-long festival in which the statue of St Calògero (who saved Agrigento from the plague) is carried through the town while spectators throw spiced loaves at it.

Sleeping

The places listed below all offer good value for money.

Hotel Amici ( 0922 40 28 31; www.hotelamici.com; Via Acrone 5; s €35-45, d €65-75; ) Directly across from the train station, the Amici is a good budget option, with plain but spotlessly clean rooms, comfortable beds, free wi-fi in the lobby and excellent facilities for disabled travellers.

Atenea 191 B&B ( 349 59 55 94; www.atenea191.com; Via Atenea 191; s €35-55, d €50-85) The gregarious, multilingual and well-travelled Sonia runs this B&B on Agrigento’s main shopping thoroughfare. The breakfast terrace has sweeping views over the valley, as do some rooms. Sonia is a great source of local travel tips and an entertaining storyteller (ask about her close encounters with whales and sharks, or her trip to Antarctica).

Camere a Sud ( 349 638 44 24; www.camereasud.it; Via Ficani 6; r €60-70) Run by a friendly Agrigentan couple, this extremely cute and well-signposted B&B has cheerful rooms and a delightful roof terrace. Cash only.

Colleverde Park Hotel ( 0922 2 95 55; www.colleverde-hotel.it; Via Panoramica dei Templi; d €130-190; ) A good choice if you have a car, this hotel halfway between the town and the valley looks disarmingly modern and blockish, but the lushly landscaped gardens are lovely and the rooms bright and comfortable.

Eating

Le Cuspidi ( 0922 59 59 14; Viale della Vittoria; ice cream from €1; 9am-late) This fabulous gelateria is the perfect antidote to Agrigento’s oppressive heat. Especially scrumptious is the pistachio, flecked with nuts and oh so creamy.

Pizzeria Miriana ( 0922 2 28 28; Via Pirandello 6; pizza slices €1.20) This is a local favourite for good, cheap pizza.

Trattoria Concordia ( 0922 2 26 68; Via Porcello 8; meals €18-30) Tucked up a side alley, this rustic trattoria with exposed stone and stucco walls specialises in grilled fish along with traditional Sicilian primi like casarecce con pesce spada, melanzane e menta (pasta with swordfish, eggplant and mint).

Ristorante Per Bacco ( 0922 55 33 69; Vicolo Lo Presti 2; meals from €17; dinner Tue-Sun) The set menus – including antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, local wine, water and dessert for under €20 – are a great deal at this restaurant just above Via Atenea.

L’Ambasciata di Sicilia ( 0922 2 05 26; Via Giambertoni 2; meals €20-25; Mon-Sat) At the ‘Sicilian Embassy’, they do everything they can to improve foreign relations, plying tourists with tasty plates of traditional Sicilian fare. Try to get a table on the small outdoor terrace, which has splendid views.

Leon d’Oro ( 0922 41 44 00; Viale Emporium 102; meals €30; closed Mon) An excellent restaurant that warrants its high prices and perfectly mixes the fish and fowl that typify Agrigento cuisine. Try the coniglio in agrodolce (rabbit in a sweet sauce) or the triglia e macco di fave (mullet with broad beans).

Drinking

Mojo Wine Bar ( 0922 46 30 13; Piazza San Francesco 11-13; Mon-Sat) A trendy enoteca (wine bar) in a pretty piazza. Enjoy a cool white Inzolia, and munch on olives and spicy salami, as you listen to laid-back jazz.

Getting There & Away

BUS

For most destinations, bus is the easiest way to get to and from Agrigento. The intercity bus station and ticket booths are located on Piazza Rosselli, just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele I. Autoservizi Camilleri ( 0922 59 64 90) runs buses to Palermo (€8.10, two hours, five daily Monday to Saturday, two on Sunday). Lumia ( 0922 2 91 36; www.autolineelumia.it) has departures to Trapani (€11.10, three to four hours, three daily Monday to Saturday, one on Sunday) and SAIS ( 0922 2 93 24) runs buses to Catania (€12.20, three hours, hourly).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

The SS189 links Agrigento with Palermo, while the SS115 runs along the coast, northwest towards Trapani and southeast to Syracuse. To get to Enna, take the SS640 via Caltanissetta.

Driving in the medieval town is near impossible due to all the pedestrianised streets. There’s metered parking at the train station (Piazza Marconi) and free parking along Via Esseneto just below.

TRAIN

Trains run regularly to Palermo (€7.85, 2¼ hours, 11 daily). There’s also one daily train to Catania (€10.95, 3¾ hours). Although trains serve other destinations as well, you’re better off taking the bus.

The train station has left-luggage lockers on the lower level (€2.50 per 12 hours).

Getting Around

City buses (€1) run down to the Valley of the Temples from in front of the train station. Take bus 1, 2 or 3 and get off at either the museum or the Piazzale dei Templi. Bus 1 continues to Porto Empedocle and bus 2 continues to San Leone. The Linea Verde (Green Line) bus runs hourly from the train station to the cathedral.

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AROUND AGRIGENTO

Twenty-three kilometres due west of Agrigento, Siculiana Marina has a pleasant unspoilt beach and a World Wildlife Fund—protected park nearby. If you want to stay overnight, beachfront Hotel Paguro ( 0922 81 55 12; www.hotelresidencepaguro.it; s €35-40, d €60-70, 5-person apt per week €700-750) has spacious rooms and family-sized apartments, many with sea views. Or head for well-signposted Camping Canne ( 338 747 66 60; campsite per person €7.50-10), whose facilities include a mini-market and restaurant. Just in from the sweeping Lido Sabbia d’Oro beach, La Scogliera ( 0922 81 75 32; Via S Pietro; meals €25-35) has excellent fresh seafood, an unforgettable sorbetto di limone e basilico (lemon-basil sorbet), a good wine list and a terrace overlooking the sea.

The stunning 761-hectare natural park, Riserva Naturale di Torre Salsa (www.wwftorresalsa.it), administered by the World Wildlife Fund, is signposted at the approach to the marina; alternatively, you can follow the SS115 10km north of Siculiana Marina to the second Montallegro exit and follow the signs for ‘WWF Riserva Naturale Torre Salsa’. There’s plenty of scope for walkers here with well-marked trails and sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and coast. The long, deserted Torre Salsa beach (reached from the northern entrance) is especially beautiful, although the access road is rough.

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SELINUNTE

The ruins of Selinunte are the most impressively sited in Sicily. Try to visit in spring when the surroundings are ablaze with purple, yellow and white wildflowers. The huge city was built in 628 BC on a promontory overlooking the sea, and for 2½ centuries it was one of the richest and most powerful in the world. It was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC and finally fell to the Romans in about 350 BC, at which time it went into rapid decline and disappeared from historical accounts.

SIDE TRIP: THE PELAGIC ISLANDS

Burnt out on temples and tour buses? Consider a trip to the Isole Pelagie (Pelagic Islands), a three-island archipelago halfway between Agrigento and Africa. Home to some spectacular beaches – Lampedusa’s Spiaggia dei Conigli makes it onto many world Top 10 lists – it’s also reputed to have the cleanest waters in Italy, and it’s hard to disagree once you get an eyeful of that dazzling aquamarine colour.

From May through October, Ustica Lines (www.usticalines.it) runs hydrofoils (€53.90, 4¼ hours) daily to Lampedusa and its sister island Linosa (€34.10, three hours) from Porto Empedocle just outside of Agrigento.

The city’s past is so remote that the names of the various temples have been forgotten and they are now identified by the letters A to G, M and O. The most impressive, Temple E, has been partially rebuilt, its columns pieced together from their fragments with part of its tympanum. Many of the carvings, particularly from Temple C, are now on display in the archaeological museum in Palermo (Click here). Their quality is on a par with the Parthenon marbles and clearly demonstrates the high cultural levels reached by many Greek colonies in Sicily.

No visit to Selinunte is complete without a walk along the beach below the city, from where there are marvellous views of the temples. The road down is to the left of the parking area adjacent to Temple C.

The ticket office ( 0924 4 62 51; adult/concession/child €6/3/free; 9am-1hr before sunset) is located near the eastern temples. Just within the site you can join a tour by electric cart (half-hour/two hours costs €3/€12) to explore the enormous site.

Sleeping & Eating

Selinunte is close to the fishing village and popular Italian resort of Marinella di Selinunte. There are several beachfront hotels that drop prices drastically in the off-season.

Hotel Miramare ( 0924 4 60 45; www.hotelmiramareselinunte.com; Via Pigafetta 2; s €40-45, d €60-80) With its bland decor and plastic deck furniture, this hotel won’t win any style awards, but it’s hard to argue with the free access to Miramare’s private beach below. Several rooms have terraces facing the sea, and there’s also a waterfront restaurant with distant temple views where you can grab a bite or a drink between swims.

Vittorio ( 0925 7 83 81; Porto Palo; meals €25-45) If you’ve got a car, this is one detour you absolutely shouldn’t miss. In business for over 40 years, Vittorio has earned a reputation as one of Sicily’s best seafood eateries, serving hefty portions of the freshest fish and shellfish around. Come here at sunset and dine to the sound of crashing breakers. It’s right on the beach in Porto Palo, a 15km drive east of Selinunte. Rooms are available upstairs for anyone too stuffed to drive home (single/double €60/80).

Getting There & Away

Autoservizi Salemi ( 0924 8 18 26) runs six buses daily from Selinunte to Castelvetrano (€0.90, 30 minutes), where you can make onward bus connections to Agrigento, or train connections to Marsala (€3.70, 40 minutes), Trapani (€5.40, 1¼ hours) and Palermo (€7.25, 2½ hours).

If travelling by car, take the Castelvetrano exit off the A29 and follow the brown signs for about 6km. If you’re driving from Agrigento, take the SS115 and follow the signposts.

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WESTERN SICILY

The west of the island is a different Sicily from the ordered and industrious east. Colonised by Arabs who preferred carefree indulgence to orderly Greek temples, western Sicily has a bit of the Wild West about it – which is all part of the appeal. There’s plenty to incite the senses here, ranging from unpretentious fishing towns to one of Sicily’s finest nature reserves, the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro. The offshore cluster of islands, Pantelleria and the Egadi archipelago, are steeped in history and prehistory – the latter was once a land bridge between Italy and North Africa.

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MARSALA

pop 82,500

Best known for its sweet dessert wines, the historic centre of Marsala is an elegant town full of stately baroque buildings and bookshops within a perfect square of walls.

It was founded by the Phoenicians who escaped the Roman onslaught at Mozia. Not taking any chances, they fortified their city with 7m-thick walls, which ensured it was the last Punic settlement to fall to the Romans. In AD 830 it was conquered by the Arabs, who gave it its current name, Marsa Allah (Port of God).

It was here in 1860 that Giuseppe Garibaldi, leader of the movement for Italian unification, landed in his rickety, old boats with his 1000-strong army – a claim to fame that finds its way into every tourist brochure.

Information

Sights & Activities

Marsala’s finest treasure is the partially reconstructed remains of a Carthaginian liburna (warship) in the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi ( 0923 95 25 35; Lungomare Boeo; admission €3; 9am-6pm). Sunk off the Egadi Islands during the first of the Punic Wars nearly 3000 years ago, the ship’s bare bones are the only remaining physical evidence of the Phoenicians’ seafaring superiority in the 3rd century BC. The ship resonates with history – especially if you see it after you visit the excavations on San Pantaleo – giving a glimpse of a civilisation that was extinguished by the Romans.

Marsala’s other sights are limited to the Museo degli Arazzi Fiammingi ( 0923 71 13 27; Via Giuseppe Garraffa 57; admission €2.50; 9.30am-1pm & 4.30-6pm Tue-Sat, 9.30-12.30 Sun), which displays eight 16th-century Flemish tapestries woven for Spanish king Philip II, and the adjoining cathedral on elegant Piazza della Repubblica. Although the cathedral was built in the 17th century, it wasn’t actually completed until 1956 when a returning emigrant donated some much-needed cash.

Festivals & Events

The Processione del Giovedì Santo (Holy Thursday Procession) is a centuries-old tradition, where actors depict the events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion.

Sleeping

Marsala has few hotels within the historic centre.

Villa Favorita ( 0923 98 91 00; www.villafavorita.com; Via Favorita 27; s €60-100, d €85-125; ) This 19th-century villa surrounded by lovely gardens has an old Spanish hacienda feel, but it’s also jam-packed with 21st-century amenities including tennis courts and wi-fi. Choose between the large rooms in the main hotel or the poolside bungalows out back.

Hotel Carmine ( 0923 71 19 07; www.hotelcarmine.it; Piazza Carmine 16; s €70-90, d €100-125; ) This lovely hotel in a 16th-century monastery has elegant rooms (especially numbers 7 and 30), with original blue-and-gold majolica tiles, stone walls, antique furniture and lofty beamed ceilings. Enjoy your cornflakes in the baronial-style breakfast room with its historic frescoes and over-the-top chandelier, or sip your drink by the roaring fireplace in winter. Modern perks include wi-fi and a rooftop solarium.

Eating

Divino…Rosso ( 0923 71 17 70; Via XI Maggio; pizzas €5-7, meals €20-30; 7-11pm) With outdoor tables on Marsala’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, this excellent restaurant and wine bar serves pizzas, over 150 different wines and an extensive menu of local dishes.

Trattoria Garibaldi ( 0923 95 30 06; Piazza Addolorata 35; meals €18-28; closed lunch Sat & dinner Sun) This reliable trattoria, a perennial favourite of the Slow Food judges, has a pleasant traditional dining space and serves hearty Sicilian fare, with an emphasis on seafood.

Il Gallo e l’Innamorata ( 0923 195 44 46; Via San Bilardello 18; meals €20-25) Warm orange walls and arched stone doorways lend an artsy, convivial atmosphere to this Slow Food—acclaimed eatery. The menu is short and sweet, featuring a few well-chosen dishes each day, including the classic scaloppine (veal cooked with marsala wine and lemon).

Shopping

Tipplers should head to Cantine Florio ( 0923 78 11 11; www.cantineflorio.it; Lungomare Florio; tours €5; tasting room 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat, English-language tours 11am & 4.30pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am Sat) on the road to Mazara del Vallo (bus 16 from Piazza del Popolo). Florio opens its doors to visitors to explain the process of making Marsala wine and to give you a taste of the goods. Pellegrino, Donnafugata, Rallo, Mavis and Intorcia are other producers in the same area. Booking is recommended; ask at the tourist office.

You can sample and buy the wine in town at several enoteche, including classy La Sirena Ubriaca (www.sicilywine.com; Via Garibaldi 39).

Getting There & Away

From Marsala, buses run to Agrigento (Lumia bus company; €9.20, 2½ to 3½ hours, one to three daily) Trapani (AST; €3, 30 minutes, four daily Monday to Saturday) and Palermo (Salemi; €8.60, 2½ hours, 15 daily).

There’s also regular train service to Trapani (€3.20, 30 minutes, 14 daily) and Palermo (€8.70, 3½ hours, six daily).

Ustica Lines ( 348 357 98 63; www.usticalines.it) runs daily hydrofoils to Favignana year-round (€8.80) and to Marettimo from June through September (€15.30).

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SALINE DI TRAPANI

Drive along the SS115 coast road between Marsala and Trapani and you will find yourself in a bleached landscape of shallow saline (salty pools) and softly shimmering heaps of salt. The salt from these pans is considered the best in Italy and has been big business since the 12th century. Now, however, only a cottage industry remains, providing for Italy’s more discerning dinner tables.

The most attractive spot along the coast is the Riserva Naturale di Stagnone, a shallow lagoon and noted wetlands area. In the foreground floats the site of ancient Mozia (see boxed text, opposite) on the tiny island of San Pantaleo, connected to the mainland by a Phoenician road that can still be seen at a depth of 1m below the water. The island is accessible by a private boat (€5 return), which departs every 25 minutes from 9am to 6:30pm.

The island (5km north of Marsala) was bought in 1888 by the amateur archaeologist Joseph Whitaker, who spent decades excavating and assembling the unique collection of Phoenician artefacts that now appear in the Whitaker Museum ( 0923 71 25 98; adult/concession €9/5; 9.30am-1.30pm & 2.30-6.30pm Mar-Sep). The museum’s main treasure is Il Giovinetto di Mozia, a marble statue of a young man in a pleated robe suggesting Carthaginian influences.

On the mainland near the pier is the small Museo Saline Ettore e Infersa ( 0923 73 30 03; admission €4; 9.30am-sunset Apr-Oct, by appointment Nov-Mar), a salt museum housed in an old windmill. The museum shows a film in multiple languages about the history of salt production in this area. Ask at the reception about renting bikes (€10 per half-day) and canoes (€6 per hour, summer only).

There’s a busy cafe, Mamma Caura ( 0923 96 60 36; meals €30-35), opposite the pier, with outdoor tables overlooking the lagoon. It’s a lovely place for an evening drink as the sun turns the saltpans rosy pink. The menu features dishes made with aglio rosso di Nubia, a variety of red garlic grown only in this area. Above the cafe, La Finestra sul Sale ( 348 380 4301) rents out three attractive beamed rooms (single/double €100/130) with views over the saltpans.

To get here from Marsala, take bus 4 from the Piazza del Popolo (€0.80, 25 minutes, Monday to Saturday).

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TRAPANI

pop 70,600

The lively port city of Trapani makes a wonderful base for exploring Sicily’s western tip. Its historic centre is filled with atmospheric pedestrian streets and some lovely churches and baroque buildings. The surrounding countryside is beautiful, ranging from the watery vastness of the coastal salt ponds to the rugged mountainous shoreline north of town.

Once situated at the heart of a powerful trading network that stretched from Carthage to Venice, Trapani’s sickle-shaped spit of land hugs the precious harbour, nowadays busy with a steady stream of tourists and traffic to and from Tunisia, Pantelleria and the Egadi Islands.

Orientation

The main bus station is on Piazza Montalto, with the train station around the corner on Piazza Umberto I. The cheaper hotels are in the heart of the old centre, about 500m west. Make for Piazza Scarlatti down Corso Italia. The narrow streets of the old part of town can be a nightmare to negotiate if you’re driving, so head for the port and park near there.

Information

Trapani has dozens of banks with ATMs.

SPOILS UNDERFOOT

In mid-2005 a Phoenician temple was unearthed in Mozia, at the site of the ancient city of Motya, after a portion of a lagoon was drained. When the pool began to fill up again, a freshwater spring was discovered, indicating that this was once probably a holy place. Phoenicians typically placed their cities on the coast near water springs, which for them symbolised a divine presence. Digs are continuing at the site after the thrilling discovery, which includes Phoenician columns and fragments of an obelisk. The most recent discovery in August 2006 was 40 sarcophagi unearthed at the sacred Phoenician burial grounds of nearby Birgi. The tombs were discovered by chance by a group of construction workers excavating the foundations of a house. Given Sicily’s extraordinary history as heir to many cultures and civilisations, it makes one ponder exactly what other riches are waiting to be discovered.

Sights

The narrow network of streets in Trapani’s historic centre remains a Moorish labyrinth, although it takes much of its character from the fabulous 18th-century baroque of the Spanish period – a catalogue of examples can be found down the pedestrianised Via Garibaldi. The best time to walk down here is in the early evening (around 7pm) when the passeggiata is in full swing.

Trapani’s other main street is Corso Vittorio Emanuele, punctuated by the huge Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Corso Vittorio Emanuele; 8am-4pm), with its baroque facade and stuccoed interior. Facing off the east end of the corso is another baroque confection, the Palazzo Senatorio.

Just off the corso, south along Via Generale Dom Giglio, is the Chiesa del Purgatorio ( 0923 56 28 82; Via San Francesco d’Assisi; 4-6.30pm), which houses the impressive 18th-century Misteri, 20 life-sized wooden effigies depicting the story of Christ’s Passion (used in I Misteri; see opposite).

Trapani’s major sight is the 14th-century Santuario dell’Annunziata (Via Conte Agostino Pepoli 179; 8am-noon & 4-7pm), 4km east of the centre. The Cappella della Madonna, behind the high altar, contains the venerated Madonna di Trapani, thought to have been carved by Nino Pisano.

Adjacent to the Santuario dell’Annunziata, in a former Carmelite monastery, is the Museo Nazionale Pepoli ( 0923 55 32 69; Via Conte Agostino Pepoli 200; adult/concession €4/free; 9am-1.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-12.30pm Sun). It houses the collection of Conte Pepoli, who made it his business to salvage much of Trapani’s local arts and crafts, not least the garish coral carvings – once all the rage in Europe before the banks of coral off Trapani were decimated. The museum also has a good collection of Gagini sculptures, silverwork, archaeological artefacts and religious artwork.

Festivals & Events

I Misteri (Easter Holy Week), Sicily’s most venerated Easter procession, is a four-day festival of extraordinary religious fervour. Nightly processions, bearing life-sized wooden effigies, make their way through the old quarter to a specially erected chapel in Piazza Lucatelli. The high point is on Good Friday when the celebrations reach fever pitch.

Sleeping

Trapani has a limited choice of small hotels and pensioni. The best options are, thankfully, in the historic centre.

Albergo Messina ( 0923 2 11 98; albergomessina@libero.it; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 71; s/d without bathroom €20/40) The entertaining Albergo Messina is run by an ancient Trapanesi couple. It is cheap and basic but a real insight into 1950s Italy. Beware of being greeted by a quizzical old guy in his dressing gown – he’s your host! Breakfast costs an extra €3.50.

B&B Ashram ( 0923 56 06 06; www.ashram.it; Via Martogna 16; d €60; ) This 16th-century former monastery 4km from Trapani on the road from Erice is being sensitively restored by the architect Fluvio and his wife. There are six rooms, plus a living room in the former sacristy; the adjacent chapel is also being restored to its former glory. There are superb views, and a farmyard of animals, including cows, chickens and donkeys, creates a delightful rural atmosphere.

Nuovo Albergo Russo ( 0923 2 21 63; www.nuovoalbergorusso.it; Via Tintori 4; s €40-45, d €70-85; ) This small, somewhat eccentric albergo is in a superb location across from the cathedral; the rooms have small balconies and are clean and bright. Some have been remodelled, but many retain their dated 1950s decor and furniture.

Ai Lumi B&B ( 0923 54 09 22; www.ailumi.it; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 71; s €50-70, d €80-100, 3-/4-/5-person apt €105/130/145; ) Housed in an 18th-century palazzo on Trapani’s most elegant pedestrian street, Ai Lumi offers good-value rooms and small apartments furnished with wrought-iron beds. Guests receive a discount at the Tavernetta Ai Lumi next door (right).

Eating

Sicily’s Arab heritage and Trapani’s unique position on the sea route to Tunisia have made couscous (‘cuscus’ or ‘kuscus’ as they spell it around here) a local speciality.

Angelino ( 0923 2 80 64; Via Ammiraglio Staiti 87; 6.30am-midnight) On the waterfront near the hydrofoil docks, this is a convenient place to pick up Sicilian sweets, snacks, light meals or other provisions before heading off to the islands.

Amici Miei ( 0923 2 59 07; Lungomare Dante Alighieri 30; pizzas €4-10; dinner) On balmy evenings, locals throng the sidewalk tables at this lively pizzeria across from Trapani’s northern waterfront.

Osteria La Bettolaccia ( 0923 2 16 95; Via Generale Enrico Fardella 25; meals €25-35; closed Sat lunch & Sun) An unwaveringly authentic, Slow Food–­recommended restaurant, this is the perfect place to try cuscus con pesce a zuppa (couscous with mixed seafood in a spicy fish sauce flavoured with tomatoes, garlic and parsley).

Tavernetta Ai Lumi ( 0923 87 24 18; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 73-77; meals €30-45) Converted from an 18th-century stable block, this tavern is rustic to the core. Exposed brickwork, heavy wooden furniture and huge arches lend the dining room great character, while the outside terrace, in the heart of historic Trapani, is delightful on summer evenings. The menu features plenty of fresh seafood along with superbly prepared local classics such as casarecce al pesto trapanese (pasta with a sauce of tomatoes, toasted almonds and garlic).

Taverna Paradiso ( 0923 2 23 03; Lungomare Dante Alighieri 22; meals €30-50; dinner daily, lunch Tue-Sat) This is Trapani’s best restaurant, where Dolce & Gabbana—clad women and bejewelled men gorge themselves on succulent seafood specialities from an encyclopaedic 24-page menu. Reservations are essential, as is donning the glad rags.

Getting There & Around

AIR

Trapani’s small Vincenzo Florio Airport (TPS; 0923 84 25 02) is 16km south of town at Birgi. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to and from Birmingham, Dublin and London Luton; other destinations include Pantelleria, Rome and Tunis.

AST buses connect Trapani’s port and bus station with the airport (€3.50, 45 minutes, hourly Monday to Saturday, seven on Sunday).

BOAT

Trapani’s main ferry terminal ( 0923 54 54 11) is located opposite Piazza Garibaldi. Inside you’ll find ticket offices for Tirrenia and Siremar ferries.

For Ustica Lines and Siremar hydrofoils, the ticket office and embarkation point is 150m further east along Via Ammiraglio Staiti.

Ustica Lines ( 0923 87 38 13; www.usticalines.it; Via Ammiraglio Staiti) runs hydrofoils year-round to Favignana (€9.80, 20 to 40 minutes depending on routing), Levanzo (€9.80, 20 to 40 minutes) and Marettimo (€17.30, one to 1½ hours), plus thrice-weekly summer-only services to Ustica (€24.40, three hours) and Naples (€89.40, seven hours).

Siremar ( 0923 54 54 55; www.siremar.it; Via Ammiraglio Staiti) runs ferries and hydrofoils to Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo for similar prices as Ustica Lines, plus a daily ferry to Pantelleria (€31, six hours) at midnight from June to September.

Tirrenia ( 0923 52 18 96; www.tirrenia.it; ferry terminal) runs a weekly service to Cagliari (seat €49, 2nd-class cabin €120, 10 hours).

Grimaldi Lines (www.grimaldi-ferries.com) also runs weekly services to Tunisia (€50, eight hours) and Civitavecchia (€80, 14 hours). Tickets can be purchased at Egatours.

BUS

Intercity buses arrive and depart from the new City Terminal bus station on Piazza Papa Giovanni Paolo II. Tickets can be bought from kiosks in the station or at Egatours near the port.

Segesta ( 0923 2 17 54) runs express buses connecting Trapani with Palermo (€8.60, two hours, hourly Monday to Saturday). You can board at the bus stop across the street from Egatours or at the bus station.

AST ( 0923 2 32 22) runs from Trapani’s bus station to Erice (one way/return €2.20/3.40, 45 minutes, 10 daily) and Marsala (one way/return €3/4.90, 30 minutes, four daily). Autoservizi Tarantola ( 0924 3 10 20) runs service to Segesta (one way/return €3.40/5.60, 35 to 50 minutes, four daily).

Lumia ( 0923 2 17 54) buses serve Agrigento (€11.10, three to four hours, one to three daily).

Two free city buses (No 10 and 11) do circular trips through Trapani, connecting the bus station, the train station and the port.

TRAIN

Trapani is linked to Palermo (€7.35, 2½ hours, 10 daily) and Marsala (€3.20, 30 minutes, 14 daily). The train is the best option for travelling along this coast.

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ERICE

pop 28,600 / elev 751m

One of Italy’s most spectacular hill towns, Erice combines medieval charm with astounding 360-degree views. Erice sits on the legendary Mt Eryx (750m); on a clear day, you can see Cape Bon in Tunisia. Wander the medieval tangle of streets interspersed by churches, forts and tiny cobbled piazzas. The town has a seductive history as a centre for the cult of Venus. Settled by the mysterious Elymians, Erice was an obvious abode for the goddess of love, and the town followed the peculiar ritual of sacred prostitution, with the prostitutes themselves accommodated in the Temple of Venus. Despite countless invasions, the temple remained intact – no guesses why.

Erice’s tourist infrastructure is excellent. Posted throughout town, you’ll find bilingual (Italian-English) informational displays along with town maps displaying suggested walking routes.

Information

The tourist office ( 0923 86 93 88; strerice@regione.sicilia.it; Via Tommaso Guarrasi 1; 8.30am-2pm Mon-Fri, plus 3.30-6pm Wed) is in the centre of town.

Sights

The best views can be had from Giardino del Balio, which overlooks the rugged turrets and wooded hillsides down to the saltpans of Trapani and the sea. Adjacent to the gardens is the Norman Castello di Venere (Via Castello di Venere), built in the 12th and 13th centuries over the Temple of Venus where all that debauchery was taking place. The castle now houses the town’s most exclusive hotel, Torri Pepoli (see opposite).

There are several churches and monuments in the small, quiet town and you can purchase a €5 ticket to visit the lot. Especially lovely are the 14th-century Chiesa Matrice (Via Vito Carvini; admission €2; 10am-8pm May-Sep, 10am-6pm Oct-Apr), just inside Porta Trapani, and its adjacent bell tower, Torre di Re Federico (admission €2), where climbing the 110 steps rewards you with fabulous views. Together the church and tower form a truly graceful ensemble.

Sleeping & Eating

Erice has some excellent hotels and, after the tourists have left, the town assumes a beguiling medieval air.

Hotel San Giovanni ( 0923 86 91 71; www.hotelsangiovannierice.it; Via Nunzio Nasi 12; s/d €45/75, with full-board €67/114; ) This excellent budget choice in a former convent enjoys some of the most stunning views in town. Public areas are glossily marbled while the rooms are plain with tiny bathrooms.

Hotel Moderno ( 0923 86 93 00; www.hotelmodernoerice.it; Via Vittorio Emanuele 63; s €70-90, d €95-120; ) The ironically named Moderno is one of Erice’s oldest hotels, dating back to the 1880s. Cosy and small, it retains a lovely, distinguished air and features rooms with bright rugs and mismatched furniture that somehow work together. The friendly owner speaks impeccable English.

Hotel Elimo ( 0923 86 93 77; www.hotelelimo.it; Via Vittorio Emanuele 23; s €80-110, d €110-130, ste €170; ) Elimo is in an atmospheric historic house with tiled beams and marble fireplaces. The eccentric owner has filled his communal rooms with intriguing art, knick-knacks and antiques. The bedrooms are more mainstream, although many – along with the hotel terrace and restaurant – have breathtaking vistas.

Torri Pepoli ( 0923 86 01 17; www.torripepoli.it; Giardini del Balio; d €150-240, ste €300-500; ) Be king (or queen) of the castle and stay in one of Sicily’s grandest hotels, opened in 2005. There are just six rooms, plus a suite in the tower. The rooms are brightly coloured and exquisitely decorated to blend with the natural stone and embellishments; the bathroom in room 1 is set into the rock side. The restaurant lives up to royal expectations (meals €35 to €40).

Osteria di Venere ( 0923 86 93 62; Via Roma 6; meals €20-30; closed Wed) Downhill from Erice’s main square en route to the castle, this traditional, family-run tavern makes excellent regional food, with special emphasis on grilled meat and fish.

Erice has a tradition of dolci ericini (Erice sweets) made by the local nuns. There are numerous pastry shops in town, such as Antica Pasticceria del Convento ( 0923 86 97 77; Via Guarnotti). Try the bellibrutti, dense marzipan concoctions bursting with the fragrance of almonds and lemons.

Getting There & Away

There’s a regular AST bus service to and from Trapani (one way/return €2.20/3.40, 45 minutes). A funicular (tickets €3; 12.30-9.30pm Mon, 8.30am-9.30pm Tue-Fri, 9.30am-midnight Sat & Sun) also runs from opposite Erice’s main car park (at the foot of Via Vittorio Emanuele) to Via Martogna in Trapani.

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SEGESTA

elev 304m

The ancient Elymians must have been great aesthetes if their choice of sites for cities is any indication. Along with Erice, they founded Segesta. Set on the edge of a deep canyon in the midst of wild, desolate mountains, this huge 5th-century-BC temple is a magical site. On windy days its 36 giant columns are said to act like an organ, producing mysterious notes.

The city was in constant conflict with Selinunte in the south, whose destruction it sought with dogged determination and singular success. Time, however, has done to Segesta what violence inflicted on Selinunte; little remains now, save the theatre and the never-completed Doric temple ( 0924 95 23 56; adult/concession €6/2.50; 9am-4pm Nov-Mar, 9am-7pm Apr-Aug), the latter dating from around 430 BC and remarkably well preserved. A shuttle bus (€1.50) runs every 30 minutes from the temple entrance 1.5km uphill to the theatre.

During July and August, performances of Greek plays are staged in the theatre. For information, contact the tourist office in Trapani.

Segesta is accessible by Tarantola ( 0924 3 10 20) buses from Trapani (one way/return €3.40/5.60, 35 to 50 minutes, four daily in summer). Otherwise catch a train from Trapani (€3.20, 25 minutes, three daily) or Palermo (€6.65, two hours, three daily) to Segesta Tempio; the site is then a 20-minute walk away. There are signs to direct you.

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GOLFO DI CASTELLAMMARE

Saved from development and road projects by local protests, the tranquil Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro ( 0924 3 51 08; www.riservazingaro.it; adult/concession €3/2; 7am-7.30pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) is the star attraction on the gulf. Sicily’s and Italy’s first nature reserve, Zingaro’s wild coastline is a haven for the rare Bonelli’s eagle along with 40 other species of bird. Mediterranean flora dusts the hillsides with wild carob and bright yellow euphorbia, and hidden coves, such as Marinella Bay, provide tranquil swimming spots. The main entrance to the park is 2km from Scopello. There are several walking trails, which are detailed on maps available for free at the entrance. You can also download these from the website (in Italian only).

Cetaria Diving Center ( 0924 54 11 77; www.cetaria.com; Via Marco Polo 3) in Scopello organises dives and underwater tours of the nature reserve from the Tonnara di Scopello in summer.

Once home to tuna fishers, Scopello now mainly hosts tourists, although outside of peak summer season it retains some of its sleepy village atmosphere. Its port, 1km below town by footpath or 2.5km by car, is extremely picturesque, with a rust-red tonnara (tuna processing plant) and faraglioni (rock spires) rising out of the water.

There are plenty of places to stay and eat clustered around the old manor house at the centre of town. The comfortable rooms at La Tavernetta ( 0924 54 11 29; www.albergolatavernetta.it; Via Diaz 3; s €55-75, d €68-95; ) are enhanced by free wi-fi, parking (a hot commodity hereabouts) and an excellent restaurant downstairs. Nearby, Pensione Tranchina ( 0924 54 10 99; www.pensionetranchina.com; Via Diaz 7; B&B per person €36-46, half-board per person €55-69) is another good choice. Il Baglio ( 0924 54 12 00; Baglio Isonzo 4; pizzas €4-9), despite its hilariously bad attempts at English translation, serves great pizza in the huge cobblestoned courtyard at the heart of town.

AST buses run from Trapani to Castellammare del Golfo (€3.70, five daily), where you can make onward connections to Scopello (€2.20, four daily).

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EGADI ISLANDS

For centuries the Egadi islanders have lived off the sea – most famously from the tuna harvest in spring. The lucrative industry caused successive conquerors to fortify the islands until the 17th century, when they were sold to Genovese bankers and ultimately passed into the hands of business tycoon Ignazio Florio, who made his fortune from them.

These days the waters around the islands have been overfished and the tuna fishery (once the only cannery in Europe) is long closed. Tourism has become the main earner – even the mattanza, the ritual slaughtering of tuna, has become a spectator sport (see boxed text, right).

Ferries and hydrofoils run between the islands and to Trapani. Click here for details.

Levanzo, Favignana & Marettimo

Closest to Trapani lies Levanzo, the smallest island of the archipelago, inhabited by just a handful of people due to its lack of fresh water. A steady stream of tourists visit here, however, mainly to see the ancient rock carvings at Grotta del Genovese. The huge cave exhibits Mesolithic and Neolithic etchings ‘painted’ on the walls using animal fat and carbon. Fittingly, there’s one image of the tuna that, even then, must have been revered. In all, the prehistoric art comprises 29 animals and four fragile human figures. The cave can be visited by sea (if you negotiate with one of the fishermen at the port). Contact Signor Natale Castiglione, the custodian ( 0923 92 40 32, 339 741 88 00; ncasti@tin.it; visits by foot/boat €6/12; 10am-1pm & 3-6pm).

The largest of the islands is butterfly-shaped Favignana, dominated by Monte Santa Caterina. It is pleasant to explore on bicycle as it’s almost completely flat, and around the coast tufa quarries are carved out of the crystal-clear waters – most notably around Cala Rossa and Cala Cavallo. Wander around the tonnara at the port. It was closed at the end of the 1970s due to the general crisis in the local tuna fishing industry.

Given the history, this is unsurprisingly an excellent place to pick up tuna-related products. Capricci del Tonno ( 0923 92 24 91; Piazza Madrice) and Casa del Tonno ( 0923 92 22 27; Via Roma 12) are two great little shops filled to the rafters with smoked and canned blue-fin tuna, bottarga (roe), sardines and a host of other fishy delicacies.

Elyos ( 0923 92 25 87; elyos.coop@libero.it; Piazza Madrice 37; 9am-12.30pm & 4.30-7pm Mon-Sat year-round, 9.30am-12.30pm Sun Jun-Sep) provides tourist information and internet access (€1 per 10 minutes) in Favignana town, with a summer-only branch at the port. You will find dive-hire outlets at the small harbour, and bicycles or scooters for rent all over town.

The last of the islands, and the most distant, is Marettimo. A few hundred people live mostly in the tiny village on the eastern coast and there are no roads. The island’s crystal-clear waters are the main attraction for divers. Alternatively, you can explore some of the 400 grottoes along the rocky coast by arranging an excursion with one of the local fishermen at the port.

SLEEPING & EATING

There’s good accommodation on Favignana and two hotels on Levanzo. There are no hotels on Marettimo, but some of the locals let out rooms, so ask around.

During the mattanza and in August you’ll have trouble finding a bed without an advance booking.

Albergo Egadi ( 0923 92 12 32; www.albergoegadi.it; Via Colombo 17, Favignana; s €65-115, d €100-200) This small albergo, whose friendly staff and food earn rave reviews from guests, has 12 rooms decorated in soft blues and pinks with wafting chiffon curtains. Its restaurant is among the best on the islands (meals €35 to €45, dinner daily).

Trattoria Due Colonne ( 0923 92 22 91; Piazza Madrice 76; meals €20-30; lunch & dinner) With down-to-earth Sicilian home cooking, cheery blue-and-orange decor, outdoor seating on Favignana’s main square and that rarest of all rarities – no cover charge – Due Colonne makes an appealing lunch spot.

Levanzo has slim pickings for staying overnight. The best hotel, Albergo Paradiso ( 0923 92 40 80; Via Lungomare; half-board per person €60-75; ), is a whitewashed building with sea-blue trim, a geranium-clad terrace and a happy holiday feel.

LA MATTANZA

A centuries-old tradition, the Egadi Islands’ mattanza (the ritual slaughter of tuna) is on the critical list. For centuries, shoals of tuna have used the waters around western Sicily as a mating ground. Locals recall the golden days when it wasn’t uncommon to catch giant breeding tuna of between 200kg and 300kg. Today, tuna stocks are less than 70% of what they were in the 1970s due to competition from long-line trawlers and, more recently, a new ‘hi-tech mattanza’ that deploys satellite detection to scour the oceans for the schools of tuna; high-speed fishing fleets subsequently capture the tuna in huge nets and cages. Several countries are involved and there’s EU and (some say) Mafia investment. Most of the tuna heads for Japan where it ends up daubed with wasabi as tuna sushi, the country’s veritable national dish.

Meanwhile on Favignana the mattanza is putting up a fight and reinventing itself as a tourist attraction. From around 20 May to 10 June visitors flock here to witness the event. For a fee you can watch the fishermen from nearby boats (ask at the tourist office on Favignana) but be prepared: you will need a strong stomach (if any fish are caught, that is). It’s a bloody affair with up to eight or more tonnarottis (tuna fishermen) sinking huge hooks into a tuna and dragging it aboard. The word mattanza comes from the Spanish word matar (to kill). No surprises there.

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PANTELLERIA

This volcanic outcrop is Sicily’s largest offshore island, although it lies closer to Tunisia than it does to Sicily. Buffeted by winds, even in August, the island is characterised by jagged lava stone, low-slung caper bushes, dwarf vines, steaming fumaroles and the Bagno dell’Aqua (Lago di Venere) mud baths near Bugeber. Near Siba, at the summit of Montagna Grande (836m), there are also steaming natural saunas, Stufa del Bagno di Arturo.

Pantelleria has no true beaches, but its gorgeous, secluded coves are perfect for snorkelling and diving. The northeastern end of the island provides the best spots with a popular acquacalda at Gadir. Here you can while away your day wallowing like a walrus in the hot, shallow springs. Further down the coast you’ll find ever more scenic spots such as Cala Tramontana, Cala Levante and Balata dei Turchi. Boat excursions are available from numerous companies along the waterfront.

The island has excellent hiking trails, not only along the coast but in the high vineyard country of Piana di Ghirlanda. Near Mursia on the west coast, there are also some signposted but poorly maintained remnants of sesi (ancient funerary monuments), evidence of a Bronze Age settlement. Many of the tombs have been destroyed and the lava rock used to build the famous dammusi (houses with thick, whitewashed walls and shallow cupolas). The exotic and remote atmosphere of Pantelleria has long made it a favourite with celebrities from Truman Capote to Sting, Madonna and Giorgio Armani, who has his own dammuso here.

There’s a small tourist office ( 0923 91 18 38; www.pantelleria.com; Piazza Cavour; 8.30am-1.30pm Mon-Fri, plus 4-6.30pm Tue & Thu) in the corner of the Municipal Hall.

Sleeping & Eating

Summer accommodation bookings should be made well in advance. While you can save money by staying in Pantelleria town, the places in the surrounding countryside are much more appealing and generally have their own restaurants.

Papuscia Resort ( 0923 91 54 63; www.papuscia.it; Contrada Sopra Portella 48, Tracino; s €50-75, d €70-120; ) In the hills on the island’s east side, this delightful stone-clad B&B is set in a lovely garden.

Zubebi Resort ( 0923 91 36 53; www.zubebi.com; Contrada Zubebi; per week d €980-2000, ste €1200-2600; ) A complex made up of traditional dammusi. Inside the decor is austere minimalism, smooth concrete walls and Indian furnishings. Attractions include an uberstylish crescent-shaped pool, on-site mountain bikes and scooters and free airport pickup. Weekly rental only.

Il Cappero ( 0923 91 26 01; Via Roma 33; meals €25-30; dinner) For good-value dining in town, try this unpretentious trattoria-pizzeria. They serve excellent pasta and fish dishes, including the local speciality ravioli con menta e ricotta (ravioli with mint and ricotta cheese).

Getting There & Away

Meridiana (www.meridiana.it) and Alitalia (www.alitalia.com) offer regular flights to Pantelleria from Palermo and Trapani, plus limited service to additional cities on the Italian mainland. A local bus (€1) connects the airport with Pantelleria town.

Siremar ( 0923 91 11 20; www.siremar.it; Via Borgo Italia 65) runs one ferry daily between Trapani and Pantelleria (low/high season €27/31).

La Cossira ( 0923 91 10 78; www.lacossira.com; Via Borgo Italia 77; 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Mon-Sat), a waterfront travel agency in Pantelleria town, handles air tickets, dammuso bookings and general tourist queries.

Local buses (€1) depart from Piazza Cavour in Pantelleria town at regular intervals each day (except Sunday) and service all the towns on the island. Alternatively, Autonoleggio Policardo ( 0923 91 28 44; Via Messina 31) rents out scooters (from €25 per day) and cars (from €35 per day) from its offices at the port and the airport.


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