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TravelTips24 : Europe : Mediterranean Europe : Italy : Sicily

Sicily

Sicily (Sicilia) is a rugged and attractive island on the southern tip of Italy, and is one of the country's 20 regions. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5 km Straits of Messina. It can get very hot during the summer, so it is better to visit during spring and autumn, whilst it is still quite pleasant during winter.

Cities

Main cities

  • Agrigento - to the south and particularly noted for the Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples)(UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Catania - busy university city & #1 economic center, great for nightlife, the gate to Mount Etna (World Heritage)
  • Cefalù - Sicily's main beach resort, with an attractive old town
  • Enna - medieval town on the top of a mountain, in the middle of Sicily
  • Marsala - Interesting museum, home of the famous wine
  • Mazara del Vallo - Arab influences including a Couscous festival
  • Messina - busy city & link to the mainland
  • Palermo - throbbing capital, plenty of sights
  • Ragusa - impressive baroque architecture (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Syracuse (Siracusa) - attractive old town and greek ruins (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Taormina - the main resort & tourist spot. Great Teatro Greco and views of Etna and the coast.
  • Trapani - attractive city and gateway to Pantelleria and the Egadi islands

Brief review of Sicily

Sicilia

Interesting fact: Italy is famous for its sports cars (Ferrari, Lamborghini), and for the Vespa motor scooter.

Surroundings: Highest mountain in Sicily: The highest mountain in Sicilia is Mount Etna-which is close to the towns Messina and Catania, on Sicilia’s east coast. It is the highest active volcano in Europe, ranging out at three-thousand-three-hundred and twenty-nine metres. Longest River in Sicilia: The longest river in Sicilia is the Salso River-also known as the Imera Meridionale. It goes for a length of one-hundred and forty-four kilometres. Capital City of Sicilia: The capital city of Sicilia is Palermo. It has an area of one-hundred and fifty-eight square kilometres.

Interesting fact: During the fourteenth century the Bubonic Plague, known as the "Black Death", killed one-third of the Italian population.

Religion: The main religion in Italy today is Roman Catholicism-the pope lives in Roma, so I wasn’t surprised when I found that out. Eighty-seven point eight percent of the Italian population consists of Roman Catholics, in fact. Roughly, ninety percent are Catholic, seven percent aren’t religious, two percent are Islamic and one percent of the population belongs to another religion.

Interesting fact: Archimedes, one of the world's most famous mathematicians, was born in Sicily.

Currency: The currency in Italy-and fifteen other European countries-is Euro (€). Euro coin (right) consists of the same numbers-apart from one cent and two cent-in our money system. Coins include-One euro cent, Two euro cents, five euro cents, ten euro cents, twenty euro cents, fifty euro cents, one euro and two euro. There are also notes (bottom left). These include-five euro, ten euro, twenty euro, fifty euro, one-hundred euro, two-hundred euro, and five-hundred euro. The exchange rate is fifty-three cents for an Australian dollar.

Lira: The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. One dollar is equal to one-thousand and thirty-two Italian lire (lire being the plural of lira). It was changed over for Euro in nineteen ninety-nine.

Interesting fact: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was set in Verona, Italy.

Language: Italian is the national language for Italy. Standard Italian is spoken all around Italy-including Sicily. Here is a translated sentence: Hi, my name is Jake. Here is my assignment on Sicilia. I hope you enjoy it. Ciao, il mio nome è Jake. Ciò è la mia assegnazione sulla Sicilia. Spero che lo godiate. There are only twenty one letters in the Italian alphabet-and the letters that don’t have a part in the Italian alphabet are J, K, W, X, and Y.

Interesting fact: The city of Pompeii was completely buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD!

National Food: There is actually no national food for Italy or Sicilia. There are foods like pasta-which was actually a stolen idea from the Chinese-or pizza which are Italian foods, but both of them were originally not their idea. Sicilians do have a taste for sweet things, though, and are renown for being the best dessert makers in Italy. Sicilians also have a thing for herbs and spices-in particular, rosemary and jasmine.

Interesting fact: The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the burial cloth of none other than Jesus Christ.

Other cities

Other destinations

Nature and main archaeological sites

Beaches

Islands

Mountains

  • Mount Etna - the impressive 3323m high active volcano virtual tour
  • Gole dell'Alcantara - a deep impressive gorge carved by the Alcantara river on the edge of Etna
  • Madonie - Madonie National Park, the national Park in the Heart of Sicily
  • Monti Iblei - The highest peak is Monte Lauro (986mt), Parco degli Iblei.

Archaeological sites

  • Noto Centro StoricoNoto was once situated on Mount Alveria but destroyed by an earthquake in Val di Noto in 1693 and was rebuilt in another site in Baroque style

Culture and History

Sicily have a long history of foreign domination, from the Greeks to the Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish. Even Napoleon went here for a while. The result is a mixed culture where every single domination left something to see, to taste, to ear.

Sicily is a huge island where every little city seem to have its own culture. You will find great variety of local specialities in all cities over the island.

What else ? They are proud people and most of them are a little bit conservative, but open-minded to visitors.

Talk

Natives of Sicily speak Sicilian, an ancient Romance language that is comprised of many different languages (Spanish, Latin, French, Arabic, among others) and is considered an entirely separate language from Italian.

Most Sicilians are proficient in Italian and modern day schools are teaching English to students. You can not count on being understood in English. You may have better luck with French. Be advised that when traveling to small villages, the people (especially the older residents) may not speak Italian. Even though Italian is the national language, Sicilian is still very alive in Sicily. They may ask you "Comu ti senti" instead of "Come stai".

If a Sicilian wants to say they don't speak English, they will most likely respond with "iu unn parru inglisi"

Usually Sicilians will get offended if you say Ciao to them if you don't know them. Instead, say "salatamu". That will get you a warm reception. Throwing in Sicilians words will impress the natives. Using the word "minchia" in public is not a smart idea, because it is considered very rude.

Also, saying that Sicily and mainland Italy are the same will most likely create a problem for you. Treat Sicilians as their own people, not as Italians. For example, if you are of Sicilian descent, and don't live in Sicily, tell them (if you can't say in Sicilian) La famiglia è dalla Sicilia!! (La città di Palermo, etc.. meaning the city or commune of..)

Travel to Sicily & Visa Requirements

By Plane / Airports

Sicily's main airports are in Palermo and Catania.

  • Catania (CTA) is the larger/busyest airport, with domestic flights to most parts of Italy, some international routes and many charter flights.
  • Palermo (PMO) is the second aiport, with a good range of domestic flights and international budget flights.
  • Trapani (TPS) is the third airport with a recent increase of traffic thanks to the low-cost Ryanair and AirBee.
  • Ragusa/Comiso Airport (CIY) is a new airport and should open in Spring 2009 for low-cost and charter flights.
  • There are also two other smaller airports in Sicily on the minor islands of Pantelleria (PNL) and Lampedusa (LMP) connected to Italy.
  • Palermo-Boccadifalco (LICP) is a military airport open to national civil traffic.

By Train

Sicily is linked to the main Italian train network at Messina. Long distance trains from Rome and Naples cross the Straits of Messina by ferry and continue on to Palermo and Catania.

From Naples, it usually takes 10 hours, 12 from Rome, depending how long you wait for the ferry at Messina. On the ferry, you should get on the deck and watch the sea. It's a wonderful view, but don't forget the number of your train.

Be aware: Trains on the island are very slow, for example it takes more than 7 hours between Siracusa and Trapani and it's about 450 km.

Buses to Sicily

Long-distance buses link Rome and Naples to Catania and Palermo.

By Boat

Large, slow car ferries link Palermo with Naples, Genoa, Livorno, Sardinia and other Mediterranean destinations. The are also car ferries between Milazzo, the Aeolian Islands and Naples, and between Trapani and Tunis. From Catania you can reach Naples and Malta. See Central Med Ferries

Across the Straits of Messina, there are at least hourly ferries between Messina on Sicily and Villa San Giovanni on the mainland. There are also several hydrofoils each day between Messina and Reggio di Calabria.

There are Catamarans and ferries running to/ from Malta from Pozzallo (90 mins) and Catania 3hrs. This service is provided by Virtu Ferries

Getting around

Be careful, although public transport is very good during the week, there are not many services on Sundays - check the timetable carefully and ask the locals.

By Car

The main roads are good, with four highways (Catania-Palermo, Palermo-Mazzara and Catania-Noto witch are free and Messina-Palermo where you have to pay). Little roads, mainly in mountain zones, are slower but offer great views.

Motorways

A18 Messina - Catania (toll)

A18 Catania - Siracusa (under costruction)

A18 Siracusa - Ragusa - Gela (under costruction - open from Siracusa to Noto)

A19 Palermo - Catania (free)

A20 Messina - Palermo (toll)

A29 Palermo - Mazzara (free)

A29dir Alcamo - Trapani (free)

By Train

The railway network in Sicily is quite good and cheap. Regular, quite fast trains run on the main lines between Messina and Palermo and Catania, with fewer trains on the other routes. See www.trenitalia.com

By Bus

The bus network in Sicily is quite extensive and cheap. The main hubs are Palermo and Catania, but routes link most of the main towns frequently and most small towns at least once a day. From virtually any town you will be able to get a bus direct to Palermo.

By Boat

There are regular ferries and hydrofoils from Sicily to its Islands, although services are somewhat reduced during Spring and Autumn and even more so during Winter. For timetables see a summary at: Booking Italia or the individual companies: SIREMAR, Ustica Lines and NGI. The main routes are:

Flights and airtickets to Sicily

If you have less time and more money, there are flights to Pantelleria and Lampedusa.

From Enna Water Aerodrome (Nicoletti Lake) with Amphibious aircrafts you can reach the Aeolian Islands, Palermo and Siracusa.

Sicily attractions and sightseeing

Itineraries

Sicily holiday : Informational guide describing the magnifiecent mediterranean Island - Sicily.

Sicily city tours

  • Sicily tours and tour guides [2] Suggestions for tours and itineraries all over Sicily directly from Sicilian tour guides
  • Bike tours in Sicily [3] Guided and self-guided tours through Sicily, mediterranean island of myth and legend.
  • Yacht charter in Sicily [4] Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to luxury yacht in Sicily and Calabria.

* Walking Tours [5] Guided tours in Sicily and specialising in the Madonie National Park. Sicilian Gems is a UK, Sicilian based agency based in the Park.

  • The Charme of Sicily, [6]The most original and refined tour of Sicily, for individuals. A programme of “global” discovery in small groups (max 14 pax in minibus): from the major, not to be missed, classical sites (Segesta, The Valley of Temples, Piazza Armerina, Syracuse) to the historical and artistic sites of the Medieval, Norman, Baroque and Liberty eras (Erice, Taormina, Ortigia, Acireale, Catania, Palermo) and the boldest exhibitions of contemporary art.

Sicily Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Making the most of its island coasts, Sicily has some of the world's best cuisine to offer. Much of the island's food is made with creatures of the sea. Unlike the northern parts of Italy, cream and butter are hardly used for typical dishes in Sicily. Instead, the natives usually substitute tomatoes, lard (rarely) or olive oil. The cuisine is very exotic and has many spices and unique flavors to offer. Sicilians cultivate a uniquely Sicilian type of olive tree, which they affectionately call the "saracena". The food is typically Mediterranean but there are strong hints of Arabic and Spanish flavor (Sicily was conquered by many people during its long history). Sicilians like spices and have particular affinity for almond, jasmine, rosemary, mint and basil.

Sicilians have notorious sweet tooths and are among the best dessert makers in Italy. Try the cannoli (tubular pastries filled with sweet ricotta cheese), granita (ices mixed with real crushed fruit and their juices), and their most famous export, cassata (Arabic inspired cake). Make sure not to pass up the pine nut and almond cookies, as they are always a crowd pleaser.

Arancini (sometimes Arancine), fried rice balls with fillings, is a Sicilian fast food that is relatively cheap. They can be hard to find outside of Sicily, so try them while you're there.

Sicily nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Sicilians are not big alcohol drinkers (Sicily has the lowest rate of alcoholism in all of Italy) despite the fact that the island is home to more vineyards than any other Italian region and boasts one of Italy's most progressive wine industries. Noted mainly in the past for strong bulk wines and often sweet Moscato and Marsala, the island has switched its emphasis toward lighter, fruitier white and red wines.

Sicily is divided into three main producing wine districts:

  • Trapani province in the west;
  • Etna in the east;
  • Noto and Ragusa on the South east tip.

Most well-known Sicilian wines: Nero d'Avola, Bianco d'Alcamo, Malvasia, Passito di Pantelleria, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco.

Some Sicilian wine producers: Planeta; Cusumano; Tasca d’Almerita; Tenuta di Donnafugata; Feudo Principi di Butera (Zonin); Morgante; Duca di Salaparuta; Benanti; Palari; Firriato; Marco De Batoli; Salvatore Murana; Icone.srl ( http://www.ic1.it).

Sicilians enjoy a fruity lemon liquor called Limoncello during the long, hot, and dry summers.

Stay safe

Like in most of Italy, you should be aware of pickpockets. There is not to much violence, but some neighborhoods can be hazardous, especially some suburbs in great cities like Catania, Messina or Palermo.

In the train, especially during the night, try to stay among others.

Get out

This page was last edited at 18:27, on 13 November 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by David, Salvo and Rob Salmon, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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