Sicily
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Sicily - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Bar Vitelli
Though the bar first opened in 1962—and the building has been around since the 1400s—this little café didn't gain worldwide popularity until Francis Ford Coppola chose it as the setting of significant scenes in The Godfather. In fact, prior to Coppola, the bar didn't even have an official name. He chose "Bar Vitelli" for his fictional café, had the name painted on the exterior wall, and the name has stuck for decades. Here, Michael Corleone famously asked Apollonia to marry him. And most street scenes where Michael is seen walking up the road were filmed on the building's side. The interior of the café functions as a small museum of the filming that happened in Savoca, with film stills and photos throughout. Outside, small tables sit under fairy lights and an arbor of vines. Be sure to order a lemon granita with a splash of Zibbibo, a sweet dessert wine. And though the rest of Sicily serves granita with brioche, here you'll find lightly sweetened "zuccarata" cookies.
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2. Calascibetta and the Byzantine Village
Just a 20-minute drive from Enna, occupying a similarly dramatic crag-top, the town of Calascibetta is built atop a honeycomb of caves, most of them hidden from sight as they form the cellars of simple houses. Look closely, however, and you’ll spot some houses built straight into the rock, and keep an eye open if anyone opens a garage door as there may well be a cave inside. An entire network of these caves has been uncovered—and is evocatively floodlit at night—on Via Carcere. Head up to Piazza San Pietro, where there are the ruins of a Norman tower and panoramic views. Follow signs from Calascibetta to the “Villaggio Bizantino” and you’ll come to a stunning complex of caves overlooking a magnificent valley inhabited (and used as a cemetery) from ancient times until the Byzantine period, when some of the caves were turned into tiny churches. The caves continued to be used by shepherds as shelter for themselves and their flocks until relatively recently. Today, the villaggio is run by volunteers, who will organize guided tours and walks in English, and introduce you to some of the local shepherds and cheesemakers. It's always open Friday and Saturday, but reach out in advance if you want to visit another day. Not far from the villagio (and clearly signposted from Calascibetta), there is another series of caves (not guarded) at Realmese which you can scramble into and explore alone (but be careful as the rock is slippy). From here, a clearly marked track leads back to the village, a walk of just over 3 miles.
Casa del Maestro, Enna, Sicily, 94010, Italy328-3748553Sight Details
Rate Includes: €8 -
3. Caseari Di Venti
This husband-and-wife team makes artisanal cheese from the rare breed sheep that graze on their fields, and also grows and collects their own saffron to make a distinctive local cheese, Piacentino Ennese, flavored with saffron and studded with black peppercorns. If you want to watch the whole cheese-making process, you will need to book several days ahead and be prepared to rise well before dawn. Otherwise, give them a ring and pop by for a morning bowl of hot ricotta curds with fresh bread. Groups of nine or more can book a lunch or an aperitif.
Contrada Tresaudo, Enna, Sicily, 94010, Italy338-8454255Sight Details
Rate Includes: From €10 -
4. Castello di Caccamo
A visit to this fantastic castle, the biggest in Sicily and one of the grandest in all of Italy, is like stepping into the Middle Ages, complete with a well-stocked medieval armory, creepy dungeon prison, and elegant upper-level rooms decorated with detailed woodwork carving and majolica ceramic floors. The castle was the property of the Chiaramontes, once a powerful Sicilian aristocratic family. The views of the Rosamina lake and valley below are beyond spectacular.
Corso Umberto I, Caccamo, Sicily, 90012, Italy091-8149252Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4 -
5. Himera Archeological Area and Museum
Not far from Termini is the hamlet of Buonfornello, a precious archaeological site that includes the remains of the ancient city of Himera, founded by Greek settlers in 648 BC. Hannibal later destroyed ancient Himera in 409 BC, and the surviving population moved to the nearby thermal springs, which later became Termini Imerese. The outdoor archaeological area houses the ruins of many Roman temples and buildings. The more precious items recovered from the excavations are housed in the on-site museum. These include artifacts like bronze and ceramic vases and intricate artworks made with other precious metals.
Buonfornello, Palermo, Sicily, 90018, Italy091-8140128Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4, Closed Mon. -
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6. Lago di Pergusa, Cozzo Matrice, and the Grotta di Ade
According to legend, it was at the huge natural lake of Pergusa that the Greek goddess Persephone was abducted by Hades and taken to live with him in hell. Ringed these days by a motor-racing track and overlooked by modern villas, a less evocative setting for the myth would be hard to imagine. Far more inspiring is the nearby hilltop known as Cozzo Matrice, riddled with caves that have niches carved into their walls for tombs, votive objects, and candles, with 360-degree views stretching as far as Mount Etna and the coast. One of the caves is known as the Grotta di Ade, or Cave of Hades, and would indeed be a far more resonant spot for his abduction of Persephone to the Underworld than the over-exploited lake.
Str. Vicinale Monte Salerno 289, Enna, Sicily, 94100, Italy -
7. Parco delle Madonie
Castelbuono is located just outside this 80,000-acre regional park of the Madonie Mountains, which means it is a perfect spot to explore the splendid natural reserve. There are walking paths, camping areas, horse-riding, mountain biking, and caving activities to experience. You can even just simply take a scenic drive out into the park for a picnic.
Corso Paolo Agliata 16, Castelbuono, Sicily, 90013, Italy0921-684011Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
8. San Vito Lo Capo Beach
There are numerous small, niche swimming spots in the Capo San Vito area, but the grandest and by far the most popular beach of all—and the centerpiece of the whole town—is San Vito Lo Capo's beach, a blissful arc of silky, white sand at the foot of Monte Monaco. Most of its length of nearly 3 km (1.8 miles) is public and free to use, but sections have been roped off as private lidos, where you'll pay €15–€20 for a full day's use of sunbeds and a parasol, plus access to bars and bathroom facilities. Needless to say, both public and private beaches get intensely crowded in July and August, which is the perfect time to seek out all those other lesser-known beaches in the vicinity. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: families; swimming; watersports; walking.
San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily, Italy -
9. Sant'Angelo Muxara and the Val di Kam Experience
A beautifully kept hill village of neat stone houses and cobbled streets, Sant'Angelo Muxara is where locals have collaborated to give travelers a firsthand look at rural traditions. Programs can be adapted to meet individual needs and interests, but highlights include cheese-making and tasting with a local shepherd, making bread or pizza in the wood-fired oven of the village’s ancient bakery, and visiting a herbalist in his remote cabin and learning how to gather edible wild greens. Guided walks can also be organized, led by an archaeological and nature guide, that take in ancient cave dwellings and tombs and the town’s small but very well-presented archaeological museum. Mindful walks with yoga and meditation are also on offer and highly recommended.
Piazza Umberto I 31, Agrigento, Sicily, 92020, Italy338-6762491-WhatsAppSight Details
Rate Includes: €140 per person for 2 people -
10. Via del Ghiaccio
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the twin hill towns of Cammerata and San Giovanni Gemini were famous throughout Sicily for their traveling ice cream and granita makers. The key to this ice-cream industry was the collection and preservation of snow, and a local family of ice-cream makers has restored several of the neviere, circular buildings resembling stone igloos, strewn over the forested slopes above the towns. Snow was shoveled into the neviere, trodden down until it turned to a thick layer of ice, then covered with a mat of rushes and straw before another layer of snow was added on top. Stored like this, the snow would keep frozen for months, and with the giant blocks of ice fetching the equivalent of €3,000, it had to be carefully guarded. The best way to see the neviere, learn how to make Sicilian granita, and visit a small private ice museum, is on a guided tour, which can include a lunch of cold cuts, local cheeses, and grilled meat and vegetables in a pretty family-run café.
Via Dante Alighieri 49, Agrigento, Sicily, 92100, Italy360-397930Sight Details
Rate Includes: €130 for 2 people including guided tour, lunch, and tastings -
11. Azienda Agricola Musa
On the western side of Etna, just above the town of Bronte, Musa offers immersion into all things pistachio at their agriturismo. The property, with its stunning views of the volcano, is home to horses, donkeys, goats, fruit trees, and, of course, pistachio trees. You can wander the grounds (where they occasionally host small concerts) and see pistachios fruiting on the trees; the harvest happens in the early fall, every other year. On Sunday, Musa offers a set menu lunch (€30 per person; cash only) at a long wooden table under shady trees. Pistachios figure prominently on the ever-changing menu: think pistachio and artichoke lasagna; penne with pistachio pesto, ricotta, and a veritable mountain of ground pistachios; braised pork with pistachios and porcini; pistachio cannoli; and so on. It is possible to arrange a visit to the full pistachio orchard, though it helps if you speak Italian.
Azienda Agricola Musa, Sicily, Italy388-4753877-RossellaSight Details
Rate Includes: Tour, lunch, and pistachio tasting €40, Closed Oct.–Apr. -
12. Baldassarre Romano City Museum
Established in 1873, this museum located directly in front of the Duomo is perfect for lovers of ancient Greek and Roman art. It houses an impressive collection of artifacts recovered from the archaeological area of Himera, including old coins, statues, and many other objects from daily life. The gallery also houses the works of Sicilian artists from the 16th and 17th centuries, some Flemish works, and even a Byzantine triptych. It is an astoundingly random collection that's a testament to the passionate dedication Sicily has always had when it comes to artists and pieces of art.
Via Marco Aurelio Cicerone, Palermo, Sicily, 90018, Italy091-8128550Sight Details
Rate Includes: €2, Closed Mon. -
13. Benedictine Monastery of San Michele Arcangelo
There is no general access to the 17th-century Benedictine convent of San Michele, currently inhabited by just four nuns, but if you ring the doorbell, the nuns will invite you into the lobby to buy the traditional cookies they make, including nutty muconetti, made of candied pumpkin and almonds. You place your money—and the nuns place your cookies—in a small revolving hatch originally designed so that unwanted babies could be left to the care of the nuns while maintaining the anonymity of the mother.
Via Sant'Agostino 21, Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, 91026, Italy0923-906565 -
14. Castello di Milazzo
It is common to see castles along Sicily's coastline as the Normans used them to defend the island from invaders throughout the Middle Ages. Castello di Milazzo lies high above the town and is a beautiful example of an authentic medieval castle. It's well worth the hike up for the views out to the sea. The castle also hosts the MuMa Museum of the sea. The museum was founded by Sicilian marine biologist Carmelo Isgro who recovered the remains of a sperm whale who died after it was caught in an illegal fishing net off the nearby Aeolian Islands. Isgro reconstructed the whale's skeleton. It became the central figure of the museum with other exhibits that highlight the relationship between man and the sea and how it can be improved.
Salita Castello, Milazzo, Sicily, 98057, Italy090-9221291Sight Details
Rate Includes: €5, Closed Mon. -
15. Castello Medievale Collesano
Once a vital part of the city's defenses, today Collesano's medieval castle is a small but lovely part of the town's landscape. The castle's ruins can be seen rising above the northern side of the town in front of its original parish church. It was built during the 12th century by King Roger II of Sicily after he decided to move his administration to a more strategic place to head off invasions from North Africa and the Middle East. What remains of this original project are castle ruins and some imposing defensive buildings in a small medieval neighborhood, which is a fascinating place to visit.
Via Ospedale 17, Collesano, Sicily, 90016, ItalyNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
16. Chiesa di San Benedetto
As is usually the case in Sicily, this church is one of the best places in town to see some incredible art. The Chiesa di San Benedetto is decorated with an elaborate and remarkably well-preserved maiolica ceramic floor designed and crafted by 18th-century Palermo artist Nicolò Saranza. The decorative gold highlighted stucco wall decorations make the church glow in the sunlight.
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 4, Caccamo, Sicily, 90012, Italy091-8103207Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
17. Chiesa Matrice SS Assunta Vecchia
Castelbuono's main cathedral, located on the central square of Piazza Margherita, is a 16th-century elegant Romanesque church filled with various religious art and paintings. The Gothic Catalan bell tower reflects a similar Andalusian style to Palermo's Duomo, and it is a prominent feature of the town's landscape.
Piazza Margherita 14, Castelbuono, Sicily, 90012, Italy0921-671313Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
18. Duomo di San Nicolo di Bari
Termini's main cathedral is dedicated to St. Nicholas and, like most Sicilian churches, is filled with precious artwork. The interior chapel and altar are from the 17th century and are decorated with precious inlaid colored marble. The Duomo also has an on-site museum of sacred art, filled with silverwork, vestments, religious relics, and liturgical objects of great value.
Piazza Duomo 2, Palermo, Sicily, 90018, Italy091-8141291Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
19. Fiumara d'Arte
This outdoor sculpture park is filled with contemporary art and is especially gorgeous against the stunning Tyrrhenian coastline. One of the park's most spectacular permanent installations is the Monument for a Dead Poet by Tano Festa, a giant blue framed window that looks out towards the sea and can be seen from miles away. Other fascinating pieces include a bronze pyramid placed precisely on the 38th parallel of latitude and the labyrinth of Arianna, which recalls the ancient Greek myth of the Minotaur.
Atelier sul Mar Museo Albergo Via Cesare Battisti 4, Castel di Tusa, Sicily, 98070, Italy0921-334295Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
20. La Spiaggia di Castel di Tusa
There's no doubt that the highlight of Castel di Tusa is its beaches, which stretch out from the beginning of the Tusa Cape in the east and end on the other side of the town at the Lungomare di Tusa. The beaches here vary from rocky, pebbly ones to golden sandy ones. Generally, Sicilian beaches are rustic with minimal facilities. Sicilians like to find a secluded spot to swim and sunbathe and might bring something for a picnic along with a simple beach umbrella. The same can be said for Tusa beaches: very basic but with crystal clear waters. Amenities: None. Best for: swimming; walking.
Via Cesare Battisti 1, Sicily, ItalySight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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