6 Best Sights in Sicily, Italy

For the island's most panoramic views—and the best sunsets—head to the southwestern coast for the Punta Stimpagnato lookout point. Descend from the main road down a mule path with a wooden handrail to a sort of rock balcony that overlooks the sea, with Alicudi in the distance. 

Lord Byron (1788–1824) visited the Belvedere di Santa Caterina to look out over the Ionian Sea during his Italian wanderings. Today, the viewpoint is south of the old town, near the Terme di Acireale, off SS114, and is a tranquil spot for photos or quiet reflection on one of the several benches positioned toward the water.

An unrelenting 20-minute walk up the Via Crucis footpath takes you to the church of the Madonna della Rocca, hollowed out of the limestone rock. Above it towers the 1,000-year-old stone walls of Castello Saraceno, which is built on the site of earlier Greek and Roman fortifications. The castle reopened to the public in 2024 after having been locked for decades, it's worth the climb just for the panoramic views. Tickets can be purchased online and include an audio guide.

Scicli is a city of honey-hued churches, all built after the devastating earthquake in 1693. The church of San Matteo is abandoned, but it’s well worth climbing the shallow stairs up the steep hillside to take in the panoramic views of Scicli’s old town from the terrace in front of the church. It's especially magical at sunset. If you're feeling adventurous, the tranquil but tricky paths around San Matteo and the caves of the Quarterie Chiafura are scattered with picturesque ruins among wild meadows. Take care, though, as you approach the sadly decaying Chiesa di Santo Spirito, completed in 1747 on top of an earlier earthquake-smashed church.  

A 20-minute hike up the steps from Via XXIV Maggio to the terrace of this twin-towered sanctuary rewards you with a panoramic view over the rooftops of the city. Pope John Paul II (in statue form) stands here, too, taking in the pylons on either side of the strait, with the lofty, golden statue of the Madonnina (patron saint of Messina) guarding the port while ferries ply their way to Calabria. The church was the first religious building to be rebuilt after the earthquake of 1908.

This mysterious octagonal tower stands above the lower part of town and has been celebrated for millennia as marking the exact geometric center of the island—thus the tower's (and the city's) nickname, Umbilicus Siciliae (Navel of Sicily). Climb the 97 steps of the spiral staircase for views over the city and beyond.