Sicily has two main airports, Palermo-Punta Raisi and Catania-Fontanarossa, plus a third at Trapani. It suits travelers who like ancient ruins, Norman cloisters and the sea in the same trip. The Plemmirio Marine Park sits a few kilometers from Syracuse, and the Greek Theatre stands in the historic center of the same city.
Getting around takes a little planning. Ferries to the smaller islands leave from several different ports, and the old center of Ortigia in Syracuse closes to most cars for long stretches of the day.
At a glance
- Airports: Palermo-Punta Raisi, Catania-Fontanarossa and Trapani
- Trains from Palermo: Punta Raisi airport, Cefalù, Agrigento, Catania and Caltagirone
- UNESCO sites: Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù
- Protected areas: 1 national park, 4 regional natural parks, 75 regional nature reserves and 7 marine protected areas
- Snorkeling and diving: Plemmirio Marine Park, a few kilometers from Syracuse
- Entry for U.S. citizens: up to 90 days without a tourist visa
Where is Sicily and what is it like?
Sicily is served by Palermo-Punta Raisi and Catania-Fontanarossa, its two main airports. The Plemmirio Nature Reserve lies on the eastern coast, a few kilometers from Syracuse.
The towns are very different from one another. Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù are UNESCO sites, Agrigento has the Valley of the Temples, and Taormina has a castle with 4 panoramas. Outside the towns, the Madonie Regional Natural Park covers 39,941 hectares (about 98,700 acres) in the province of Palermo. The Zingaro reserve runs between San Vito lo Capo and Scopello.
History is visible everywhere. Cefalù’s Duomo was commissioned by Ruggero II in 1131, and the Benedictine abbey of Santa Maria la Nuova in Monreale was founded in 1174 by order of the Norman king William II. The Temple of Diana on the Rocca in Cefalù goes back to the 9th century BC, and the Greek Theatre of Syracuse to the 5th century BC.
Where to go in Sicily
Palermo
Its historic markets, Ballarò, Vucciria, Capo and Borgo Vecchio, are where street food is eaten. The city’s tourism portal lists places to eat typical Palermo cuisine and lets you build your own itinerary.
Santa Rosalia, the patron saint festival of Palermo, is one of the celebrations to look for on the calendar. From the city, ferries and hydrofoils leave for the Aeolian Islands and for Ustica.
Cefalù
Cefalù is an elegant seaside town known for its long beach. The train from Palermo reaches it, so the trip needs no car. Summer brings cultural and musical events such as the Estate cefaludese.
The Duomo dates to 1131, and a 12th-century cloister is attached to it. The Mandralisca Museum holds a picture gallery with Antonello da Messina’s portrait of an unknown man. A medieval washhouse stands in via Vittorio Emanuele, and the Temple of Diana is on the western side of the Rocca.
Syracuse and Ortigia
The historic center of Syracuse holds the Greek Theatre, the Ear of Dionysius and the Grotticelle Necropolis. On the island of Ortigia stand the temple of Apollo and the remains of the Temple of Athena. Santa Lucia is the patron saint festival of Syracuse.
Driving into Ortigia is restricted, so the old quarter is best explored on foot. The Plemmirio Marine Park is a few kilometers away for a swim or snorkel.
Taormina
The Castle of Taormina is at Via Madonna della Rocca 9. It has 21 historical points, 4 panoramas and 2 caves, plus a bookshop and a free digital audioguide for smartphones. Download the audioguide before you go up.
The Teatro Greco Romano is at Via del Teatro Greco 40, and the Museo naturalistico regionale di Isolabella e Villa Caronia is at Via Nazionale 109. Etna Trasporti links Taormina with Catania.
Agrigento
The train from Palermo reaches Agrigento. Ferries and hydrofoils to Lampedusa and Linosa, the Pelagie Islands, leave from Porto Empedocle in the same province.
What is there to do in Sicily?
Plemmirio Marine Park and snorkeling
The park extends for 7.5 miles (12 km) around the Maddalena Peninsula. It is divided into three zones. Zone B includes the Grotta delle Stalattiti, the Grotta del Formaggio and the Grotta delle Corvine.
Access to the sea is via numbered gateways, from the first in the Punta Milocca area to the last at Punta Castelluccio. Entrance 27 is a strategic point for snorkeling and diving, and Entrance 23 has a free beach. Entrance 34 is at Punta Della Mola, and Punta Milocca has ten entrances close to each other.
Swimming, diving and sport fishing are allowed in most of the reserve. The area in front of the lighthouse, where the Secca del Capo is located, is Zone A, and there you cannot swim, stop with a boat, fish or dive at any time of the year. Mountain bike excursions and walks are also possible. Choose your gateway by activity, and keep clear of Zone A.
Zingaro reserve on foot
The reserve can only be explored on foot, from the north entrance at San Vito or the south entrance at Scopello. Five well-marked trekking routes cross it. Decide at which end you will finish before you start.
The coves include Cala Tonnarella, Cala dell’Uzzo, Cala Marinella, Cala Beretta, Cala Disa, Cala Capreria and Cala del Varo. They are accessible only on foot or by boat. You can rent an inflatable boat or book a boat excursion.
Five museums in the reserve are dedicated to traditional activities such as bluefin tuna fishing and giummara weaving. The Madonie Regional Natural Park is another choice for walkers. It was recognised as a geopark in 2001.
Markets and street food
Catania’s ancient fish market is between Piazza Pardo and Piazza Alonzo di Benedetto. A grilled horse meat sandwich is found on Via Plebiscito in Catania. Trapani hosts the Stragusto street food festival at Piazza Mercato del Pesce.
Stragusto is described as a must-attend event for lovers of authentic flavors and local traditions.
Festivals and local celebrations
Patron saint festivals include San Calogero in Agrigento, Sant’Agata in Catania, Santa Lucia in Syracuse and Santa Rosalia in Palermo. Winter has its own dates, such as the Epiphany festival in Santa Elisabetta, from January 3 to 6.
If you want ruins, head to Agrigento, Syracuse and Taormina. For snorkeling, Plemmirio is the answer, and for hiking, Zingaro and the Madonie. Food lovers should plan around Palermo and Catania, with Trapani in July. Zingaro suits travelers who like to walk, since it can only be explored on foot, and it suits less anyone who wants to stay in the car.
Where to stay in Sicily
Farm stays in the Nebrodi, mountain huts on Mount Etna and the widespread hospitality of the Madonie are the areas to look at. Farm stays and small local producers offer an authentic experience in the Nebrodi area. Eco-friendly mountain huts and facilities allow visitors to experience Mount Etna. The Madonie area offers widespread hospitality.
Green itineraries support areas often overlooked during the high season and by mass tourism. Visiting parks and reserves out of season reduces the impact on the local area. Travelers who want quiet can take that advice and base themselves in these areas outside summer.
How do you get to Sicily and get around?
Palermo is connected to Sicily’s two main airports, Palermo-Punta Raisi and Catania-Fontanarossa, and to Trapani airport. The train service reaches Punta Raisi airport as well as Agrigento, Caltagirone, Catania and Cefalù.
Etna Trasporti links Catania, Licata, Ragusa, Taormina, Piazza Armerina, Gela and other places. Bus companies from Palermo include Prestìa e Comandè, Salemi, Cuffaro, SAIS, Terravision, Russo and AST.
Ferries and hydrofoils to the Aeolian Islands leave from Palermo and Milazzo, and those to Ustica leave from Palermo. Boats to Pantelleria leave from Trapani, and boats to the Egadi Islands (Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo) leave from Marsala and Trapani. For Lampedusa and Linosa, go to Porto Empedocle.
In Ortigia the ZTL, the limited traffic zone, is active Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. of the next day. On Sundays and public holidays it runs continuously from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Entry is prohibited except for residents and authorised vehicles.
Hotels in Ortigia may authorise guests’ vehicles for transit only, and parking inside the ZTL is prohibited. The vehicle plate and length of stay must be sent to the Municipal Police within 48 hours of the guests’ transit. Tell your hotel your plate number before you arrive.
In Messina, the Cavallotti, Villa Dante and La Farina car parks charge €1 per hour from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day. A full day costs €9, and the night period from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. costs €2. The Gazzi and Annunziata park-and-ride lots charge €0.50 per hour Monday to Saturday.
When should you go to Sicily?
May is a comfortable month. Palermo’s afternoons reach 73°F (23°C), and Catania has only three rainy days in May. In May the sea near Palermo is still cool, at 65°F (18°C). September and October suit swimmers, with the sea near Palermo at 77°F (25°C) in September and 73°F (23°C) in October.
July and August are the hot months. Catania’s August high is 94°F (34°C), and its summer is dry. Summer is also when the festivals cluster, with the San Calogero celebrations, Gioiosa Gustosa and Stragusto all in July.
Winter is mild and wetter. Palermo’s January high is 59°F (15°C), and Catania has eight rainy days in December. The Epiphany festival in Santa Elisabetta, January 3 to 6, falls in that season.
What to know before visiting Sicily
According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. citizens can stay in Italy for 90 days without a tourist or business visa.
- Passports must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. A 6-month validity is recommended, with 2 blank pages for the entry stamp.
- You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket. Italy sets a 10,000 euro currency limit on entry and on exit, or equivalent.
- There are no vaccination requirements to enter Italy.
- The travel advisory for Italy is Level 2, Exercise increased caution, due to terrorism, issued September 10, 2026. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to get important updates and alerts from the U.S. embassy or consulate.
- The U.S. State Department highly recommends buying travel insurance before traveling to Italy.
Sources
- ncei.noaa.gov (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wmo-climate-normals), checked 2026-10-30
- italia.it (https://www.italia.it/it/sicilia/cosa-fare/riserva-naturale-del-plemmirio-in-sicilia), checked 2026-10-30
- atmmessinaspa.it (https://www.atmmessinaspa.it/tariffesosta.php?pag=3), checked 2026-10-30
- travel.state.gov (https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/italy.html), checked 2026-10-30
- turismo.comune.palermo.it (https://turismo.comune.palermo.it/palermo-welcome-muoversi-sicilia.php?tp=66&det=2), checked 2026-10-30
- open-meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/marine-weather-api), checked 2026-10-30
- comune.siracusa.it (https://www.comune.siracusa.it/area_tematica/ztl-zona-a-traffico-limitato), checked 2026-10-30
- www2.regione.sicilia.it (https://www2.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/sitepda/musei_pda.asp?page=6), checked 2026-10-30