WanderingTrader

Best Things To Do In Sicily: Tourist Attractions


The top tourist attractions in Sicily are quite unique. At the crossroads throughout time the best things to do in Sicily can be found throughout the Island.

There is incredible history, great food, and Greek temples to climb (read about it here).  Sicily is one of the best kept secrets in the modern world with cultural variation seen everywhere on the island.  You can find the best Greek Temples in the world, Greek Theaters, fascinating cathedrals, and an incredible Baroque influence.  Almost every culture in history has left their mark on Sicily, including the infamous mafia.

There are actually still places where you can run into the  mafia contrary to popular belief.  Now on to the good stuff! Here are the top 5 things to see Sicily:

Visit Godfather Locations:

The Godfather is considered to be one of the best movies of all time.  Many of the scenes from the Godfather were filmed right in Sicily.  Make sure to visit the cities of Forza D’Agro and Savoca.  Click here for more information.

greek temple, selinunte, selinunte sicily, greek temples sicily, selinunte greek temple

The Greek Temple Of Hera in Selinunte

Greek Temples & Theaters:

The things to do in Sicily couldn’t be complete without the Greek Temples.  Sicily has come of the best Greek Temples in the world.  While most are restored the valley of the temples in Agrigento are the only ones that are still originally standing on their own.  Make sure to visit Segesta and Selinunte as well.  I was able to climb the Greek Temple in Selinunte, click here for more info.  Most Greek Temple sites have Greek Theaters although Siracusa (Syracuse) stand alone as one of the largest Greek Theaters in the world.

intricate marble counter

Intricate Marble Counter in Palermo

Art & Architecture:

All throughout Sicily you will find some of the best examples of Baroque art and architecture.  Once you learn about the cultures that conquered Sicily you will be able to see the impact that every culture has brought to the architecture on the island.  Make sure to check out the cities of Palermo, Noto, and Catania.  The cathedral in Monreale is astounding (20 minutes from Palermo).

Beaches:

Sicily and the surrounding islands are adorned with fantastic beaches to see.  You can find crisp clear waters in Ustica or even black sand beaches in Catania & even Spiaggia Sabbie Nere on the island of Vulcan.  Your trip to Sicily won’t be the same unless you go to the beach.  When I was living in Sicily I could play in snow on Mt. Etna in the morning and go to the beach in the afternoon.

Greek Theater in Taormina

View of Mt. Etna from the Greek Theater in Taormina

Mount Etna

The towering landscape over Sicily is the one and only Mt. Etna.  There are a ton of outdoor activities that you can do on the still active volcano.  Make sure to take the train around Mt. Etna as well, very cool experience.

Noto

A UNESCO world heritage site, Noto is the pearl of Baroque art in Sicily.  An earthquake destroyed the city in 1693 and the city was rebuilt even more beautiful than before.  The city is absolutely gorgeous with unique architecture all over the city.  Make sure to visit Siracusa (Syracuse) nearby which has one of the largest Greek Theaters in the world.