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Visit villages and volcanoes

Go on holiday to Sicily and you’ll see forested hills, olive groves, sandy coves and wetland nature reserves, as well as drowsy villages where you can get a feel for how the locals live.

Looking down on them all is Sicily’s unofficial emblem, and one of the world’s most active volcanoes: Mount Etna. Slightly to the north are the Aeolian Islands, home to black-sand beaches and fire-breathing Stromboli.

Explore vibrant cities

Near Etna is Taormina, the island’s most sophisticated town. Elegantly positioned above the Bay of Naxos, it’s a heady mix of five-star hotels, bougainvillea blooms, and a picture-perfect amphitheatre. Capital Palermo, in the northwest, is a rougher diamond but no less worth a visit while on holiday in Sicily.

Other enchanting towns include the toffee-coloured trio of Noto, Ragusa and Modica, beachside Cefalù, and Syracuse, where the sea-surrounded old quarter Ortygia is becoming increasingly trendy.

Feel the history

There are numerous archaeological treasures casually strewn across  Sicily. Highlights include Cefalù’s beautiful Norman cathedral, Palermo’s catacombs and the stellar Norman church in Monreale.

However, the headline acts are Sicily’s three Greek temple complexes – lonely hilltop Segesta, seaside Selinunte and Agrigento’s mammoth Valley of the Temples are all astounding.

When to go

Sicily’s holiday season lasts longer than it does elsewhere in Italy; it typically stays hot from mid-March into November – especially in the southeast, which has the same latitude as some parts of North Africa. The mercury tops 30C in August, but sea breezes keep foreheads dry at Sicily’s all-inclusive beach resorts.

For cheap Sicily deals, holiday during the shoulder seasons when prices tend to drop: March to May (excluding Easter) and mid-September into October. Meanwhile, last-minute summer deals will also knock hundreds of pounds off hotel prices. Sicily is cheaper still during winter, although many hotels close at this time.

Events for your diary

Taormina Film Fest: June’s Taormina Film Fest headlines a summer-long cultural extravaganza in Sicily’s most glamorous town. Try to get a ticket for a premiere in the amazing amphitheatre.

Cous Cous Fest: Late September sees cook-offs and a carnival atmosphere for the popular Cous Cous Fest.

Easter: Sicily is home to many strange Easter rituals. Especially eerie is a Dance of the Devils in Prizzi, when villagers rampage around in terrifying iron masks.