Sicily
Sicily is not really Italy, and not really anywhere else. It is its own world, and it has been for three thousand years.
Region Profile
Landscape
Dramatic and varied. A long Mediterranean coastline of beaches and fishing villages, a mountainous sun-baked interior, citrus and olive groves, vineyards, and Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, looming over the eastern coast.
General Vibe
Intense, ancient, and proudly its own. Sicily has its own dialect, food, and identity, warmer and slower than the mainland, run on relationships and patience. The big cities are chaotic and energetic, the Baroque towns and villages deeply traditional and tight-knit.
Weather
Among the sunniest places in Italy, with over three hundred days of sun. Hot dry summers, very warm on the coast and inland, and mild winters that rarely turn cold near the sea. Long warm springs and autumns. Older stone houses can be cold and dear to heat in winter.
Affordability
One of Italy's most affordable regions. Daily life, dining, and property all run well below the mainland, with Catania the best value of the big cities and inland Baroque towns cheaper still. Coastal hotspots like Taormina are the pricey exception.
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