Important to Know Before You Go to Siscily
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It'southward non too ofttimes that I find myself spending a month in a region and feeling disappointed past how much there is still left to see. That's a long time to travel anywhere and an opportunity that few get to enjoy. Merely that doesn't alter how I felt after visiting Sicily, considering all I wanted was more than time to experience everything I'd yet to see. Yeah, you could craft a quicker itinerary that covers the all-time places to get in Sicily, merely I tend to travel with a little less focus.
Ask me what the most beautiful place in Sicily is and I'd take a difficult time deciding. The aforementioned goes for what to practise in Sicily, considering we all have our own interests and preferences, and there's just then much you can exercise around the island. Answering the question of where to stay in Sicily is i that I tin can do and accept already kind of done.
What I can share with y'all hither are a selection of things I think you may do good from knowing. Some may seem obvious, but if I were visiting Sicily for the outset time all over again, these are the things I'd want to know.
1. Unlike to Mainland Italy
One of the wonderful things near spending fourth dimension travelling in Italy is that you realise just how different each part of the state is. That's definitely the case with Sicily. I constantly found myself thinking "I've never seen anything like this in Italy before" which says it all really, doesn't it?
Many of the reasons why Sicily is so special I'll embrace in more than item below. Just they follow the usual lines of history, food, culture etc. Ane of my favourite though is the architecture, which I know isn't something that will excite others in the same way. Merely look at the sheer beauty of the Val di Noto, a UNESCO-recognised region total of Bizarre architecture, with places like Noto and Ragusa, and yous'll encounter what I mean in.
My point though is that if you're expecting or dismissing Sicily because "you've done Italia" then stop that thinking right now. Because Sicily is definitely its own thing.
2. How to Get There
As with near of Italy, you shouldn't accept much problem getting to Sicily to start your trip. The island is extremely well connected with the balance of the country, not to mention Europe in general. Since we are talking well-nigh an island, your 2 options to go there are either flying in or taking a ferry, although taking the train is technically a 3rd way to go.
For most tourists, flying is going to be the most obvious solution to get there. Sicily has three airports to fly to: Catania, Palermo and Trapani. Budget carriers and national airlines fly to all 3, but Catania and Palermo are the bigger two. Flights to Sicily can be insanely cheap sometimes which was function of the reason I finally went when I did.
Next we have ferries to Sicily, both domestically and internationally. Naturally, there are ferries to the mainland, with Naples and Villa San Giovanni the main places to go from. The latter sits on the narrow Strait of Messina between Sicily and the mainland and is the quickest sea crossing if y'all don't like boats. But there are also ferries to neighbouring islands and even a ferry to Malta if y'all want to combine Sicily and Malta in a trip.
As for the railroad train, yous tin can buy train tickets from the mainland direct to Sicily. What happens is that the train actually uses a special railroad train ferry to cantankerous the Strait of Messina, which honestly sounds similar a special feel.
3. Getting Virtually
One bit of hard won advice from my time travelling in Sicily is that getting effectually isn't as easy as information technology seems. I used public transport in Sicily throughout my trip to get about and ran into plenty of troubles along the way. In hindsight, having a rental car in Sicily would have helped, although that naturally brings the claiming of driving in Italy. No matter though, as now I get to warn you about what its like taking trains and buses hither.
And really, I never had any trouble with the trains in Sicily. Trains are more often than not useful for travel along the coasts, just non then much in the island'south interior. In some parts they're likewise non super fast due to the weaving, winding routes they need to take through the hilly terrain.
No, it'due south the omnibus travel where things got tricky. At first it was simply people pushing ahead of me in the line and so that there was no room by the fourth dimension I stepped aboard. The real problem though is trying to reliably programme your bus trips. Buses in Sicily belong to a mess of different companies, many of which you can't get accurate timetables of online.
Timetables for large companies similar Interbus are pretty expert, but for smaller regional ones y'all can forget about information technology. And I'1000 not just talking about online here. I got given completely wrong information twice trying to get from Piazza Armerina to Agrigento, in one case from the bodily passenger vehicle ticket office. My communication is to effort to stick to major routes equally much every bit possible and seek local assistance otherwise.
4. Fantastic Sicilian Food
If you're looking for a reason to visit Sicily that'due south not merely "why not?", so may I suggest it's awesome cuisine? That's usually i of the reasons people go to Italy anyway, but Sicilian cuisine is its own thing and it is astounding. Even if you've spent a calendar month travelling through mainland Italy, y'all're leap to observe new and exciting things to endeavour when you achieve Sicily.
And with and so many Sicilian specialities to feel, my advice is to dive right in. Don't brand the mistake of merely eating the typical dishes of Italy while in Sicily because you'll be missing out if y'all practise. I personally spent much of my time in Syracuse and Catania experiencing the food scene and was far from disappointed.
Now, some Sicilian dishes are better known internationally than others. Arancini are a quite well-known dish in other countries and cannoli are the island's most famous sugariness treat. Simply even these recognizable foods come up in a boundless array of styles and flavours; peculiarly all the types of stuffing y'all tin can notice in arancini from one place to the adjacent.
And so in that location are the less instantly recognizable foods found across Sicily that you lot'll soon find are just equally common, similar Pasta alla Norma with its tasty eggplant sauce and granita, the refreshing icy dessert you tin can get from kiosks everywhere. I of my favourite new experiences was trying busiate pasta in Agrigento, a spiral pasta from Sicily I've yet to observe elsewhere.
5. Remarkable History
Followers of the blog will know that learning about a destination's history is ane of my favourite things to do. And I have to say that Sicily is just awesome for those interested in history. The island has had such a layered, diverse past and that means you lot become to encounter all sorts of historical sites when y'all travel in Sicily.
Sicily'due south notable history stretches dorsum thousands of years. With the incredible ruins of Agrigento you tin can learn almost the island's settlement by ancient Greeks. Over at the mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale you can learn more about Sicily during the time of the Romans. At Syracuse you can see both. The Arabs and Normans defined the medieval history of Sicily and many of the best places to visit in Palermo are tied to that era.
And then there are the destinations that experience absolutely trapped in time, offering a window into what 17th-18th century Sicily was like. For that you need to head to the Val di Noto, which I mentioned earlier. These may be the most picturesque places to explore that era, but trust me there's many more than. The point is yous'll be spoiled past the finish of your Sicily trip, that'due south for certain.
half-dozen. Surprising Mountains
With its location correct at the centre of the Mediterranean, you might think that the beaches in Sicily are the island's best natural asset. And if that's your kind of thing and what you want from your trip then you won't exist disappointed. But in my books, the nigh interesting natural attraction of Sicily is its mountains.
Certainly the most famous mountain on the island is Mt Etna. The volcano most the popular tourist boondocks of Taormina is one of the all-time places to go in Sicily, fifty-fifty if I chose not to during my visit. Its looming, sometimes smouldering, presence adds and so much drama to the island's east coast. I can't wait to see it upwardly close one day.
But a place that equally appeals to me now and is far less well-known is the Madonie Mountains. These mountains sit down within a natural park at the middle of the island'southward north coast. While planning my trip to Sicily I didn't even know about them, and by the fourth dimension fellow travellers had recommended them every bit a great identify to go hiking it was likewise tardily to alter plans.
Then I chatted with a man with family unit near in that location who said how beautiful it is there. A little flake of research later and the mountains are very loftier on my list for adjacent time. Which is why I mention them at present, then y'all can know before y'all get and possibly cistron them into your plans.
7. Sicilian Pride
While information technology shouldn't necessarily be a surprise, it'southward difficult to describe but how proud of Sicily the people of the island seem to be. You definitely detect the fervent pride in Sicily and everything Sicilian, even when doing the most generic touristy things. Sicilian flags are everywhere, as are the island's distinctive ceramics, but that'southward just the start.
It truly becomes clear when yous talk to Sicilians about Sicily. During my stay in Piazza Armerina I met and dined with an Australian/Sicilian guide who been showing tourists around for decades. I was genuinely taken aback past just how much he raved about how great everything to practice with Sicily was, from its heritage and culture to the produce and the people. Fifty-fifty when he talked about the dark history of the by related to the Sicilian Mafia, he found positives to focus on.
Were he talking virtually a land, you'd call it unwavering patriotism. But Sicily isn't a country, at least nowadays. But I've never really experienced this sort of regional pride in a place without a stiff mod separatist movement similar Catalonia.
I personally discover that sort of intense, passionate pride difficult to eat because everywhere has flaws, but it did make me reflect on everything I'd seen and realise just how stiff the Sicilian identity is. And what is more interesting when you travel than exploring the identity of a destination?
Resources for Visiting Sicily
- Getting There: To find the cheapest and nigh useful flights to Sicily brand sure to check Skyscanner.
- Accommodation: Here y'all can find hotels, apartments and guesthouses throughout Sicily, plus don't forget Airbnb.
- Tours: In that location are countless day trips and sightseeing tours available for exploring Sicily.
- Motorcar Hire: If y'all want to travel more independently, consider renting a auto to drive yourself virtually.
- Guide Books: Lastly, if you're subsequently a physical guide to have with you then you tin't beat a Lone Planet Guide.
Have you had the opportunity to visit Sicily during your travels? What advice do y'all have for people spending vii days in Sicily or longer? Delight share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Source: https://www.travelsewhere.net/before-visiting-sicily-italy/
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