Sicily: complete guide — Palermo, Stromboli, Favignana

Par Gabriel Goldberg 18 April 2026 9 min read

Just yesterday, a friend asked me for advice on planning her summer holiday in Sicily. My first reaction was a long sigh. Not out of annoyance, but out of helplessness in the face of the sheer scale of the task. How do you sum up Sicily? I could write her ten detailed articles and still not have scratched the surface of this fascinating island. To understand Sicily, you have to look at the numbers and the History. With its 25,700 km² and 5 million inhabitants, it is the largest island in the Mediterranean. But above all, it is Europe's greatest crossroads of civilisations. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards… all left an indelible mark, forging a hybrid architecture, a spectacular gastronomy and a people of incomparable resilience and warmth. Sicily is not a region of Italy; it is a country in its own right. The first time I set foot there was over 15 years ago, to give a lecture in Catania. I had no idea that this professional trip was about to trigger an obsessive passion, leading me to explore every corner of the island with my family and friends over the following decade. Where to go? What to see? Here is my road map, forged by more than a dozen trips. 1. The volcanic East: Catania, Taormina and Syracuse Baroque facade of the Basilica della Collegiata in Catania, carved from the golden stone typical of south-eastern Sicily. It often all begins at the foot of the smoking giant. Etna is not just postcard scenery; it is the master of the place. An excursion across its…