• 
• 

Travel and Culture in Sicily

PALERMO - TAORMINA - CATANIA - SYRACUSE - MILAZZO - CEFALU' - TRAPANI - RAGUSA

WHERE IS IT ?
Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea, that is situated in the most southern position of Italy. Its coasts are washed by three different seas: the Ionian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Sicily Sea to the South.

WHAT IS THE TERRITORY LIKE ?
The territory of this beautiful island is, above all, hilly (61%) and mountainous (25%), only the 14% of it is flat. The highest point of the island is Mount Etna (3323 metres), a still active volcano that raises on the North-East side.
The near archipelagoes and islands are part of the Sicily region: the Egadi, the Eolie, the Pelagie, Pantelleria and Ustica.

HOW CAN YOU REACH IT ?
By plane: undoubtedly this is the best and fastest means to get to Sicily. There are three airports: the Palermo international airport Falcone-Borsellino, located in Punta Raisi, 32 Km away from the Sicilian chieftown; the Fontanarossa Airport, situated 7 Km far from Catania; the Trapani Vincenzo-Florio Airport. In all cases, from there, you can reach the town’s center with the shuttle train or bus service.
By train: you can reach the island by the numerous trains which arrive from the North of Italy, travelling along the line Milano/Firenze/Roma/Napoli/Reggio Calabria/Palermo/Catania.
By bus: there are also many bus lines, that connect directly Rome to Palermo, Trapani, Messina, Catania and Agrigento. Moreover, some international bus lines connect the Sicilian chieftown with Germany, France and Switzerland.
By boat: you can reach the island by the boats coming from Genoa, Livorno, Neaples, Malta and Tunis.
By car: if you want to arrive from the North of Italy you have to take the motorway A1 Milano-Napoli-Salerno, then from here you have to get onto the A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria and leave the motorway in Villa San Giovanni, where the ferry-boat service will take you to the other side of the Straits of Messina.

WHAT DOES SICILY OFFER ?
Sicily, situated between Europe and Africa, has always been a particularly strong crossroads in the Mediterranean Sea. The various conquerors have given to this land a rich cultural heritage, which has created, throughout the centuries, the Sicily that we all know today: a wonderful linguistic weaving, a web of habits, cultural, artistic and cookery traditions.
In Sicily you will discover a magnificent nature, with evocative and charming seaside resorts, archeological sites, that will take you back in time to the Magna Graecia, you will find tastes and fragrances of an ancient culture that can enchant you.
The best seasons to visit Sicily are spring and autumn, during which the sweetness of the climate allows you to have a bath and, at the same time, to visit the island, without suffering too much from the heat.