Roadtrip in Sicily

About the destination: Life in Palermo is intense. People and buildings are tightly packed into every available space and chaotic markets make the narrow footpaths impassable. Lush gardens exist along poor narrow streets, and drying laundry resembles the festive banners of a public celebration. Stroll along via Roma up to Corso Vittorio Emanuele, admiring the squares and the exuberant cathedral. The Palazzo dei Normani is an extraordinary fusion of styles, its Byzantine mosaics are a reminder of the city's Golden Age. The ruins of the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti stand around the corner, with its pink domes shielding an exotic cloister garden. The National Gallery of Sicily, housed in the Palazzo Abatellis, has a superb collection of paintings and sculpture. In the mornings, don’t miss the massive open-air Capo market. Most of Palermo’s nightlife occurs in the beach district of Mondello. There you can join the strolling crowds of young Italians sampling fish from seaside kitchen stalls and eating gelato.

About the destination: Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. The city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Lido San Giuliano beaches. Trapani has two main beach areas. Marausa Lido and Lido San Giuliano. • Museo di Preistoria e del Mare. The museum is sited inside the seventeenth-century Tower of Ligny. The museum has two sections. The most significant piece is a helmet shell, dating from the first Punic. • Museo del Sale.

About the destination: Agrigento is a charming city on the southern coast of Sicily. Agrigento is famous for its Temple Valley, the best preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece. The city has a beautiful old town centre and is a place of great historical and architectural importance. The Valley of the Temples is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and in 1997 it was named a UNESCO World heritage site and is one of the most mesmerising sites in the Mediterranean. The temples, a dozen of them, erected in 5 BC, are located on the ridge to the south of the town. Back in town, explore the maze of tiny alleys, squares and side-streets, see the Norman Duomo of Saint Gerlando, the Church of Santa Maria dei Greci built on the steps of a Greek temple and the Church and Convent of Santo Spirito where you can taste almond sweets made by the local Cistercian cloister nuns. The wonderful Doric monuments, the cobalt-blue sky, the salubrious climate at the peerless view make Agrigento a desirable place where a long stay is delightful.

About the destination: Easily accessible from Catania, Ragusa, the capital of the province of the same name, is a lovely town nestled amongst the hills of the Hyblaean Mountains. Ragusa, a modern city with a stunning historic heart, is renowned for its excellent local red wines and its delicious cheese, the Ragusano. The city is split into two parts - the old Ragusa Ibla and the new Ragusa. Old Ragusa was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693, and it retains a significant example of baroque architecture. The historic centre of Ragusa is quite spectacular with its winding lanes, grey stone houses and baroque palaces. In this part of town, we find the Duomo di San Giorgio. With its large neo-Classical dome illuminated by blue stained-glass windows and surrounded by Corinthian columns, the church can be spotted from a distance. Up close, it's the magnificent flight of stairs that draws the visitor's eye to the elegant and harmonious pink façade. Beautifully sculpted motifs adorn the doorway and enhance the depiction of St George slaying the dragon with his lance. Beside the church is the small Museo del Duomo, a museum housing stone statues and reliefs from the original pre-earthquake San Giorgio and other churches, architectural drawings by Gagliardo, some extravagant reliquaries and sombre religious paintings. Ragusa Ibla boasts a large number of trattorias and restaurants, bars, coffee shops, pubs and clubs. Representing modern Ragusa, we have Marina di Ragusa, a popular seaside resort, with long stretches of golden sand, where you'll find restaurants and bustling clubs and lounge bars that are a hit with tourists and locals alike. Ragusa offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy La Dolce Vita.

About the destination: Catania is the second largest city in Sicily. Buried seven times by fierce eruptions of the Etna volcano and several earthquakes, much of its monuments have been destroyed. Nonetheless, the old town is well maintained, so much so, that it was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002. In the city centre, visitors will be able to enjoy the major feature of the city: its baroque architecture. The main examples are the Cathedral Square, Piazza del Duomo, with the Elephant Fountain, the adorned Cathedral, founded in the 11th century on the ruins of the ancient baths and the impressive 13th century Ursino Castle. The remains of the Roman and Greek heritage can still be witnessed at the former Acropolis of Katane that includes the Roman Theatre, built by Greeks and reconstructed by Romans, the Odeon and the Amphitheatre. Chaotic, noisy and boisterous, Catania’s nightlife is buzzing, hundreds of bars, clubs and eateries are at hand where to get infected with the joie de vivre of the city’s population.

About the destination: Messina is located in the northeast of Sicily, Italy. It's only a 5 km journey across the Straits of Messina to the region of Calabria on the mainland. It's the third largest city on the island of Sicily. Trips by land and sea allow for the exploration of every nook and cranny of the Aeolian Islands, abundant with beaches and small coves where one can pause to explore, even if just for a few hours. The active volcano, Mt. Etna, towers over the landscape and reveals a vegetation interrupted by trails of black, solidified lava flows. Caves and varying environments alternate along its slopes; traverse them to reach the peak, where a large "mouth of fire" awaits. A definite must-see is Pollara Beach on the island of Salina; Pollara was created by a crater formed by the six volcanoes that make up Salina, around 13,000 years ago. The Ancient Theatre, one of the greatest of the Greek-Roman era, is nestled in a spread of olive, orange and almond groves that fill the air with their exotic scents.