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Things to do in Sicily

Sicily is Italy's largest region and is also the most varied. With a huge coastline, exotic islands, saltflats and vulcano's. Sicily is one of the most beautiful areas of Italy and if that's not enough, it's history and architechure are equally as impressive.

Not only was it a significant region in the Greek Empire, it's also been invaded by the Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French and Spanish which have all left an indelible mark on the Sicilian way of life.

Monreale Cathdral

Monreale is located on the slope of Mount Caputo [764 Meters] about 7 kilometers south of Palermo's center and no trip to Palermo is complete without a visit to Monreale. Monreale is world-renowned for its cathedral, a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture. This is the perfect blend of the best that both the Christian and Muslim worlds of the 12th century had to offer. The beautiful mosaics in Monreale Cathedral are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art, surpassed only by Istanbul's famous Basilica of Saint Sofia, once an Orthodox church.

Aeolian Islands

Sometimes called the Aeolian Islands [as the domain of Aeolus, god of the winds], the Lipari Islands are a volcanic archipelago visible from Sicily's eastern Tyrrhenian coast, easily accessible by ferry or hydrofoil from Milazzo and also Messina. The principal islands are Lipari, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi, Stromboli, Panarea and Vulcano. The volacanic activity has lent to each of the islands it's own land and coastline. Here you'll find evidence of 6,000 years of history, from a live volcano, black lava beaches, crystal clear waters and unique and originally flavoured food and wine.

Mount Etna

Sicily's greatest natural attraction is also its highest mountain. To the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and the home of the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. It is Europe's highest active volcano and has threatened Sicily since before records began. The height of it's summit summit changes with each eruption, and over the centuries a few lava flows have reached the coast. Over 1200 square meters of Etna's surface is covered with solidified lava. Etna offers skiing in the Winter months and breathtaking hikes in the woods during the Summer. View photos of the Etna, Sicily.

Agrigento

Located on a plateau overlooking Sicily's southern coast, Agrigento was founded as Akragas around 582 BC by a group of colonists from Gela, who themselves were the immediate descendants of Greeks from Rhodes and Crete. The area was inhabited much earlier; a female skull was found near Cannatello is half a million years old. A Mesolithic village at Point Bianca, farther down the coast toward Montechiaro Castle, dates from 6000 BC. Akragas was renamed Agrigentum by the Romans, and Girgenti by the Saracens, only to be christened Agrigento in 1927, but the place is the same. Here you will find ruined Greek temples that stand against the backdrop of the sea. They are as breathtaking today as they must have been wnt they were first built 2,500 years ago.

San Vito lo Capo Cous Cous Festival

The Arab culinary influence in Sicily may not be so apparent at first glance, but this is not the case for cous cous. There is no better time or place to find out more about cous cous than the annual Cous Cous Fest in San Vito lo Capo which is held every September.

This is a real experience and you'll find chefs from Algeria, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestine, Senegal, Tunisia and Turkey all competing for the 'Best Cous Cous' award.

For more information check out the Official site www.sanvitocouscous.com