Nearest airport - Catania or Palermo

Did you know you can travel to Sicily by train direct from Rome or Naples? The average journey time by train between London St-Pancras and Rome is 22 hours and 32 minutes, with around 9 trains per day (and costs around £120). Naples to Palermo is 9 hours, Rome to Palermo is 11.5 hours. You can even travel from Rome to Noto, Sicily’s hidden gem which takes less than 14 hours. The trains are direct to Sicily, they get ferried across the Straits of Messina on board a train ferry. Worth thinking about.

Sicily is one of my favourite places in Italy and I have visited 3 or 4 times now as well as nipping over to the stunning Aeoli Islands off the north coast.⁠ ⁠

To experience a first trip to Sicily I recommend 6 days (5 nights) and hiring a car - you won't be able to explore the whole island but it will give you a taster and before you've come home you'll already be wanting to book your next trip. ⁠ ⁠Start or end your trip with a couple of nights in Taormina 45 minutes north of Catania. Taormina sits near Mount Etna, an active volcano with hiking trails leading to the top. The town itself is known for the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greek-Roman theatre still used today. Near the theatre, cliffs fall away to the coastline which is dotted with white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. A narrow stretch of sand connects to Isola Bella, a minute island with shallow blue waters and nature reserve.

My favourite boutique hotels in Taormina are Hotel Villa Carlotta and Hotel Villa Ducale (both gorgeous, same owners and amazing food!) - while you're there you can take a hike up Mount Etna, enjoy the Sicilian speciality of almond granita with brioche and soak up the atmosphere and culture of the Greek theatre.⁠ ⁠

Hotel Villa Carlotta

Hotel Villa Carlotta is an independent luxury boutique hotel in Taormina in a stunning hillside setting overlooking the Ionian Sea. Recently renovated Hotel Villa Carlotta has set the standards for luxury hotels in Taormina and has recently added stunning apartments and self-catering villas to its collection, giving you the choice of being independent whilst still enjoying all of the facilities of the hotel. Rates from £129 per night including breakfast fit for a King, book here.

Hotel Villa Ducale

Hotel Villa Ducale is sister boutique hotel to Hotel Villa Carlotta and is one of the most romantic boutique hotels in Taormina. Full of character and charm with breathtaking sea views it has its own pretty garden with small pool. The 19 rooms and suites are decorated with exquisite Italian style under the guidance of owner Rosaria Quartucci and some feature their own private terrace. The ideal choice for a luxury honeymoon in Taormina. Rates from £155 per night, book here.

After a couple of nights head 45 minutes south to the gorgeous Relais San Giuliano whose service, food and style are all exceptional. Relais San Giuliano is small but perfectly formed with just 12 rooms, a spa, infinity pool and restaurant 'I Palici' which serves mouth-watering traditional Sicilian dishes which have been handed down from generation to generation. Great for a family holiday. Rates from £117 per night, book here.

Sicily is home to granita, some may say it has the best granita in the world. I don’t know about that but I do know that the most famous and the best place for granita in Taormina is Bam Bar a café decorated in the most enticing Mediterranean style in Via Giovanni whose almond granita with brioche is sublime.

Whilst there, nip over to Syracuse notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. Ortigia is worth visiting, it's a small island which is the historical centre of Syracuse and contains many historical landmarks.⁠

Next head to the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site of Noto where boutique hotel Q92 Noto, a Baroque palazzo is soon to open (April 2021) with just 9 stunning rooms & suites, courtyard garden with mini pool and views across the 18th-century Noto cathedral. You’ll find this little hidden gem in Corso Vittorio Emanuele the perfect position for Noto’s festival of Spring the Infiorata di Noto, one of the most colourful festivals in the world which takes place every year over the third weekend of May.

Rates to start from around £217 per night including breakfast, book here.

Noto is known for its Baroque architecture, including the reconstructed 18th-century Noto Cathedral. Across the street is the Palazzo Ducezio, now the town hall, with the Hall of Mirrors embellished by gilding and stuccos. While you’re here pop in to Caffé Sicilia (just a hop and a skip from Q92 Noto Hotel) for a cappuccino or gelato, it’s the best café in town and has some of the best pastries in Sicily. It's just an hour back to Catania from Noto so you'll have plenty of time to explore the area and visit the surroundings: the roman mosaics of the Tellaro villa, the nature reserve of Vendicari and the archaeological sites of Noto antica.

Open year-round the rather charmingly named Anche gli Angeli (and also the angels) is a lively café, restaurant and lifestyle store in the crypt of the church of San Carlo. I recommend the sweet ricotta-filled cannolo with a morning cappuccino. It’s lively in the evenings and a fun place to come for a cocktail and dinner.

Pesce Spada or sword fish is a Sicilian specialty and Ristorante il Cantuccio serves the daily catch lightly breaded with cherry tomatoes, a rustic and delicious culinary delight!

Don’t forget the beaches, the Val di Noto has some of the most beautiful sandy beaches in Italy and many are within 20 minutes of Noto. The closest are Eloro-Pizzuta and Noto Marina which are within easy reach if you have a car.

Chocolate lovers should take a trip to Modica and visit the Chocolate Museum. The chocolate from Modica is totally unique and is still, to this day, made from an ancient Aztec recipe.

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