“Why not go to Sicily?” I said to my husband at a swimming pool in Hvar last year, when we were discussing our vacation plans for 2025. We wanted to go to Florida, but because of the weather conditions there in July and August, we abandoned that plan. My husband nodded in agreement. We had already considered a vacation to Sicily, so we decided to go there now.
Destination: Sicily, tour of the north and east
Travel period: July 26 to August 11, 2025
Travel companions: Husband and children (8-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy)
Transportation: plane, KLM, rental car in Sicily
An overview:
- The Italian Island Sicily offers a rich history with influences from Ancient Greece, Roman, and Arab cultures. It is a unique travel destination with various architectural landmarks and historical sites.
- The top five destinations recommended in Sicily include Palermo, Catania, Taormina, Syracuse, and Cefalù, each offering distinct cultural experiences and attractions.
- Our trip involves staying at three different accommodations from where we visited multiple destinations. However, we did not visit Mount Etna, because we didn’t have enough time.
About Sicily
Sicily is an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, located at the tip of the boot that forms the shape of the country of Italy. It is southwest of the mainland.
Sicily has a very ancient history, dating back to 1100 BC. From 800 BC, Sicily was colonized by Ancient Greece, which is why you can see several ancient Greek temples on the island, none of which I visited during our trip.
Architecture
After the colonization of Ancient Greece, Sicily was conquered by the Romans, but Greek culture remained. From 827 onwards, Sicily was conquered by the Arabs, something you can see particularly in the streets of Palermo.
The history of Sicily is endless, and the reason I’m sharing it is because you see it all around you. In the buildings, in the streets, but also in the open-air theaters that pop up quite randomly in many cities. All of this makes the island, in my opinion, a wonderful place to visit.
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Popular Destinations in Sicily
What are the best places to visit in Sicily? I asked this question to ChatGPT specifically for this article. The real answer is, of course, personal and varies by traveler. But for you, I want to share a neutral, yet AI-based answer. So here are the top 5 destinations in Sicily:
- Palermo, because it’s a vibrant capital, full of contrasts in architecture.
- Catania, because it’s situated at the foot of Mount Etna, with the black lava rock.
- Taormina, because it’s a chic seaside resort with spectacular views.
- Syracuse & Ortigia, because antiquity and elegance come together.
- Cefalù, because it’s a picturesque coastal town with medieval streets.
I happened to visit all these destinations before asking the robot. I’ll share my experiences later in this article.
What AI also considers special in Sicily; are:
- Agrigento & the Valley of the Temples, because it’s one of the best-preserved Greek ruins in the world.
- Noto, Modica & Ragusa, because they’re UNESCO World Heritage sites with a Baroque look.
- Piazza Armerina, a Roman villa del Casale with magnificent mosaics.
- Etna, because it’s an active volcano you can visit.
- Riserva dello Zingaro, because it’s an unspoiled nature reserve with cliffs, turquoise bays, and hiking trails.
- The Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago, each with its own unique character.
Our trip through Sicily
Unfortunately, we couldn’t see everything, so we decided to take a family tour along the northern and eastern coasts of Sicily, which boasts many highlights.
Our trip began in Sardinia. We spent four days in Chia, a town near Cagliari. From there, we flew to Palermo with Ryanair; it was a very relaxing flight that lasted less than an hour. We flew from Amsterdam to Cagliari (Sardinia) with KLM, and, after fifteen days of vacation, we flew from Catania back to Amsterdam.
Renting a car
We rented a car at Palermo airport, which we returned in Catania. There are no specific requirements for renting a car in Sicily, nor for driving there.
We almost always rent a car when we go on vacation because a car gives you more freedom, it’s easy with children, and you can go out whenever you want. Since we often want to eat or drink outside the hotel and explore towns, it’s ideal to have our own transportation.
You always must pay attention to traffic when driving, but in Sicily (especially near Palermo) even more so. This is because some people don’t obey the speed limit and can overtake you dangerously in the most unusual places. Something to keep in mind if you’re driving a rental car on the island.
Sicilian Cuisine
Sicily, along with the rest of Italy, boasts fantastic cuisine, featuring an array of seafood, meats, and diverse vegetarian options. The menus are full of different pastas, antipasti, and pizzas, packaged in primi and secondi. We return to Italy every other year just for the cuisine, as the children eat well there.
Although we sometimes have lunch at our accommodations, we often eat at the restaurants in the various towns. For the first week, I’m completely lost as to what to order, as the choice is enormous. But after a few days, you want something different than the same primi and secondi, because all the restaurants seem (at least in my experience) to have the same menu. The preparation method might differ, but the text on the menu is the same. Too bad.
Accommodations
Because Sicily is a large island, we stayed in three separate locations over eleven days, hoping to see as much of the island as possible.
Grand Palladium Sicilia Resort & Spa
The first accommodation was the Grand Palladium Sicilia Resort & Spa, an all-inclusive hotel in the town of Campofelice di Roccella, located between Palermo and Cefalù. It was one of the first hotels I found, and I was thrilled when I saw it. We stayed here for four nights and chose a connecting room.
It’s a beautiful hotel with a nice pool. However, I was put off by the all-inclusive model, because the price mainly covers unlimited food and drinks rather than focusing on quality. I’ve written a separate blog post about it:
If you like all-inclusive, the Grand Palladium is a perfect hotel for your family. The buffet restaurant on the ground floor is enormous, and closer to the seafront, there’s a restaurant with à la carte options. There are several swimming pools and children’s activities, making it a perfect place for families.
Grand Hotel San Pietro
After Campofelice di Roccella, we traveled to Taormina where we stayed for two nights at the Grand Hotel San Pietro. Of all the accommodations we stayed at, this five-star hotel made the biggest impression on me. The hotel is situated on a hill, a few meters higher than the city center. As a guest, you are treated to a fantastic view, which really captured my holiday spirit. The room was classic, full of ornaments, and the beds were wonderfully comfortable.
My daughter especially enjoyed the pool, which was very deep at one end. She and her brother jumped endlessly in the water, where other children were also playing. I didn’t use the wellness and fitness facilities, although my husband didn’t think the latter were very impressive.
Wellness Spa Hotel Principe Italia
Our last hotel was Wellness Spa Hotel Pirincipe Italia, near the city of Syracuse. We stayed there for five nights. It’s a five-star hotel located quite far (prox. 20 minutes’ drive) from the city, in an area with few amenities.
The hotel has a beautiful pool, a fine restaurant, a huge gym (a definite plus), many wellness facilities, and a playroom for the children. Although the hotel was beautiful, I felt it lacked the luxury we experienced at the hotel in Taormina, and I think that’s because some of the facilities were of a lower quality.
Our Destinations in Sicily
During our stay in Sicily, we visited several places without staying overnight (in many of them). In order, we visited the following cities:
Palermo
The first city we visited was Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Palermo is over an hour’s drive from the hotel where we stayed. We arrived mid-afternoon and therefore didn’t see much of the city. In retrospect, it is a bit of a shame, because according to many other travel blogs, this is one of the most special places in Sicily.
Palermo is one of the four largest cities in Italy. Palermo boasts a diverse mix of cultures, due to its history, in which the Greeks, Arabs, Spanish, and Normans all played a role. Unlike many other cities in Sicily, Palermo never became a Greek city. Perhaps that’s why Palermo looks different from the other cities on the island. After the Romans, the Arabs conquered Palermo, and the city became a cultural center. The influence of the Arabs is still visible today in the architecture, such as the Royal Palace, or Palazzo dei Normanni, but also in the streets, the traditional markets, and even the cuisine.
Shopping on the main street
Unfortunately, we just missed the market because we spent the day swimming at the hotel. We saw people already cleaning up. Such a shame! Because we arrived late in the city, we didn’t have enough time to admire all the special buildings, although some were covered in scaffolding. We strolled along the main street, Via Vittorio Emanuel. This street is lined with restaurants, monuments, and shops. Here and there you’ll find a stall selling food or drinks, and it’s very colorful and inviting.
Besides the Palazzo dei Normanni, there are several other sights, such as the Cathedral, Theatro Massimo, Fontana Pretoria (under restoration while we were there), and several other palaces that you can find in the Sicilian capital.
Honestly, I wasn’t that impressed with Palermo. It didn’t give me the cozy touristy feeling I experienced in Cefalù or Taormina, for example. But in hindsight, I can only conclude that it was my own fault, because I only saw the bare minimum of the city. So don’t be like us and head out earlier if you want to fully experience this city. Or choose accommodation in the city center if you don’t want to miss something.
Cefalù
Cefalù is a coastal town in the province of Palermo, east of the city of Palermo in northern Sicily. It’s a fairly touristy town with a large beach that attracts many tourists. In summer, the beach, which is lined with restaurants, is noticeably crowded. Walking from the beach towards the center, you’ll find an old part full of souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, and restaurants.
I found it a very pleasant place to visit because of the warm and touristy atmosphere, the various narrow streets, beautiful buildings, and lovely restaurants. My husband quickly fell in love with the arancini, a fried rice ball with meat or cheese inside, we encountered in several places in Sicily.
La Rocca
Something we didn’t do, but which seems worthwhile, is visiting La Rocca. It’s a hill in the town of Cefalù, which you can climb. Once you reach the highest point, you can look out over the city and be rewarded with a panoramic view.
Cefalù is very touristy, especially in summer. But it’s definitely worth a day trip.
Taormina
My favorite destination in all of Sicily was Taormina. This city came up during my research for beautiful towns to visit. Taormina is also an expensive town, especially compared to other towns in Sicily, so I almost decided against going there. However, I overcame the high costs and decided to book two nights.
Taormina is an old Greek colony nestled against a mountainside. From Taormina, you can see Mount Etna, and in the town center, you can see the remains of the Greek past, with the Greek Theater as its centerpiece. This century-old open-air theater is open every day of the week.
Taormina is a beautiful city with stunning views. Not only of Mount Etna, but of the city itself, the surrounding villages, and the Ionian Sea. The city center itself is very picturesque. It looks like a typical tourist town, with its narrow, colorful streets full of restaurants, shops, and ice cream parlors. It’s no wonder this town served as a film set for the second season of the American television series The White Lotus.
Taormina isn’t very big, and after one or two days, you’ll have seen everything you want to see in this city. If you have more time, consider visiting Mount Etna. You can drive there yourself, but there are also plenty of organized tours you can join.
Catania
Catania is one of the last places we visited. We visited the city from our last destination near Syracuse. Catania is located on the east coast of Sicily. It is the second largest city in Sicily after Palermo and is in the province of Catania.
Sicily was hit by a massive earthquake in 1693. The largest in Sicily’s history. Approximately 60,000 people died and dozens of towns and villages were destroyed, including Catania. The city was rebuilt in the years that followed, adopting the Sicilian Baroque style, something you can see in the buildings of the old town. What I find most remarkable is that the city was built with the lava rock that covered parts of Catania a few years earlier, after the eruption of Mount Etna. You can see this, for example, in the elephant in the photo below:
Small streets, large squares
I thought Catania was a beautiful place to visit. It has a much broader feel than Taormina or Cefalù. The squares are large, and you’ll find large buildings there, such as the Cathedral of Catania (also built with lava rock). At the same time, there are many narrow streets where we strolled during our visit and enjoyed an ice cream or a drink at a random terrace.
From Catania, you can also admire and visit Mount Etna. An excursion from this city is easy to plan, or you can travel there yourself in your rented car.
Syracuse
Syracuse is located south of Catania on the east coast of Sicily. Like the previously mentioned cities, Syracuse has a rich history that is reflected in its streets. The same earthquake that struck Catania in 1693 also struck Syracuse. When rebuilding the city, they chose the same Sicilian Baroque style, and this is reflected in the buildings.
The oldest part is the island of Ortigia, also known as the beating heart of Syracuse. Here, too, stands a massive cathedral in the Piazza del Duoma, built on the remains of a Greek temple. You can’t miss the Fountain of Arethusa. At least, we walked past it several times before venturing into the narrow streets of this city.
Interesting to know…
As with most places we visit, I decided to read up on the city’s history on my way to Syracuse. I learned that Syracuse was founded by the Greeks, which is why it has a Greek-sounding name.
The grain export brought the city great wealth in the period before Christ, resulting in beautiful buildings and temples. It was one of the most beautiful cities in the Mediterranean until the Romans destroyed it in 212 BC. Although you can still see some of that history in some parts of the city.
Mount Etna
Something we unfortunately didn’t do, but perhaps we would, if we had more time in Taormina, was visit Mount Etna. During my research for booking this holiday, I mainly looked for nice towns to visit. I didn’t have much attention to nature, like I had in Iceland, and that’s why I missed this unique natural phenomenon.
Now, my trips with children are different from the trips I take with just my partner. Those consist more of hiking and exploring the surroundings. With the children, however, we can only spend a limited amount of time hiking before we complety ruin their mood.
Active volcano
Anyway, more about Etna. It’s a must-visit if you’re in the area and enjoy hiking. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and is located east of Catania in the province of Catania. Etna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.
The last time Etna erupted (since this blog was written, see date) was in June 2025. Ash clouds were observed at the crater, and plenty of videos of what that looks like can be found online.
Volcanic eruption
A volcanic eruption is quite a scary thought, because as a tourist you can visit Etna and reach its highest peaks. In the following video on the Dutch news website Nu.nl, you can see visitors running away when this happens.
We didn’t visit the volcano due to lack of time. An excursion from Taormina took at least six hours from our hotel, and we only had two days. Moreover, such a tour is quite a hike, as you walk a few kilometers up, which can take a few hours. You also need the right shoes (which we didn’t bring) to do such a hike properly.
If you’re not very active and still want to see Etna, you can also use the cable car.
Messina
Although it was on our route from northern Sicily to Taormina, we didn’t visit Messina. You have to make choices, and we decided that a visit to Messina would detract us from our time in Taormina.
Messina is the third largest city in Sicily after Palermo and Catania and geographically closest to mainland Italy. For years, there has been talk of building a bridge between the island and the mainland (the Strait of Messina), but the plan was repeatedly canceled due to funding issues.
But that bridge now seems to be on the way and is scheduled to open in 2032. Perhaps you could then combine your tour of Sicily with a visit to mainland Italy.
Children
Sicily is a beautiful place to visit and to take your children. With many pizzas and pastas on the menu, they can enjoy delicious food. On almost every street corner in the city, you’ll find an ice cream parlor where you can buy gelato. Something that makes many people very happy on vacation.
Many hotels, if you look carefully, offer accommodation for your whole family, and these family-friendly hotels offer the activities you need to keep your children entertained. These include a fun, large swimming pool and a kids’ club, if your children are interested. If that is something your children find interesting.
Amusement Parks
The various cities are fun to explore with children, but don’t expect a carnival full of carousels and other attractions to keep your children entertained. Now, I have to admit that before booking this trip, I didn’t look for amusement parks to visit during my vacation. During previous vacations, I noticed that my children weren’t particularly keen on a water park and were satisfied with the hotel pool. However, they’re getting older, and I suspect that it might be different next year.
But they do exist in Sicily, those water parks. For example, on my way there, I saw a lot of advertisements for Etnaland, a water park about a half-hour drive from Catania. With a 4.3 rating on Tripadvisor and 4.6 on Google, I think this park is highly recommended. So, something to keep in mind when booking your trip. For us, Etnaland was a bit too far from Taormina or Syracuse for a day trip. You might want to stay in Catania for that.
A final conclusion
Sicily is a beautiful island to visit, with so much history reflected in the architecture. The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is wonderful. Whether you’re traveling as a couple, a group of friends, or with your family, Sicily is highly recommended. I hope you read this blog before booking your trip so you can plan your days and which cities to visit.
I saw it so much during my trip and enjoyed it immensely with my family. Our trip was designed to perfectly suit our group. A quick dip in the pool every day, followed by visits to different towns later in the day. We didn’t get to see everything a city has to offer, but we did enjoy the highlights.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday, one that’s perfectly suited to you and your travel companions.
