|
As the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has in recent years become revived by tourism bolstered by its sunny climate and fantastic archaeological sites. Situated just to the west of the 'toe' of the 'boot' of Italy, Sicily was once it's own Kingdom, and even today it retains its own unique character. Sicily's capital, Palermo, is famed for its architecture - it has a huge number of churches (including the Cathedral of Palermo, San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Martorana), palaces (including Palazzo dei Normanni, Zisa, Cuba, Palazzo Abatellis and Palazzo Chiaramonte), and squares. Further afield in Sicily you can find the volcano Mt. Etna, the Madonie National Park, the Greek Temple Valley in Agrigento, the Piazza Armerina Roman mosaic site, and the Eraclea Minoa site.
Sicily is serviced by several large airports including Catania-Fontanarossa (near Catania), Palermo International, and Trapani-Birgi (near Trapani). The largest, Catania-Fontanarossa, is visited by British Airways, easyJet, Thomsonfly, Monarch Airlines and Air Italia amongst others. Slightly smaller, Palermo International is used by Ryanair, easyJet and Air One, amongst others, whilst the more regional Trapani-Birgi is one of Ryanair's minor hubs.
Ferry links are the other easy way of getting to Sicily from European destinations. The island is visited by regular boats from Reggio di Calabri, Napoli, Salerno, Livorno, Genova, Ravenna, and Civitavecchia in Italy; Cagliari in Sardinia; and La Valletta in Malta. Smaller ferries connect the outlying Sicilian islands.
Car hire for exploring Sicily is highly recommended, particularly as some of the archaeological sites of interest are located in regional areas. Sixt, Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Maggiore, Autoeuropa and Dollar Thrifty are amongst the companies based on the island.
|
|