In which city house in Sicily?

Are you planning a stay in Sicily, this rock at the end of the Italian boot? Discover in which city to stay in Sicily to visit the island at best!

Larger in all islands of the Mediterranean Sea, the Sicily , only three kilometers from the continent, is also an autonomous province of Italy, whose capital is Palermo. With 5,032,818 inhabitants (2017) spread over 25,709 km2 – twice and a half the area of the Gironde – and more than 4 million tourists coming to visit the island each year, finding accommodation where to stay in Sicily will be relatively expensive, as well as preventing you. In summer, prices for hostels, hotels, studios, villas, « pension » at the inhabitant can literally swell. But Sicily has something to seduce everyone and it is not just the frascos of Cosa Nostra and the beaches: 1500 kilometers of coastline, a dream climate, a cultural richness and landscapes as varied as sumptuous.

Whip it Etna , Stromboli , the lush mountains where hiking, the north coast with Palermo, the east with Catania and Syracuse, Agrigento and Gela on the south coast and Trapani for its western flank will convince you of one thing: Sicily offers many choices of drop points. This is in which city to stay in Sicily.

Palermo and the north coast

Fruit of over-year influences, Palermo has an infinitely rich history: it was successively Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, Norman and Spanish. With these dominations of the past, this city of 676,118 inhabitants houses countless architectural masterpieces: churches, palaces, ancient ruins and other historic buildings to be visited unmistakably. The neighborhoods vibrate by their authentic markets where Italian and eastern flavours are mixed, where the myriads of Italian cuisine restaurants are attuned and of course, many trendy and festive bars are divisive on the streets in the evening. Accommodation in Palermo , as in any large Italian city, can be expensive but it really is worth spending a budget to visit it. Swiping the coast to Messina , don't miss Cefalù the Peruvian mountains, Nebrodes and the Madonies.

To Syracuse and around

The south of Sicily will undoubtedly seduce the amateurs of baroque architecture: from Syracuse in Mazara del Vallo, the villages are summed up in a word, splendid. If you have not been seduced by Palermo, you are Catania and Syracuse. While we revisit the corridors of Antiquity in Syracuse – a powerful city that resists in Athens and the Romans (through the famous scientist Archimedes) -, we take advantage of the interior of the more popular Sicilian lands. Not to be missed: the nature reserve of Vendicari. Since we are in Sicily, to enjoy excellent bathing, you are in the right place because the water is warm in the summer, crystalline and turns green to turquoise according to light and depth.

The volcano Etna and Catania

Se accommodation in Catania has the first advantage of providing direct access to leave on the assault slopes of the Etna 4×4 or minibus. Eastern Sicily shows a mild mix between urban areas that are sometimes tonitruating and nuts of nature where a calm olympian reigns. The city of Catania is animated by day and night – with 315 576 inhabitants, it is bigger than Montpellier, Strasbourg or Nantes... -, with its markets and fishery, the Roman amphitheatre in the middle of modern buildings – a singular anachronism -, Piazza del duomo , Castello Ursino – a medieval Norman fortress – or its bars to party and enjoy the terraces. If you choose to sleep in Catania, don't miss Aci Trezza, a small seaside resort and its 8 Cyclope Rocks, basalte.

To the west, Trapani and Agrigento

If visiting Sicily on a road trip is in your plans, you will necessarily go through the cities of Trapani and Agrigento On your way. These are two key steps to stop you one night.

Main photo credit: Flickr – Alessandro Baffa