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Sights To See Index What You'll Find Here: Places open to the public, especially sights of historical or archaeological interest, and some resort areas (beaches). Attractions described on other pages are linked. Not all of these sights will be open every day. The Travel FAQs page explains seasons, open hours and where to find visitor information. Our online Magazine presents articles on places, too. What You Won't Find Here: Less important sights. The Woods of Ficuzza is listed because of its easy access, while caverns (usually closed) are omitted because of their inaccessibility. Some larger public beaches are mentioned, but private ones are not. Nor have we included country house resorts, thermal springs or camp grounds, which are described on our FAQs page, or minor archaeological sites. Beaches Agrigento. The beach is located at Porto Empedocle. Carini. West of Palermo, near Isola delle
Femine. Castellamare del Golfo. Midway between Palermo and Trapani. Cefalù. Located on the edge the town of that name east of Palermo. Favignana. Island off Sicily's western coast near Trapani. Isola delle Femine. West of Palermo. The beach isn't actually on the small "island of the women" but on the Sicilian coast. Letojanni. North of Taormina. Lipari. There are several beaches on these islands. Palermo (Mondello). Large but sometimes crowded beach just outside Palermo, on the western side of Mount Pellegrino. Porto Paolo. Located near Menfi, on Sicily's southern coast. San Vito lo Capo. East of Trapani, about 40 minutes from Palermo, near the Zingaro Nature Reserve. Sciacca.On the southern coast. Taormina. Beach is actually located in Giardini, a nearby locality. Parks and Nature
Reserves Alcantara Gorge. The woods around the gorge
are actually quite small, but this scenic site, on the Ficuzza. Large woods and wildlife sanctuary on the Bourbon Royal Estate near Corleone. Fiumefreddo. Small nature reserve along the river of this name near Calatabiano, between Taormina and Catania. La Favorita and Mount Pellegrino. Located on the edge of Palermo. Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve. Located near Scopello, a coastal village about 10 kilometers west of Castellamare del Golfo, this reserve is the home of flora and fauna typical of Sicily. For the most part, these are woods and bushlands. Maccalube. A field of small gray mud geysers, unique in Italy. Outside Aragona, a few miles south of Agrigento. The reserve is administered from an office at Via S. La Rosa 53 in Aragona. Mount Etna. Sicily's largest nature reserve. Medieval Castles
and Towers Aci Castello. Coastal fortress near Catania. Norman-Angevin. Alcamo. Norman era castle in the center of this town between Palermo and Trapani; there are several other medieval structures in this locality. Carini. Though extensively restructured,
the castle retains some medieval elements. Carini is a town outside Palermo
near the airport. Open Saturday and Sunday mornings. Tel. 091-8611339. Castelbuono. (near Cefalù) Ventimiglia Castle. Catania. Ursino Castle. Cefalà Diana. Small hilltop castle in the mountains south of Palermo near Mezzoiuso. Occasionally open to visitors. Enna. Castle and separate tower. Erice. This charming town has two castles, both well-preserved. Falconara Sicula. Coastal fortress east of Licata, which also has a castle, and Gela. Licata. Seaside castle in the town of the same name, between Palma di Montechiaro and Gela. Monreale. Castellaccio Castle. Mussomeli. Castle built by the Chiaramonte family on Saracen-era ruins. Occasionally open to the public. Naro. Small castle built by the Chiaramonte family on a Norman structure. Palermo. Royal Palace, Steri, Castle-by-the-Sea. Palma di Montechiaro. Feudal fortress east of Agrigento near the southern coast. Paternò. Built of dark stone, this feudal castle in the province of Catania was erected during the eleventh and twelfth centuries in a unique style characterized by strong Saracen influences. Salemi. Swabian-era fortress in the locality of this name. Sperlinga. Fortress built into a rocky mountain overlooking the remote town of Sperlinga, near the woods of the same name in the province of Enna between Gangi and Nicosia. Medieval
Churches and Cloisters Agrigento. Cathedral (duomo), Cefalù. Cathedral. Enna. Cathedral (exterior). Erice. Chiesa Madre (Mother Church). Messina. Saint Mary of the Germans (Gothic), Cathedral (restored in original style), Annunziata of the Catalans. Monreale. Cathedral. Palermo. Cathedral, Saint Agostino, Saint John of the Hermits, Magione, Saint John of the Lepers, Saint Francis of Assisi, Palatine Chapel, San Cataldo, Martorana, Saint Mary of the Chain. Siracusa. Saint John's Abbey. Modern
Churches Catania. Cathedral. Marsala. Cathedral. Palermo. Saint Joseph of the Theatines,Casa Professa,San Domenico. Piazza Armerina. Cathedral. Siracusa. Cathedral. Greek Temples, Cities
and Amphitheatres Akrai. Located near Palazzolo Acreide, about 40 kilometers from Siracusa, this city was founded by Greeks in 664 BC and has a small amphitheatre and the remains of a 6th century BC temple dedicated to Aphrodite, as well as a series of stone figures dedicated to the goddess Sibyl. Cefalù. The Temple of Diana is probably Sicanian. Himera. (Imera) Megara Hyblaea. On the Ionian coast south of Augusta. Founded around 750 BC, the town was destroyed in 483 BC, later refounded, but finally destroyed by the Romans in 214 BC. The site has yielded important finds. Motia. (Mozia.) Actually a Phoenician settlement. San Giuseppe Jato. The territory of the locality of San Cipirello includes the Mount Jato site (and also an Antiquarium). Objects have been found dating from circa 800 BC, but the settlement was essentially Greek, with a temple built around 550 BC and an amphitheatre built somewhat later. Roman Architecture or Settlements Marsala. Cape Boéo district. Palermo. Piazza Vittoria, Carthaginian Cemetery. Tindaris. (Tindari) Medieval
Palaces Palermo. Zisa, Cuba, Palazzo Abatellis. Siracusa. Montalto Palace. Taormina. Palazzo Corvaia. Palaces,
Villas, Stately Homes Bagheria. Palazzo Palagonia. Ficuzza. Royal hunting lodge in small locality near Corleone. Palermo. Chinese Villa, Palazzo Mirto, Villa Trabia, Villa Malfitana. |
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Alcantara River off Route 185 (between Taormina and Mount Etna), offers a pleasant glimpse of
Etna's geological influence on the surrounding countryside. The water that
flows through this basalt formation is always cool, and bathing is permitted
during the summer months.
Church of San
Nicola. 