.svg/35px-Flag_of_Sicily_(revised).svg.png){kind=small}
| Sicily (Sicilia) | |
 | |
| Temple of Segesta | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Italy |
|---|---|
| Regional capital | Palermo |
| Area | 25 832 km² |
| Population | 4 994 437 hab. (2013) |
| Density | 193,34 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC 01:00, UTC 02:00 |
| Location | |
 37 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ N 14 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. She is part of theItaly.
Understand
Its personality was forged under many influences: Greek, Roman, Norman, Arab, Catholic ... Insularity marks, of course, particularly Sicily.
There is a strange feeling after a stay in August, that of a region that is ultimately unaccustomed to tourists or at least to travelers, most foreigners not leaving their holiday clubs.
Be careful, the summer months are scorching, and August is literally boring.
The rooms are most of the time equipped with air conditioners to be able to "recover".
Regions
 Sicily regions map |
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Cities
- 7 Trapani
- 8 Enna
- 9 Gel
- 10 Ragusa
- 11 Taormina
- Piazza Armerina – Imperial Villa del Casale
- 12 Cefalu –
- 13 Capo d'Orlando
- 14 Erice
- Castellammare del Golfo
- Caltagirone
- Noto
- Monreale
Other destinations
- 1 Etna
- 2 Aeolian Islands
- Stromboli
- 3 Aegadian Islands
- 4 Pelagie Islands
- 5 Pantelleria Island
- 6 Segesta
- 7 Selinunte
- Valley of the Temples
- Nature parks and reserves (Monte Pellegrino, Etna, Madonie, Zingaro, Nebrodi)
To speak
Difficult communication for non-Italian speakers. The official language is Italian. The practice of the Sicilian dialect is still very much alive. There are two islands of minority languages: Greek and Albanian. Locals often communicate through gestures and facial expressions, each of which has a specific meaning. English is often used, but French is not to be outdone, in Palermo in particular, as well as German.
To go
Two airports: one near Palermo (Punta Raisi), the other in the southern suburbs of Catania (Fontanarossa). Regular connections from France: Ryanair, Volotea, Meridiana, Air France, Alitalia, Windjet, AirOne, Transavia, from Switzerland (Geneva): Weekly charters to Catania during the season.
Low-cost Ryanair connections are in place to Trapani airport from Beauvais and Charleroi (Belgium).
- 1 Trapani Airport (IATA : TPS, ICAO: LICT, Aeroporto Vincenzo Florio di Trapani-Birgi) (15 km south of Trapani)
- 2 Pantelleria aerodrome (IATA : PNL, ICAO: LICG, Aeroporto di Pantelleria "Cap. Pil. Italo D'Amico") (north-west of the island of Pantelleria, itself at 100 km in the southwest of the province of Trapani)
- 3 Lampedusa airfield (IATA : LMP, ICAO: LICD, Aeroporto di Lampedusa) (in the south-east of the island of Lampedusa in the Pelagie archipelago, at 200 km south of the province of Agrigento and between Malta and Tunisia)
Possibility to embark by car in Genoa, Civitivecchia or Naples on GNV (Grimaldi Lines) cruise ships ... 20 h crossing (800 km) from Genoa to Palermo with overnight stay on board.
You can cross the strait between mainland Italy and Sicily by boat or train (boarded the ferry) to Messina. Low cost (1 € for a pedestrian crossing, 30 min very nice boat). 23 € by car.
Circulate
By car
- Think about air conditioning in summer!
- Many Sicilians drive in any way (with the cell phone, use of the horn, disregarding traffic lights, signs and priorities). Traffic is very difficult in Catania between 17 h and 21 h. The outskirts of Palermo are often difficult. However, accidents seem to be rather infrequent.
- Car rentals at airports in Palermo and Catania. Beware of the many false damage scams, it is advisable to take out insurance for your car rental in Sicily to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Motorways are free except the one that connects Catania to Messina (very busy in summer). They are two-lane and connect the big cities. Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day. Allow one hour for Catania-Enna and a little over two hours for Catania-Palermo.
- Car parks: the blue zones are subject to a charge 8 h - 20 h. You buy a ticket in tobacco bars: it is a bulletin whose boxes must be carefully scratched. In the event of a ticket, it is impossible to pay directly: you must complete a payment slip in triplicate and pay by post.
- Speed limits:
- 50 km / h in the city
- 90 km / h on national road
- 110 km / h on expressway
- 130 km / h on Motorway
If you want to visit Sicily by car, it takes around 2 weeks to make a complete tour of Sicily. For a trip of a shorter duration, it is better to concentrate either on the eastern part of the island (landing in Catania) or on the western part (landing in Palermo.)
By bus
Several companies offer departures in each city. It is often poorly organized and you have to be wary of schedules.
To prepare your trip, you can get an idea of the existing lines and timetables on the website ofinterbus and that ofAST.
By train
The network is dense, but very slow (because there is often only one lane) even if it is economical (generally cheaper than the coach). It is however little used, at least by summer visitors.
Do
Main tourist spots
- Palermo, the capital
- Catania, the 2nd largest Sicilian city
- Syracuse and the island of Ortygia
- Taormina
- Trapani and the village of Erice
- Agrigento
- Cefalu
- Sciacca
- The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
- The temples of Selinunte
- The temple of Segesta
- Monreale Cathedral, a village near Palermo
- Zingaro nature reserve
- Etna
- The Aegadian Islands: Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo
- The Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily
To buy
Pretty ceramics everywhere and small Sicilian carts. Wine, limoncello, amaro averna (digestives), Vino alla Mandorla (specialty of the village of Castelmola), citrus fruits, olive oil, ricotta.
Eat
The Sicilians dispute with the Neapolitans the paternity of the pizza. Originally genuine poor man's dishes, they are succulent (the Italian dough is very thin) and economical (divide the French price by two to three).
Many snacks are sold in bakeries, pizza folded into a turnover with cheese, mushroom, onions, spinach, or lasagna, at 2-3 €, ideal with a fruit or a raw vegetable when you mop ...
The Arancini are an essential Sicilian specialty: they are rice balls filled most of the time with a stew of meat, cheese and peas. The rice is then breaded and fried in oil (olive oil of course). It is quite fatty, and therefore, but very nourishing.
The cultivated surfaces are innumerable in Sicily, especially in the South near Ragusa where the cultures extend under greenhouses to the sea. The cultivated vegetables are varied: tomatoes, eggplants, beans, artichokes, zucchini. Sicilian soils produce thousands of fruits: watermelons, melons, lemons, oranges, peaches, figs: something to feast on at low prices!
Olive oil is excellent.
Ice cream in cones or cups: succulent, generous and inexpensive!
If you want to taste a typical island dessert, try a cannolo: it's a ricotta-based cream rolled in a fried cookie. Again, it's not really light.
Have a drink / Go out
Sicily has a vast and very important production of quality wines, sweet wines, The most important grape varieties are: Catarratto, Trebbiano, Nero d´Avola, produced among others by the very young Di Bella.srl, Nerello Mascalese, Inzolia and Syrah.Trapani is the largest province that produces dry white wines and the famous sweet wine, which takes the name of the city of Marsala.Other very good sweet wines less unknown are: The Passito di Pantelleria , produced exclusively in the small island of Pantelleria and Zibibbo.vini nobile Pachino
Bars on every street corner (practical for small needs ...) which often also serve as a gelateria.Gelateria Scardaci Catania
Security
Stay alert while driving, know where the horn is: any road, lane is a potential danger. The Sicilians force the passage by encroaching on roads, crossings, roundabouts and it works! Don't hesitate too long.
Two big cities for your baptism of fire: Palermo and Catania. The only difficulty is to clear a path and find a place to park your car. Otherwise, no worries, it is not yet the madness and the danger that you will be able to meet or undergo at Rome Where Naples.
Be careful in gas stations at night. Always park right in front of the illuminated store.
Never leave your belongings in your rental car, let alone in a visible location. Unfortunately, break-ins are frequent.
Health
Provide anti mosquito "weapons": electric diffusers, blue lights, sprays.
Housing
Respect
Nature, even if some inhabitants do not. The nap: many shops and restaurants are closed between 14 h and 17 h.
