{"id":2585,"date":"2019-01-19T10:07:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-19T10:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wishsicily.com\/blog\/?p=2585"},"modified":"2026-04-01T14:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:33:16","slug":"the-local-guide-to-sicily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wishsicily.com\/blog\/the-local-guide-to-sicily\/","title":{"rendered":"The local\u2019s guide to Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is it that makes Sicily so special?<\/strong> After all, it\u2019s not just overseas visitors flocking to the island: around half of its visitors are Italians. The cultural attractions are certainly a big draw, but with one of the country\u2019s highest records of sunshine, gorgeous beaches, sparkling clear seas and mouth-watering food, Italians know when they\u2019re on to a good thing! In fact once you\u2019ve visited Sicily, you may not be surprised to learn that many Sicilians stay on the island for their own holiday. Read on for some local tips on the best things to do and places to visit in Sicily<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historical and archaeological sites<\/h3>\n

Classic sites such as the Valley of the Temples and the temple at Selinunte<\/a> are legendary. Stay at Casa Maoma for easy access to both sites and to be close to the less-frequented archaeological site of Eraclea Minoa.<\/p>\n

\"Casa<\/a>
Casa Maoma, Menfi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just as impressive are the magnificent mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina and the baroque town of Palazzolo Acreide. \u00a0Choose Casale Arezzo as your base and as well as getting to visit south east Sicily\u2019s popular baroque towns of Ragusa, Modica and Scicli, you can get to Palazzolo Acreide in around an hour.<\/p>\n

\"Casale<\/a>
Casale Arezzo, Ragusa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Palermo<\/h3>\n

Nowhere gives you a better insight to Sicily than its noisy, multi-cultural and atmospheric capital city.\u00a0 Lose yourself in Palermo\u2019s winding backstreets to get a real feel for its history and architecture, interspersing your wanderings with visits to the main sights. Take a Street Food Tour<\/a> to learn about its food and experience opera at the Teatro Massimo, Italy\u2019s biggest opera house. For a full-on Palermitan experience, hop on a bus to Mondello beach and enjoy a granita with a warm brioche at a caf\u00e9 while you watch the world go by.<\/p>\n

\"Palermo,<\/a>
Palermo, Palazzo Reale<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Markets<\/h3>\n

Palermo\u2019s Vucciria and Ballar\u00f2 markets are teeming with activity and Instagram-worthy tableaux but can be fairly touristy.\u00a0 The Mercato del Pesce in Trapani is slightly more off-the-beaten track.\u00a0 Wander in the early hours amongst shimmering piles of rosy shrimps and glistening anchovies, freshly caught in the surrounding waters.<\/p>\n

The fish market in Catania, set behind the city\u2019s Duomo, is another classic.\u00a0 Although awareness of the market is growing amongst tourists, it still provides a mesmerising glimpse of everyday life in Sicily. \u00a0Casa dei Sogni is within easy reach of Catania and the baroque town of Acireale, as well as the tourist-free beaches of the Riviera dei Ciclopi.<\/p>\n

\"Casa<\/a>
Casa dei Sogni<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Food<\/h3>\n

Trendy eateries are creeping on to the landscape in Sicily, alongside sushi places and high-end Michelin-starred restaurants. For an authentic local dining experience, stick to the family-run trattorie where dishes include classic bucatini pasta with sardines, caponata (a sort of ratatouille) and involtini (sword fish rolls). At some point during your stay, be sure to sample some traditional street food<\/a>, such as arancini (rice balls) and crocch\u00e8 (fried potato croquettes).<\/p>\n

\"Street<\/a>
Street food Arancine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nature<\/h3>\n

When you fancy a break from the beach, head for one of Sicily\u2019s nature reserves. In the west of the island, the Zingaro Nature Reserve stretches along the coast for 7km, from the village of Scopello to San Vito Lo Capo. The reserve is a popular spot for hikers and also for bathers, thanks to its pretty pebbly beaches and translucent water.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the island, the Cavagrande del Cassibile protected nature reserve is situated 20km north of Noto. Spend the day walking in one of Europe\u2019s largest canyons and swimming in clear turquoise pools created by the river Cassibile. Villa Rebecca is a newly-converted 4-bedroom villa within easy reach of Cavagrande, the beach at Lido di Noto and the Vendicari Nature Reserve<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is it that makes Sicily so special? After all, it\u2019s not just overseas visitors flocking to the island: around half of its visitors are Italians. The cultural attractions are certainly a big draw, but with one of the country\u2019s highest records of sunshine, gorgeous beaches, sparkling clear seas and mouth-watering food, Italians know when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-where-to-stay-in-sicily"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe local\u2019s guide to Sicily<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What makes Sicily so special: read on for\u00a0some local tips on the best things to do and places to\u00a0visit in Sicily.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wishsicily.com\/blog\/the-local-guide-to-sicily\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The local\u2019s guide to Sicily\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What makes Sicily so special: read on for\u00a0some local tips on the best things to do and places to\u00a0visit in Sicily.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wishsicily.com\/blog\/the-local-guide-to-sicily\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wish Sicily - 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