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The cultural tapestry of Sicily is a rich and varied one. Invasions by the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks, Romans, Moors, Normans, Spanish, and Italians left their mark, particularly in the island’s architecture and culinary traditions. The island is best explored through those understated haunts where locals convene, centuries-old buildings that lie well off the tourist track, and family-run restaurants where a simple cannoli can move you to tears.
To attempt to scratch into Sicily’s proud soul in a few weeks is ambitious—a few days is simply an aperitivo, just enough time to fall wildly and irrevocably in love with this sun-bleached island. Here’s our insider guide on how to tackle Sicily in just three days.
A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK. All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Day 1
Morning
Begin your whistle-stop tour of South Eastern Sicily in the sea-fronted glory of Syracuse. The ancient Greek city connects to Ortigia, a UNESCO World Heritage site island with a food market (on Via Emmanuele De Benedictis) well worth waking up early for. Held from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon every Sunday, it’s a sensory assault with the island's bounty piled high on tables: olives, lemons, herbs, enormous wheels of cheese, capers, spanking fresh seafood. Octopus tentacles hang from boxes, swordfish heads protrude from tables, vendors gesticulate emphatically.
Scoff a millefoglie (raisin pastry) or ciambelle (a Sicilian spin on the donut) while browsing and observing the ancient market rhythms—and don't leave without trying the ricotta-stuffed croissants at Sapori dei Gusti Smarriti. Sicilian mornings are typically sweet, so having wandered around Piazza del Duomo and gasped at the surrounding buttermilk-hued splendor, scuttle into Bar Condorelli for granita and warm brioche.
Afternoon
As you only have a day here, save the Neapolis Archeological Park for another trip and simply absorb Syracuse’s millennia of history through its layered architecture, zigzagging into its independent crafty shops and galleries as you go. Lunch is sacred in Sicily, and Macalle’s menu does a stellar job of modernizing classic Sicilian recipes (go for the fish dishes). Wander across to Forte Vigliena, where you can dip into the glassy, turquoise waters from the rocks. A small patch of sand just below Hotel Royal Maniace is another lovely swim spot.
Evening
Head back to your digs: The Thinking Traveller’s seafront hideaway hovers right above the bustling market and labyrinth of restaurants, with an oasis-style roof terrace serving up postcard views. Snatch a Sicilian siesta, then head back down into the heart of ancient Ortigia, winding through the streets to reach the Porto Grande, where Armonia bobs impatiently (book well in advance). Syracuse is even more enchanting when viewed from the sea. Hop off the boat back at the marina, draw out the evening, and make a beeline for Era Ora Ortigia. This wildly delicious pizza place will belittle all future pizzerias.
Day 2
Morning
Pick up a sinfully delicious pistachio cream pastry from Pasticceria Artale, then cross the Ponte Umberto for a hire car, going west, inland past agriturismos and prairie-like stretches baked by the sun. In just under an hour, you’ll reach Dimora Delle Balze. This handsomely restored 19th-century masseria is a masterclass in perfectly balanced restraint. Peachy rooms are tastefully dressed in natural linens, mosaic bathrooms, and blonde, upcycled woods, while a maze of modica-stone tiled courtyards and old freckled walls spills out onto a pillared terrace and a calm and contemporary pool area. Use this exquisite spot overlooking the olive-tree-scattered Val di Noto as your base for the next few days.
Afternoon
Having kicked back by the pool with herb-infused cocktails (all plucked from Dimora Delle Balze’s organic acres), jump back in the car for just over a half-hour’s drive to the city of Noto. Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the orderly, opulent artery street home to the legendary Caffè Sicilia which has been open since 1892. Pull up a chair for one of Corrado Assenza’s almond milk granita coffees and seasonally shifting cakes to tide you over; expect cheeses and jams from local farmers’ orchards and pastries, plump with nutty ricotta. Cruise along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, gawping at the cathedral and the French-inspired Palazzo Ducezio directly opposite it, though skip the queues for the rooftop views of the latter and instead clamber up the Monastero del Santissimo Salvatore staircase for an achingly pretty panoramic of Noto in its golden, late afternoon coat. Meander down to the communal gardens for a green exhale, then explore the boutiques and galleries lining the streets branching off from Corso Vittorio until you reach Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo, a jewel box theatre of gold leaf boxes, stuccowork, and classical oomph.
Evening
Return through Dimora Delle Balze for a late afternoon swim when the water shifts to an inky shade, a snooze on one of the mottled courtyard’s wrought iron daybeds and a long salt-infused soak in their absurdly deep baths. Supper is an easy-going candlelit affair, poolside and a polished riff on Sicilian stalwarts—caponata, seafood couscous, hearty salads making good use of the hotel’s organic bounty. Linger over cocktails in the AROME bar (connected to the poolside restaurant), where Donnafugata reds soon drift into negronis.
Day 3
Morning
Breakfast here is a real highlight. Teas, coffees, and hot orders are taken on a weathered stone terrace, with views of the valley framed by crumbling columns. Inside, an enormous farmhouse table is covered with a photogenic Sicilian spread featuring apricot pastries, orange cakes, homemade granola, and local cuts. Drizzle honey on home-baked bread while listing the various items you’ll need to pack for hiking the Cavagrande del Cassibile. Only a short drive away, this long canyon’s walks along the scala cruci from Belvedere rewards hikers with ethereal-looking natural pools and waterfalls. Lizards dart across the warm limestone, birds frolic just above the intensely turquoise pools. It’s away from the beach crowds and there are even prehistoric caves hiding in plain sight opposite the Parcheggio laghetti di cavagrande car park. The scenic walk (including a well-deserved dip) will take around three hours.
Afternoon
Catania is a superb destination for an empty stomach. Head north from the Cavagrande del Cassibile into the city. Catania was cut from the same baroque cloth as Palermo or Siracuse, though with a sooty-hued, ragged edge. It also has a phenomenal street food scene, where traditional classics enjoy a near-sacred status among locals and are a delicious way to explore the patchwork of Sicily’s cultural influences. Book a food tour with Streatys—you’re arriving too late for Catania’s famously raucous fish market, but leaning into the Tavola Calda Catanese (Catanian ‘hot tables’) culture is another way to get a feel for the city. Expect seafood hoiked from the Tyrrhenian a few hours ago, deep-fried arancini, ricotta and anchovy-stuffed Siciliana and Minne di Sant’agata (Catania’s most famous cakes).
If you’re wanting to explore the city’s street food scene under your own steam, start in the Piazza Duomo and work your way to Dolci della Nonna Vincenza for the cakes. From here, gawk at the resplendent Rococo palace, still home to the descendants of its namesake family—Palazzo Biscari. Then head north to Folk Magda Masano for homewares fashioned from lava stone, marble, and ceramics by a third-generation maker. Head east via the Benedictine monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena for Catania’s street food hub. Via Plebiscito Catania is where a cluster of arrusti e mangi (roast and eat) spots fills the air with wafts of fire and charred meats.
Evening
Visit the imposing Porto Garibaldi, then head east down Via Guiseppe Garibaldi. Walk along Catania’s thoroughfare, Via Etna, named after the menacing, often snow-capped volcano that looms over the city. Continue north until you reach the gardens of Villa Bellini, a manicured pocket of green amidst all the grey lava stone named after Catania’s famous composer, Vicenzo Bellini, and seemingly designed for early evening strolls as the sun dips (the park is open until 9 p.m.).
Having admired the magnolia, fountains, statues, and swans, meander down the streets running adjacent to Via Etna to Stanley Tucci-approved Me Cumpari Turiddu. Lean into the unpretentious and proudly traditional Sicilian menu: You can’t go wrong with the black pork, the pasta alla Turiddu (a spin on the classic norma using Masculina da Magghia anchovies), or the paddlefish ‘involtini’ rolls. Having walked for most of the day, settle into the restaurant’s amber-hued atmosphere with a negroni, sipped beneath its vast vaulted ceilings and chandeliers.
