10 amazing ways to explore quarantine-free Sicily
At some point in your school days, perhaps in the middle of a rainy-day double maths lesson, your teacher will have turned wearily to the class, fixed one errant pupil with a steely gaze, and remarked that their actions in that moment were “Not big and not clever”.
The best reaction in that scenario was to keep quiet – and definitely not to make smart-aleck remarks like the following. But there are many cases where big and clever dovetail neatly, and Sicily is one example. The football (to use a loose geographical term) at the tip of the Italian boot is certainly big. It is not just Italy’s biggest island, but the biggest in the Mediterranean. It is a colossus, spreading out to 10,000 sq miles of splendid shoreline, mighty mountains, cool cities, and heavenly hotels. “Big” is the word.
But here, now, it is also a clever choice for a holiday. One of Europe’s sunspots – you can expect temperatures of 26C (79F) in September – Sicily is a place where you can chase the last of the summer, safe in the knowledge that (at the time of writing) Italy’s Covid rate is below the UK threshold for quarantine. Your old teacher would approve. They needed a holiday.
Lap of luxury: Verdura Resort
Sicily is a tough beast of an island. But if all you want of it is a week of gilded indolence, it also offers sparkling sophistication. Not least at Verdura Resort, a five-star delight – with an extensive spa, four restaurants and just as many bars – near Sciacca on the south-west coast. A seven-night half-board stay, flying from Gatwick next Saturday (Sept 19), costs from £1,435 per person, via Sardatur (020 8973 2292; sardatur-holidays.co.uk).
Cliffhanger: Cefalu
Elegant accommodation is also the name of the game for the Thinking Traveller (020 7377 8518; thethinkingtraveller.com), which has more than 200 luxurious villas dotted around the island. These include Il Gabbiano, a three-bedroom masterpiece that recites the mantra “location, location, location” as it perches on its north-coast cliff near Cefalu. It can still be rented for a week, checking in on Sept 26, from £3,000 (flights extra).
Capital gains: Palermo
Palermo is the obvious point of arrival, welcoming easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways flights from various UK airports. But the Sicilian capital is much more than a runway. It offers architectural glory in its 12th-century cathedral, archaeological marvels in its Museo Antonio Salinas, and Italian easy-eating in the unfussy restaurants of Via Vittorio Emanuele. A seven-night stay at the four-star Porta Felice hotel, flying from Heathrow next Saturday, starts at £585 per person through British Airways Holidays (0344 493 0787; ba.com/holidays).
The beautiful south-east: Catania
Churches, palaces and urban grandeur are also the defining element of the Baroque Riches of Sicily trip offered by Inntravel (01653 617001; inntravel.co.uk). This week-long, culture-rich, self-guided tour forges by rail between Ragusa and Catania, via Noto and Syracuse. All four towns were eviscerated by an earthquake in 1693 – the most powerful in Italian recorded history with a magnitude of 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale – and subsequently rebuilt in photogenic and Unesco-listed fashion. Prices from £735 per person, not including flights.
Hot stuff: Mount Etna
While Vesuvius dozes, Sicily’s own kraken likes to keep the island on guard. Etna erupted in 2017 and 2018. Its 10,912ft brute majesty makes it a subject of fiery fascination. Mountain Kingdoms (01453 844400; mountain kingdoms.com) runs a regular eight-day Mount Etna Volcanic Islands group walking holiday (and tours the Aeolian Islands). From £1,380 per person, including flights. Next departure Oct 3.
Greek gifts: Ancient Sicily
The island’s epic history is most famously represented by the gorgeous third-century-BC amphitheatre on its hillside in Taormina. But the tale also stretches to Roman, Arabic and Norman eras – and is ably dissected by the regular 13-day Civilisations of Sicily group tour offered by Martin Randall Travel (020 8742 3355; martinrandall.com). From £4,910 per person, with flights. Next departure Oct 12. Three further tours are planned for 2021.
Pedal ohs: Marsala
The dimming of summer into autumn means now is a good time to tackle the island by bike. Explore (01252 882946; explore.co.uk) offers a seven-day Self-guided Cycling in Sicily tour that pedals the west coast, halting at Marsala for wine-tasting and Segesta for more ancient ruins. From £899 per person in September, or from £825 in October. Flights cost extra.
North-western promise: San Vito Lo Capo
As the name suggests, Sicily4U (01483 497060; sicily4u.co.uk) is a specialist operator on the island. Its attractive portfolio of villas includes a budget range and among them is Casa Amanti, a one-bedroom bolt-hole ideal for couples, which snoozes by the beach close to north-westerly San Vito Lo Capo. It can be booked from €850 (£773) a week for the rest of September and €750 in October.
An island’s island: Syracuse
Wish Sicily (020 7193 7302; wishsicily.com) provides an extra element of island life with Casa a Ortigia, a two-bedroom retreat that charmingly keeps to itself within the narrow and well-worn streets of Ortigia – the tiny just-offshore outcrop on which Syracuse’s beautiful old town is built. The property is still available for the whole of October, from £1,162 per week (flights extra).
High life: Taormina
If you fancy sending off the holiday season with a splash, there may be few more superb options than Villa Concetta – a four-bedroom slice of paradise that admires the Italian mainland from an elevated position above Taormina. It also has an infinity pool with a pool house and magnificent sea views, and is still available for a week from Oct 17, from £5,804 (flights extra) through CV Villas (020 37337619; cvvillas.com).
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