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Tourist Attractions in Sicily
Italy
Walking
up a volcano: The Etna
I've been to Sicily, Italy
several times and seen the main attractions
and typically choose to explore independently, but
on our September trip, our Etna tour proved to be
a highlight of our vacation. We spent the day exploring
Etna  (amazing!)
and the surrounding villages by way of the area's
"red wine route." Our trip of the area also
included a stop and tasting at the Murgo winery (one
of Sicily's best known producers). We headed up the
snow-covered mountain to 1400 meters until where the
road was destroyed by a massive lava flow. You can
view the sea from the top of the volcano. Whilst on
top of the Etna, you can walk around the old crater
and you can also grab a bottle of 'Fire Water'.
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Taormina -
The beach, village and the Greek theatre
Taormina, one of the most beautiful cities
in all of Sicily, Italy is more of my favourite attractions.
Concert venues don't come much more dramatic than
the Greek theatre
in Taormina, on the east coast of Sicily. Set
on a cliff, and open to the night sky, the ancient
arena  offers
imperial views over the Gulf of Naxos and the crumbling
columns and arches of the back wall frame Mount Etna.
In addition, Taormina has a beautiful village with
plenty of shops and restaurants. The small village
is built on top of the hill, a gondola or bus transporting
people who wish not to walk, to the beach at the bottom.
This is a must visit area and is a favourite of the
rich and famous.
The Taormina Arte, a summer-long festival of concerts,
theatre, dance and film is held annually and is well
worth trying to attend. (check taormina-arte.com
for updates)..
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Stromboli
near Sicily, Italy - the volcano island
As well as being one of the most spectacular of
the Aeolian Islands off the north coast of Sicily,
Stromboli is one of the best  known
active volcanoes in Europe. A trip to Stromboli is
more or less obligatory for visitors to the Aeolians,
and we highly recommend making the climb to the rim
of the crater - where the volcano's regular plumes
of fire and smoke can be observed from close quarters.
Nothing about the Aeolian chain is ordinary. The star
attraction of the Aeolians is undoubtedly Stromboli,
the only continuously active volcano in Europe. You
can take a boat trip from Lipari which allows you
to circle the island by night, watching the lava flow,
the “Sciara del Fuoco”, surging in a fiery
cascade down the western face of the volcano into
the sea. You can climb the volcano on a guided tour
and the lava closer up.
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Mud
Baths in Vulcano
The Laghetto di Fanghi mud baths are situated on
the island of Vulcano, ten minutes away from Lipari,
the largest of the Aeolian Islands. A soak in the
baths is extremely relaxing and therapeutic - although
it can be quite smelly! Afterwards you can wash yourself
in the sea, where underwater springs have created
a natural hot jacuzzi. There are now scores of villas,
bungalows, houses, flats and hotels popping up, servicing
the now famed fanghi - or mud bath.
The mineral properties of the mud have been claimed
to alleviate skin complaints and even arthritic disorders.
The radioactivity of the mud means that dips should
be short, and that the elderly, young or pregnant
should avoid mucking in. The fun continues with a
rinse off in the nearby bubbling hot sea water. Most
visitors then return to nearby Sicily - moments away
by hydrofoil. If the mud hasn't exhausted you, it's
worth dragging yourself up to the crater's summit
(about an hour's walk).
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Baths
of Venus
The striking and unique baths of Venus lie in a large
volcanic basin in the north of the island of Pantelleria.
Legend has it that the goddess used the lake here
as a mirror, pampering herself before romantic meetings
with Bacchus, and indeed the mirror effect portrays
perfectly the surrounding mountains at sunset and
sunrise. A jump in the lake and a good exfoliating
scrub with its sulphuric mud will also rejuvenate
your skin in no time. The lake, characterised by strong
smells of sulphur, is in touch with the sea through
a submarine cave formed by ancient lava streams. The
thermal springs that supply the lake are all concentrated
on the southern shore and their temperature varies
between 40 and 50 degrees.
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Diving
in Pantelleria
Scuba-diving in Pantelleria is a definite must -
the volcanic sea beds surrounding the island are spectacular.
Many diving schools and centres offer trips around
the island to discover different sub-aquatic landscapes.
Places such as Cala  Levante,
Cala Gadir, Cala Tramontana, Punta Tracino and Punta
Limarsi are all good spots, and there are many others.
The schools all offer different packages, from single
immersions to the PADI licence and Open Water Diver
courses. Check the specials each centre has to offer
- some have sub-aquatic photography courses, night
dives and even archaeological dives.
The local waters offer a wide range of subaquatic
wonders including corals, sponges, madrepores, parrot
fish and lobsters. All along the island's shores,
the sandy sea-bed suddenly turns an intense dark-green
due to the posidonia, a marine plant known as the
Mediterranean lung because it releases oxygen in the
water.
There are many diving schools in Lampedusa, and most
have an office in the town centre or by the sea. All
of them offer a range of possibilities, from one dive
to the PADI licence. They will take you to the best
diving spots of the island, through the best caves
and creeks.
Schools include the
Tortuga Diving, located on the Lungomare (+39 0922
971 690); Pelago Diving Center (+39 0335 660 9443)
and Lo Verde Diving Center, on via Sbarcatoio (+39
0922 970181) and the Blue dolphins centre (www.bluedolphins.it).
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Duomo
Address Via Vittorio Emanuele II 163, Piazza Duomo
Prices Free admission
In the centre of the city, the cathedral of Catania
is dedicated to the memory of the martyred St. Agatha.
Originally, the Duomo was ordered built by Roger I,
the Norman king, but it was destroyed in the earthquake
of 1693 and had to be reconstructed. Its facade is
its most enduring architectural legacy, the work of
Gian Battista Vaccarini (1702-68), who redesigned
the city after the earthquake. For the granite columns
of the facade, the architect "removed" them
from the city's Roman amphitheater. Only the lovingly
crafted medieval apses, each made from lava, survived
the devastation of that earthquake.
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