Sports and activities in Sicily, Italy.
Skiing
- Dec. - March
(Every year)
You won't have to fear avalanches, but you might want
to look out for rolling tides of flaming lava as you
surf down the snow-covered slopes of active volcano
Mount Etna. Enjoy the thrilling view as you zoom down
the slopes and listen out for the grumblings of the
slumbering goddess of fire and flame beneath your
feet.
There are two sides to Etna, in more than one sense:
quiet and raging, hot and cold, but more importantly
in this case, north and south, which are the two slopes
you can use to ski down. Each slope is in a different
district: the northern one ends in Linguaglossa and
the southern one leads down to Nicolosi. There are
ski-lifts on both slopes, with the northern one ascending
from 1800-2300 metres and the southern one from 1900-2600
metres. There are also hotels and ample facilities
on both sides, including instruction and rentals.
A settimana bianca (white week) on the slopes of
an active volcano - who could resist it? Etna has
been rather active recently and it might be a good
idea to check with the tourist office before heading
there. Make sure you bring some asbestos clothing
with you, just in case...
Lifts & Slopes: Highest lift:
2314m (7592ft), Lowest lift: 1816m (5958ft), Vertical
drop: 498m (1634ft), Number of lifts: 5, Uplift capacity:
3000 p/hr, Beginner: 40%, Intermediate: 40%, Expert:
20%, Snowboard parks: 1, Cross country: 15km.
Tourist Office: Etna Nord Tourist
Office, Catania. Tel: 39 0 95 730 6 239 Fax: 39 0
95 316 407
Back to top
Diving
Lampedusa, Sicily is excellent for diving.
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: 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 Bluedolphins centre (www.bluedolphins.it).
Back to top
Football
The island of Sicily has three professional
teams. Find out about the teams and their fixtures
below.
Catania Football Club
http://www.calciocatania.it/
Palermo
Football Club
http://www.palermorosanero.it
Messina Football Club
http://www.fcmessina.it
Back to top
Shopping
One of the most enjoyable places to
shop is Taormina, where
there are small streets lined with stylish shops -
selling everything from art, antiques, china and glassware,
jewelry, food, gifts and ice-cream. The main cities
of Catania and Palermo are also reasonably good places
for shopping. If in Catania, take a trip to the local
fish market and the outdoor market nearby.
Also, it is possible to find a wide variety of handicrafts:
ceramics made in the renewed towns of Caltagirone
and Santo Stefano di Camastra; sculptures made of
volcanic stone; laces; the famous “pupi”,
puppets used in the traditional puppet theatre and
much more. You can purchase these items directly in
the villages where they are made, or you can buy them
in shops specialized in Sicilian handicrafts in the
cities of Catania and Palermo.
Last but not least, you can purchase any kind of food
delicacy, from different kinds of cheese, wine, liqueurs
and olive oil, to typical desserts and preserves of
various local vegetables (sun dried tomatoes, aubergines,
olives etc).
Back to top
Parks
Escape from the city heat and congestion
to Villa Bellini, the "Central Park" of
Catania, reached by heading north along Via Etnea.
Planted with such exotics as Brazilian araucavias,
the park sprawls over several hills. This is one of
the most attractive public parks in Sicily, and for
some reason maintenance is higher here than it is
in most of Catania's public monuments or gardens.
The Catanians claim that the fig tree planted in this
park is the world's largest. Unique in Italy is the
floral clock and calendar on the hillside. Stand on
a hill here and be rewarded with a panoramic view
of Mount Etna.
Back to top
Sunbathing
& Swimming
Mondello Lido (Mondello):
This is where the citizens of Palermo flock on a hot
summer day to escape the stifling heat of the capital
city. In Sicily, Mondello Lido is only outclassed
in fashion by the beaches at the foot of Taormina.
Its wide, sandy beaches extend for 2km (1 1/4 miles)
from Monte Pellegrino to Monte Gallo.
Catania: Catania has a beautiful
sandy beach, in its southern side, called “la
Plaja” very wide and long (it extends for some
km between Catania and Syracuse) with bathing establishments
and facilities. Even by night, people from Catania
like to go there, as some establishments become open
air discos at night. The most southern part of this
beach is included in a national park, the “Oasi
del Simeto” (Simeto is the river which flows
through Catania’s plain).
The Northern coast of Catania is formed by black volcanic
rocks and extends for a few km towards Taormina. Even
the northern coast is dotted with bathing establishments,
made of wooden planks that are removed in wintertime.
People from Catania like this rocky side a lot, because
the water is deeper than in the sandy side and it
is easier to swim here.
Spiaggia Sabbie Nere (Vulcano):
Completely off the beaten trail, "Black Sands
Beach" is the finest in the Aeolian archipelago
-- that is, once you get over the fact that its sands
are actually black and not powdery white. Beaching
it here is something to tell the folks back home.
Giardini-Naxos: On the waterfront
near Taormina, Giardini-Naxos is one of the best and
most sophisticated seaside resorts of Sicily. The
pebbly beach, one of the island's best, lies between
Capo Taormina in the northwest, sweeping south to
Capo Schisò in the south. It may lack Taormina's
medieval charm, but Giardini is filled with good hotels,
fine swimming, and excellent restaurants.
Lido Mazzarò (Taormina):
The best-equipped beach in Sicily, Lido Mazzarò
is also one of the finest, a favorite sea-bordering
strip of sand and gravel once frequented by the stars
of Hollywood's Golden Age and still as interesting
as ever. A 15-minute cable-car ride down from the
medieval town of Taormina, the beach is a hot spot
from April to October. Bars and restaurants border
the sands.
Back to top
|
