Luxury holidays in Sicily

When to go

It’s textbook lovely throughout the year, although the beginning and the end of the summer months are ideal as the sun isn’t too scalding and the beaches less crowded. August is best avoided, as this is when the mainland Italians descend in their droves.

Getting there

• Planes

  There are three main airports: Palermo (gesap.it), Trapani (aeroportotrapani.com) and Catania (aeroporto.catania.it). For the south coast, Catania is 30 minutes nearer by car than Palermo, a little over two hours away.

• Boats

  Sicily can be reached by boat from the Italian mainland. The shortest ferry crossing (20 minutes) leaves the mainland at Villa San Giovanni for Messina (carontetourist.it). Sailings from Naples and Salerno take more than eight hours; there are also occasional services to Sardinia (tirrenia.it).

• Trains

  Though the system is quintessentially Southern Italian – ie, unreliable and a bit haphazard – Sicily’s trains are an affordable and easy way to get between the island’s major towns and cities (trenitalia.com). It’s possible to take the train from mainland cities to Messina, via the train ferry from Villa San Giovanni in Reggio Calabria; island intercity trains link Messina, Palermo, Taormina, Catania and Siracuse (trenitalia.com).

• Automobiles

  Thanks to mountain hairpins and a carefree regional attitude to bumps and scrapes, driving in Sicily is not for the faint-hearted. But wheels are essential for exploring, especially if you want to see the rugged interior, and well-maintained motorways link major towns.

• Taxis

  Cabs are cheap and easy to find in Palermo and the island’s major resorts, but you’re better off hiring a car if you plan to do any longer journeys around the island. For fares around Palma di Montechiaro, try Licata-based Agenzia Cafa’ Viaggi (+39 0922 770031).