Things to Do in Sicily in November

November is arguably the finest month to walk Europe's most active volcano. Summer heat that punishes the exposed black-lava slopes is gone. Visibility is at its annual best once the haze lifts. The contrast of early summit snow above autumn-gold vineyards is something August visitors never see. Temperatures up top can sit near freezing while the base around Nicolosi stays mild. You climb through different worlds in one afternoon. Trails near the Sapienza refuge and the Silvestri craters are accessible. Cable-car-plus-guide routes to the higher zones reward you with steam vents hissing through cracked rock that smells faintly of sulphur.

Cooler November weather makes Palermo's markets a pleasure rather than an endurance test. Wander Ballarò and Vucciria when the midday sun no longer beats down and the stalls steam in the cool air. The smell of pane ca' meusa griddling in lard, panelle hissing in oil, and the metallic tang of just-caught swordfish on ice fills the lanes. Locals shop for the season's artichokes and citrus, so the markets feel lived-in rather than performed for tourists.

Agrigento's Valley of the Temples is brutal in summer with no shade across the ridge. In November the walk between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Juno becomes a calm, golden-light affair, in late afternoon when the honey-coloured Doric columns catch the low sun. Crowds are a fraction of peak, so you can stand alone before the best-preserved Greek temple outside Greece itself. Almond trees that famously bloom here come later in winter. Yet November gives you clear air and long shadows for photography.

November is harvest's quiet aftermath in western Sicily. Cellars around Marsala turn to ageing and tasting. The light over the salt pans of the Stagnone lagoon near Trapani goes pink at sunset, windmills silhouetted against it. Fortified Marsala wine tastes right in cool weather: nutty, caramel, served with aged cheese and almonds. This is an indoor-friendly activity, a smart hedge against a rainy November day.

The island of Ortigia, the ancient heart of Syracuse, is made for November walking. Without summer heat you can cross the whole island on foot, from the Temple of Apollo to the baroque sweep of Piazza Duomo, ending at the freshwater Fonte Aretusa where papyrus grows. The morning fish and produce market hums with locals buying for the season. Sea air carries salt and frying arancini. Limestone facades glow warm against grey-blue winter skies. Cafés stay open and welcoming, good for ducking in from a passing shower.

Pair Cefalù with the Madonie mountains for a classic November contrast. The cathedral town empties, so you own the medieval lanes and the Norman cathedral's golden Christ Pantocrator mosaic. Then drive 30-40 km (19-25 miles) inland where beech forests flame copper and red. Castelbuono dishes out wild-mushroom pasta and manna sweets. The air drops to 10°C (50°F), sharp and clean after the coast.