Where to Stay in Sicily

Sicily's capital is loud, golden, and entirely itself. The four ancient street markets (Ballarò, Vucciria, Capo, and Noce) fill the air with charcoal smoke from lampredotto carts, the sharp brine of freshly cut tuna, and the echoing calls of vendors before noon. The Cappella Palatina, the Palazzo dei Normanni, and the cathedral are all within 20 minutes on foot from any central hotel.

Perched 200 metres above the Ionian Sea on a clifftop strewn with bougainvillea and jasmine, Taormina is Sicily's most theatrical address. The ancient Greek Theatre frames an open view of Etna's snowcapped cone. The corso smells of warm pastry from the cannoli bars. The terraced hotels look straight down to the shimmering water below. Nothing on the island commands a higher premium. The spectacle justifies it.

The ancient island-center of Siracusa is joined to the mainland by two short bridges and feels entirely removed from the modern city. Limestone palazzi glow honey-gold in afternoon light. The scent of orange blossom drifts through the lanes in spring. The Fontana Aretusa freshwater spring bubbles three minutes from the Greek Temple of Apollo. This is one of the most atmospheric places to sleep in all of Sicily.

Sicily's second city rebuilt itself in dark Etna lava stone after the 1693 earthquake, giving the baroque centro a brooding, volcanic aesthetic unlike anywhere else on the island. La Pescheria fish market erupts each morning with the wet gleam of swordfish and sea urchin, the shouted bids of vendors, and the cold salt-iron smell of seafood on ice. Catania is less polished than Taormina. It is more honest. It is a practical base for Etna day trips.

Wedged between a 270-metre limestone crag and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Cefalù offers the north coast's most satisfying combination of a Norman cathedral and a proper sandy beach. The golden mosaic Christ Pantocrator inside the cathedral draws a sharp intake of breath from every visitor. The beach just below the medieval quarter is fine pale sand sloping into clear pale-green water. The town is compact. The streets smell of grilling fish in the evening. The pace is markedly slower than Palermo.

The Valle dei Templi draws more visitors than any other Sicilian archaeological site. Agrigento perches directly above it on a ridge. Stay here. Walk the almond-blossom path at sunrise. Return at sunset when coaches have emptied out. The approach from Palermo crosses dry golden interior hills. Wild herbs and sun-warmed stone fill the air. The ancient city reveals itself slowly, piece by piece.

Trapani's long peninsula points west toward Tunisia. The old town moves slowly. Arab-Norman architecture lines the streets. Salt pans shimmer pink in afternoon heat. Ferries depart for the Egadi Islands. The local fish couscous stands apart. Coarser than the North African original. More complex. Cinnamon and saffron rise through the broth. Dried fish adds faint sweetness.