Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sicily in Threes
The Greeks called Sicily “Trinacria,” which means three angles. The symbol of
Sicily, and the perfect gift by which to remember your trip, is a three-legged bowl,
pin, or pendant of the same name.
Medieval fortresses and baroque palaces are only a short drive apart. By the 19th
century, Sicily and Naples formed a sovereign kingdom called the “Two Sicilies,”
which unified with Italy in 1861. After unification, Sicily became part of Italy's
“poor south,” and its problems were largely ignored by the Italian government.
Today Sicily exists primarily as an agricultural region, its economy heavily sub-
sidized by tourism and profits manipulated by an ever-efficient Mafia. Efforts to
turn the region into a mini-Silicon Valley are beginning to see results, but organ-
ized crime and local corruption are still factors in everyday life.
LAY OF THE LAND
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is surrounded by the Ionian,
Tyrrhenian, and Mediterranean seas, each of which gives the island a different
character. Traveling around the coast is for most visitors far more rewarding than
attempting the mountainous and largely rural interior. The towns I encourage you
not to miss are
Palermo
(p. 548) and
Cefalù
(p. 557), to the north;
Messina,
to
the northeast;
Taormina
(p. 570),
Catánia
(p. 568), and
Siracusa
(p. 566), to the
east; and
Agrigento
(p. 563), to the south.
GETTING ON & OFF THE ISLAND
Palermo is accessible
by ship
from Naples and other European ports. You can
also
fly
from Rome into
Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino Airport
or
Catánia's
Fontanarossa Airport.
If you're set on seeing the Aeolian islands, you can sail
there from Naples, tour the tiny islands, and then take another ferry to the “main-
land” of Sicily. If you take the popular overnight
ferry
from Naples to Palermo,
you should wake up just in time to see the sun rising over the rocky terrain. Flying
into Catánia's airport at the foot of Mt. Etna is also an unforgettable experience,
especially if the volcano is acting up.
Another option is to take the
train
from Rome (11-13 hr.) or Naples (9-11
hr.) to Palermo. You can also disembark sooner, in Taormina. Trains from all over
Europe arrive at the port of Villa San Giovanni, where they roll onto enormous
barges for the 1-hour trip across the Straits of Messina to Sicily. It's expensive, but
you can rent a couchette for the trip. On you're way home, nothing is more fun
than sleeping on the overnight train from Taormina, and waking up refreshed in
downtown Rome.
Those choosing to fly get the best deals from
Meridiana
(www.meridiana.it),
Italy's low-cost
budget airline,
which often has fares of
29 and up (one-way)
from Rome, Florence, or Milan to Catánia. As with discount carrier Ryanair,
there are lots of restrictions and hidden fees, so be sure to read all the fine print
before booking.
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