Sicily Leisure

The main sporting activities on this island revolve around the sea and Mount Etna. Sicily is an extremely beautiful island, with a gorgeous interior and miles and miles of dramatic coastline. During the summer, you can hit the beaches or hike in the hills and in winter, you might even catch a bit of snow up on Mount Etna. Island hopping is another popular excursion, as are long walks among the countless ancient sites around Sicily. Whatever your pleasure, there is an outdoor activity here for everyone.

Beaches

During the oppressively hot summer months, the cities of Sicily shut down and empty out as everyone heads to the beach. Locals and visitors alike take advantage of this time, from June to September, to enjoy the surf and sand. Unfortunately, this means you won’t have the beaches to yourself, but at least there are plenty to choose from. In the winter months, it’s simply too cold to enjoy the water and most beaches become deserted.

Mondello Lido is Palmero’s closest beach and offers a quick escape for locals. Its wide sandy beaches stretch for nearly two kilometres and it is considered a rather fashionable place to hang out. Lido Mazzaro, a 15-minute cable car ride downhill from the medieval town of Taormina, has the most facilities of any beach in Sicily. All manner of water sports and beach activities are available here. From April to October, this place rocks and there are plenty of bars and cafés along the sand. Giardini Naxos is also near Taormina and offers some of the best sand in Sicily. The swimming here is excellent and there are also many sporting options.

The best beaches in northeast Sicily can be found at the resort area of Mortelle. This long stretch of coastline has lots of little beaches, which means you may be able to find a bit of quiet solitude. One of the most interesting beaches around is on the island of Vulcano. The Black Sands Beach here is way off the beaten path and offers a truly unique beach experience. Although the sand isn’t soft and powdery, its deep black colour creates a beautiful contrast against the sea.

National parks

The Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie lies six kilometres south of the coastal town of Cefalu. This massive protected area is considered a botanic paradise and is home to over half of the island’s plant and animal species. It would take days to explore the whole park, but there are several excellent day walks which pass through isolated villages and offer some of the best views on the island.

The Vendicari nature preserve creates an interesting scenario which looks almost African. Located at the southern tip of the island, this is the place to see nesting sea turtles, flamingos and other rare wildlife in a completely unspoilt environment. 

The most impressive natural feature of Sicily is Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe at 2,700 metres. Visitors can ascend Etna from either the north or south slope. The south slope is covered with barren lava flows from the last eruptions, which are interesting in their own right but not particularly pretty. Most visitors go to the south side of the volcano, making it more crowded.

The north slope is a better route as it’s cooler and full of wildflowers and trees which thrive in the rich volcanic soil. During the winter, this side of the mountain offers downhill and cross-country skiing. Etna is still very active, so if you want to go to the rim of the volcanic crater, you need to hire a guide.

The islands

Sicily is surrounded by the Aeolian Islands, which have a long and rich history among the mythology of the Greeks. Boat excursions are a great way to get out into the Mediterranean and immerse yourself in a long forgotten ancient world. Vulcano is the most visited of these islands. In Greek times, it was the home of the god Vulcan as well as the gateway to Hades. You can hike to the top of the Gran Cratere, which hasn’t erupted since 1890, in about 3 hours. The views from the top are outstanding.

Panarea offers the most spectacular scenery of all the Aeolian Islands. Dramatic caves and sea stacks are carved from the rock and the waters around the island are extraordinarily clear, making for some of the best snorkelling and diving in the area. As there aren’t any beaches here, most visitors come for the underwater excursions.

Lipari is the largest and most developed island in the group. Here you can immerse yourself in a bit of the local culture with its quaint pastel-coloured village, 16th century castle and 17th century cathedral. Ustica is another lovely island if you want to get out into nature for the day. There’s a nice hike up the resident volcano along some steep cliffs which will reward you with some stunning views of the sea. The swimming here is also very good.

Golfing

Most people don’t think of golf when they think of Sicily, but the island has two challenging 18-hole courses and several more are currently being developed. The two courses, Il Picciolo and Le Madonie, are pleasant to play because they have low crowds and reasonable green fees. The weather is usually ideal for golfing and the scenery from the courses is quite nice.