Sicily

1. Mount Etna

Erupting almost constantly over the last few million years, Mount Etna is still one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Visiting the volcano is one of the most exciting parts of the trip to Sicily. The Unknown Adventure Etna tour offers a different way to enjoy and explore the volcano and the island. At 3,350 meters, Etna is Sicily's highest mountain. Its height changes with each new eruption, as the lava accumulates and flows towards the sea. According to the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the home of Vulcan, the god of fire, and the one-eyed monsters known as cyclops. The first part of the trip after being picked up at your hotel is a drive in a comfortable airconditioned vehicle to the volcano's north side. You will visit the Alcantara Gorges and the spectacular waterfall resulting from an old lava eruption. The drive continues through Francavilla. You will visit a charming, typical Sicilian village, Castiglione di Sicilia, where you can walk through the ancient Greek fortress and enjoy spectacular views of the Alcantara valley. As the drive continues up the mountain, you will pass the village of Linguaglossa, before arriving at the 7,000-foot summit.

2. Monastero dei Benedettini

The Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena is a magnificent late baroque structure and one of the largest Benedictine monasteries in Europe. It is located about a 10-minute walk from Catania's Cathedral Square. A Cassinese congregation founded the monastery in 1558 and its construction is still ongoing. The original building was affected by an eruption of lava in 1669 and an earthquake in 1693 and has been restored according to the style of the time, creating an interesting architectonical integration of styles. The monastery has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is today the home for the Department of Humanities of the University of Catania.

Monastero dei Benedettini, Piazza Dante Alighieri, 32, 95124 Catania CT, Italy, Phone: +39 095-710-2767

3. Mulino ad Acqua - Museo Cavallo d'Ispica

Mulino ad Acqua is an old 18th-century flour mill that was once powered by the Cusaidone stream, whereby water was channeled through ditches carved into the rock. The mill, once one of many, went out of production in 1956 and has been converted to a museum. It has been lovingly preserved by the Cerrato family and serves as a reminder of the way things were done in the past. The tour of the museum takes the visitors through the caves, a corridor with tools, the weaving room, vegetable shed, wood cave, barn, miller, stable, and water storage tank and passes the waterfall. Visitors can see the actual water mill mechanism and the fall that takes water to the collection stone bin 11 meters deep. There is also a paddlewheel located in the water room, which is designed in the Arabic style with imposing vaults and the old original millstones. There is a cave next to the mill that was the miller's home, with a barn and cowshed.

Mulino ad Acqua - Museo Cavallo d'Ispica, Via Cava Ispica, 89, 97015 Modica RG, Italy, Phone: +39 093-277-1048

4. Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano

The Regional Archeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano) complex is located on a huge natural rhyolitic rock at the edge of Lipari. Called the Castle of Lipari, this fascinating volcanic dome was used as a natural defense from pirates and other threats throughout the history of the town. Townspeople used it as shelter at times of danger. There are remnants of different historical periods, such as huts from the Bronze Age as well as Roman and Greek structures. The fortification walls visible here were built by Carlo V after the town was conquered by the pirate Kaireddin Barbarossa in 1544. The tower was probably Greek from the 4th century B.C. The museum consists of six pavilions with distinct sections: The Pre-historic, the Epigraphical, the Minor Islands, the Classical Section, the Vulcanological Section, documents and illustrations, and the section on Paleontology of the Quaternary.

Via Castello, 2, 98055 Lipari ME, Italy, Phone: +39 090-988-0174

5. Spiaggia dei Conigli-Rabbit Beach

If you find yourself in beautiful Lampedusa, the southernmost island in Sicily, you may find that the magnificent island's beaches tend to get too crowded, especially during the busy season. But a short boat ride away is tiny, uninhabited Rabbit Island, just a speck in the ocean, a perfect natural oasis away from the crowds. The sea is crystal clear and wonderful for snorkeling, with plenty of colorful fish to see. Bring a picnic and enjoy the solitude, during the week you might even have the island to yourself. You can get easy transport from Lampedusa or you can rent a boat and stay as long as you wish. Don't expect to see any rabbits, they are long gone.

Spiaggia dei Conigli-Rabbit Beach, Strada di Ponente, 92010, Sicily, Italy, Phone: +39 092-297-5901

6. Stanze al Genio

The Cultural Association Stanze al Genio is located in the historic part of Palermo, in one of the oldest streets of the Kalsa district. The exhibition rooms of Stanze al Genio have one of the most extensive collections of ancient ceramic tiles in the world. There are more than 2,300 pieces, some dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, covering the walls and creating magical mosaics. The artistry, colors, and patterns show how fashions in tile design have changed throughout the centuries. Their quality is also incredible, as can be seen by the fact that they have survived for so long. It is one of art branches that is not usually so well respected, but once you see the beauty of each tiny piece of art, you realize how much talent went into each of them. Stanze al Genio was founded in 2008 to enhance, protect, and make accessible to the public cultural and historical heritage as depicted in ancient pottery as well as in other various objects.

Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 11, 90133 Palermo, Italy, Phone: +39 340-097-1561

7. Siciliandays

A unique way of learning about Sicily and Palermo is through its food. A food tour with chefs Patricia or Giuliana starts at the famous local Capo Market, where you will learn how to select the freshest seasonal produce. Then you will visit a fishmonger to choose a catch of the day. As you walk through the city collecting ingredients for a traditional meal that you will learn to cook, you will be passing through the city's historic district, where you can admire its fascinating architecture and monuments. Once you get to the chef's charming, elegant home, you will be taught how to cook traditional Sicilian recipes passed from generation to generation, such as pasta al forno, arancine, sarde a beccafico, and many others. When everything is prepared, you will sit down at the table to enjoy the products of your labor with some good Sicilian wine.

Siciliandays, Vicolo della Rosa Bianca, 4, 90133 Palermo, Italy, Phone: +39 327-454-1741

8. Sicily Tours

Of all tours of Sicily, the one with Dr. Anita Bestler offers the most in-depth view of the island's history, culture, and society. Lecturer, writer, and licensed tour guide, Dr. Bestler highlights Sicily's fascinating mix of cultures, with Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards, and Normans all leaving their traces and monuments, creating the cultural blend we know today as Sicilians. There are several tours with Dr. Bestler to choose from, in group or privately, but the most popular is the Open City Tour of Palermo. The 2-hour tour starts at the Norman Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel built by King Roger II, with its magnificent Byzantine mosaics and an Arabic Muqarna ceiling. Continue by strolling along the Bonanno Park, a lovely oasis with palm trees, and pass by the 12th-century cathedral. Continue to the picturesque narrow streets of the district of Albergheria and the old Ballarò Market, bursting with fresh produce and the fish of the day. You will also see the former Jewish quarter, Piazza Bellini, the Norman church of La Martorana, medieval San Cataldo, and so much more with Sicily Tours.

9. StrEat Palermo Tour

StrEat Palermo Tour is designed to offer tourists the opportunity to enjoy a pure Sicilian experience – through Sicilian food. Local tour guides and foodies Marco, Naida, Alessandra, Francesca, and Noemi will take you on a journey of discovery of the secrets of Palermo street food, a fascinating mix of Italian, Spanish, Arab, and Jewish culinary history and heritage, stories, legends, and myths still alive in the 2,000-year-old city. You will be walking through the ancient streets of Palermo, its markets and old squares and inns, and taste the diverse, intriguing, and delicious Palermo street food. You will also taste some of Sicilian sweet wines. As you are walking and eating, you will also pass by the main Palermo historical squares and many hidden spots that tourists do not get to see. The tour lasts four hours.

Piazza Verdi, 90100, Palermo, Sicily, Italy, Phone: +39 338-507-4679