href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/public/department61.cfm">Sicily is hot. Travel agents and tour operators report a growing number

of travelers are choosing this Italian island, especially those who

have visited mainland Italy a few times, as their next destination.

The air connections to Sicily from every major Italian city, especially Rome and Milan, can have you basking on the beach

or running among ruins within hours. And it's the perfect

add-on for a romantic sojourn or a family vacation; Italians especially

love little ones and school-age children can get an up-close history

lesson by visiting href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/public/department61.cfm">Sicily.

An island the size of Vermont, Sicily is Italian of course, but

that's a relatively recent development. For thousands of

years, Sicily was under the domination of outside forces including

Greeks, Arabs, Romans and Normans. Their influences are layered

throughout the Sicilian lifestyle — from the architecture to

the cuisine — and combine to create a complex and fascinating

place.

Although it would take a lifetime to fully explore Sicily, a few

days in Palermo and the surrounding area and/or a visit to the Sicilian

resort of Taormina and its environs will give you a feel for the true

diversity the island has to offer in both the manmade and natural

environs.

Palermo

Arriving in href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/members/165.cfm?sd=61"> style="font-style: italic;">Palermo,

you will join a long line of outsiders who for

centuries have descended upon the city, except your visit is probably

on more friendly terms. Thousands of years ago, there were the Sicels,

Carthaginians and Arabs, followed by the Greeks and Romans.

The

Vandals, Goths and Byzantine Greeks had their turns before the Normans

arrived by the first millennium, subsequently ruling the area for seven

or eight generations. Then came the Spanish Bourbons and Austrians, and

well, you get the idea. Spend some time walking around the city (do be

careful about pickpockets, however) taking in the mix of historic

architecture and modern life.

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Like many Italian cities, Palermo has a number of churches, many worth

visiting. Tops on your list should be a chapel — style="font-style: italic;">Cappella

Palantina (Palazzo dei

Normanni). About half the

size of Rome's Sistine Chapel, the chapel on the first floor

of the city's royal palace is filled with brilliant Byzantine

mosaics from the 12th century. Experts say the only places in the world

that have better examples of this art form are Istanbul and the Italian

city of href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/members/710.cfm"> style="font-style: italic;">Ravenna.

The city's cathedral, href="http://www.cattedrale.palermo.it" target="_blank"> style="font-style: italic;">Cattedrale di Palermo

(Corso Vittorio Emmanuele), also should be on your list.

If you can only visit one museum, be sure to explore the Regional

Archaeological Museum (Piazza Olivella, 24). The dusty

rooms are stuffed with artifacts from the prehistoric to Roman eras.

Traveling with children? Take them to the International Puppet Museum (Piazzetta Niscemi, 1), which proudly displays the

Sicilian folk art of pupi, or puppets.

Add on Agrigento

Don't come to Sicily without visiting style="font-style: italic;">Agrigento,

once one of

the most important cities in style="font-style: italic;">Magna Graecia

and home to the style="font-style: italic;">Valley of

the Temples. It is considered

one of the best monuments of the ancient

world. There are also a number of ancient temples here and you can see

everything during a day trip from Palermo.

Taormina

If you're ready for a slower pace or eager for a romantic

getaway, head to the east coast of Sicily and the resort town of

Taormina.

Set up on cliffs above the sea, Taormina is well equipped for

the tourists' passions of eating and shopping; the best

options are along the main drag, style="font-style: italic;">Corso Umberto I.

Although Taormina is

charming, it certainly isn't undiscovered. In the summer

months especially, when cruise ships stop at Taormina and tourists are

here in force, the streets can seem a bit crowded.

A must-see is the city's Greek

Theater,

built in 3 B.C., where children will especially love climbing the

well-preserved

structures; kids and adults alike will want to sit and contemplate the

truly spectacular views of the sea below.

If the water is calling you, head to the beach. Just a few miles south

of Taormina, style="font-style: italic;">Giardini Naxos

offers some of the most beautiful beaches in eastern Sicily, combining

Mediterranean vegetation and sparkling blue water. History buffs will

want to know this town was also the site of the first Greek colony in

Sicily, founded in 735 B.C.

Staying in Taormina puts you in close proximity to the most active

volcano in the world, href="http://www.parcoetna.ct.it" target="_blank"> style="font-style: italic;">Mount Etna.

Although the crater is dangerously active, hiking is permitted along

the solidified lava surrounding it.  There are also private

companies offering href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/members/360.cfm">guided

walks along the volcano, some

led by volcanologists.

Whether you are more at home on dusty, volcanic hiking trails or

inside, surrounded by ancient artifacts, Sicily has something for

everyone, all presented in a uniquely Italian, or rather, Sicilian way.

As J.W. Goethe wrote in Journey

to Italy, “To have

seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to have not seen Italy at all,

for Sicily is the clue to everything.”

— Dream of Italy style="font-style: italic;">editor and publisher

Kathy McCabe originally wrote this article for

Global Traveler Magazine.

style="font-style: italic;">Where to Stay

target="_blank">Hotel Principe Di Villafranca

Visitors laud this small boutique hotel for its excellent and attentive

staff. The hotel offers a great location in Palermo's

shopping district, filled with restaurants and stores. The

city's main sights are a little farther away, but within

walking distance. $$$

Via G. Turrisi Colonna, 4

Palermo

(39) 091 6118523

Palazzo

San Domenico

What could be more romantic than retreating to a luxuriously

transformed 15th century monastery offering sweeping ocean views?

That's what the San Domenico offers as well as so much more.

Considered one of Italy's best hotels, the San Domenico has

hosted everyone from Churchill to Mitterrand and is well worth the

splurge. $$$$

Piazza Toselli, 8

Taormina

(39) 0942 613111

Villa

Fabbiano/Hotel Villa Carlotta

Before you get confused,Taormina's Villa Fabbiano recently

reverted to the historic name of the hotel, Hotel Villa Carlotta. Under

either name, the stone-clad villa hotel offers charming accommodations

and excellent service. Recently refurbished, the hotel's 27

guestrooms are surrounded by lush gardens and boast ocean views. Villa

Carlotta also has an excellent restaurant. $$$$

Via Pirandello, 81

Taormina

(39) 0942 626058

Where to Eat

Antica Focacceria San Francesco

This inexpensive, historic cafe (1834) is family friendly and a local

favorite. Their specialty is style="font-style: italic;">focaccia farcita

(flat bread stuffed with fillings), but you can also get panini, rice

balls and other Sicilian specialties. $-$$

Via A. Paternostro, 58

Palermo

(39) 091 320264

Il Mulinazzo

This elegant restaurant 45 minutes from Palermo has become a

destination unto itself. It is frequently called the best restaurant in

Sicily. Chef Nino Graziano and wife Sabine Bour serve up delicious,

fresh food complemented by an international wine list. $$$

S.S. 121, Localita Bolognetta Nord

Villafrati

(39) 091 8724870

La

Giara

La Giara has been serving visitors to Taormina since 1953. The simple,

yet incredibly elegant dining room, evoking the feel of old-time

movies, boasts large windows and even grander views. Come here for a

special meal. $$$

Vico La Foresta, 1

Taormina

(39) 0942 23360

style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">How to

Get To Sicily

Palermo's style="font-style: italic;">Aeroporto Falcone e

Borsellino lies 19 miles east

of the city. Catania's Aeroporto Fontanarossa, four miles

from town, is the most convenient to Taormina. Overnight ferries

connect Sicily to Naples, Genoa and Livorno. The ferry from style="font-style: italic;">Villa San Giovanni,

just outside the city of style="font-style: italic;">Reggio di Calabria

on the tip of Sicily's boot, takes less than an hour to

arrive in Sicily. You can take your car onboard. Some of the ferry

companies include href="http://www.tirrenia.it">Tirrenia and

Traghetti 

You also can take the train from the mainland to Sicily. The journey

from Rome to Palermo is about 12 hours. href="http://www.trenitalia.it">Trains

stop at Villa

San Giovanni where they are

rolled onto large barges for the one-hour trip to style="font-style: italic;">Messina,

where they resume riding the rails. If you take an overnight train,

chances are you will be asleep when the transfer takes place.Photo

credit: href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pietromotta/731652030/"

target="_blank">Pietro Motta, flickr.com