Italy is an astoundingly beautiful country! From the mountainous Dolomites in the far north of the country, on the borders with Switzerland and Austria, to the magnificent and historic cities of Venice, Florence and Rome, right down to the beautiful island of Sicily, in the far south-west. There are so many different regions of this country to explore and one of the all-time favorites would have to be Sicily, which this article is going to concentrate on.
The island of Sicily is definitely Italian, the Sicilian food will always prove this fact: what with the many pasta dishes etc., all of which are very similar to those found on the mainland. However, as Sicily is separated from the rest of the country, this has allowed a unique regional influence to prevail.
If you are seriously contemplating the idea of staying in Sicily Villas, you have a vast island in which to select your perfect base. Of course, many people choose their villa in or close to the impressive capital city of Palermo. With so many tourist attractions within the city, it is easy to see why. The cathedral, museums and general architecture of the city is quite awe-inspiring and there is more than enough to keep you busy for a couple of weeks here.
The coastline of Sicily is glorious and there are plenty of good beaches that will allow for family-safe swimming. If you are in to more adrenaline-pumping water sports, rest assured that there are a number of spots where you can enjoy jet-skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing and even paragliding.
One of the main reasons people may choose villas in Italy in this part of the country, is the fact that located on the east coast of the island, you will find Europe’s tallest active volcano – Mount Etna. At well over 3,300m high, Etna really is a monster and there are plenty of rganized tours to the volcano for you to enjoy; some of which actually involve getting up close and rather a little more personal with this geological phenomenon.
Sicily villas really are scattered all over this large island: on all coasts and close to or in the major towns and cities. For a really peaceful and idyllic holiday, you may well want to take a property that is within the rural environs of the island. The Sicilian countryside is often quite dramatic, and always beautiful. This is the ideal opportunity to experience a traditional Italian way-of-life or to even get a feel for how the country would have been in centuries gone by.
Getting to Sicily is very easy indeed nowadays. There are a number of airlines that operate cheap and frequent services to Palermo International Airport. It is only around a two to three hour flying time, from all UK airports. Once you reach the island, it is a good idea to have a hire car waiting for you. The road network on the island is not at all dissimilar to the rest of Italy, and on a par with what we would find in the UK.
Tags: far south west
