The Best Way To Explore The Breathtaking Beauty Of Sicily, According To Rick Steves

Rick Steves makes no secret of his love for Sicily. He believes the island has some of Italy's best food and adores the colorful towns bursting with life. It feels like Sicily has everything it takes for a perfect Italian vacation. Everything except an extensive or efficient train system, that is. In fact, there are just two main lines, one to the island's capital, Palermo, and the other to the historical town of Syracuse. So if you want to explore the island fully, Steves recommends that, "The best way to tour Sicily is by car or bus."

Writing on his blog, he explains, "The roads are great, the traffic is sparse, the views are jaw-droppingly beautiful, and the distances are short." It's hard to argue with that! Despite being the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is slightly smaller than Massachusetts, making it perfect for a road trip packed with sights. As Steves says, "Of our 40-plus tour itineraries, Sicily must have about the best 'sights to hours-on-the-bus' ratio." Within a short distance, you'll discover glorious coastal vistas, breathtaking mountain views, and charming hill towns.

You could easily spend two weeks circling Sicily. Steves' Best of Sicily tour runs for 11 days, and he writes, "If we had a few more days, we could have put them to very good use, too." A complete circumnavigation of the island will allow you to see many of Sicily's best sights. Start in buzzing Palermo, then head an hour's drive east along the coast to Cefalù, Steves' favorite town on the island. With a fabulous beach and picture-perfect medieval center, it's unmissable.

Another spectacular coastal drive leads to Taormina, which perches dramatically above the sea. Its ancient Greek theater frames views of Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano. The winding ascent to the Etna cable car gives you a front-row seat to lunar landscapes on one side and the sparkling Mediterranean on the other. From Etna, a 1.5-hour journey brings you to Syracuse, once a powerhouse of the ancient world. Greek ruins, baroque palaces, and turquoise seas converge in one of Italy's most stunning cities.

From Syracuse, you're perfectly positioned to tour the UNESCO-listed Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Ragusa, Modica, and Noto, in particular, showcase some of the most magnificent examples of late 17th-century architecture in Italy. From this region, return to the coast and continue to Agrigento. Here, explore the remarkably well-preserved temples, some of which date back to 500 B.C. The sight of their honey-colored columns glowing against Mediterranean sunsets will stick in your mind long after your vacation is over. From here, you could cut across the interior and discover some of Sicily's rustic hill towns, or continue along the coast to visit the enchanting west coast towns of Marsala and Trapani.

This trip can be managed by bus, though probably not within two weeks. Renting a car allows you to get around faster and gives you the greatest freedom, taking you to the smallest villages and secluded beaches. Rental prices in Sicily tend to be very affordable, with small cars costing around $35 per day even in peak season. Outside of peak season, costs drop significantly.

As Steves observes, the main roads tend to be in good condition. But driving in Sicily isn't the most relaxing experience for those unused to the local driving style. Steves' colleague, Cameron Hewitt, even claims on the Rick Steves blog that driving on the island is "terrifying" at first. His advice is to "roll with it," and you'll get used to it. Ours is to make sure you have full insurance and ease into driving in city centers. Start on the highway and work your way up to threading through Palermo's traffic. Because the island is mountainous, an automatic is a good bet unless you're extremely comfortable driving a stick. You don't want to be sliding backward down the hills with impatient Sicilians honking behind you.

If you're nervous about driving abroad, the local bus network is extensive and ticket prices are reasonable. Reports about Sicily's buses vary, though many say they may not arrive on time or stick to a schedule at all. If you opt to take the bus, keep your itinerary flexible and concentrate on one area of the island. However you get around, the reward is the same: sweeping coastal drives, vibrant towns, and some of the richest history and cuisine in Italy.