The southeastern corner of Sicily is a popular choice with travelers. Its historic towns, beautiful scenery and uncrowded beaches merit a substantial part of any Sicilian itinerary. Two glorious epochs in history have helped make the southeast towns what they are today. The Greeks settled the region and it flourished for 500 years under them as a center of culture, learning and political power. The second epoch was made possible by a devastating earthquake that flattened towns and villages in 1693. As a result, it was rebuilt in the ornate architectural style known as Sicilian Baroque. Siracusa is the major city in the region and the most visited, but there are plenty of other gems to discover in the wider province. Noto, Modica and Ragusa all feature the Baroque style; you could undertake some serious trekking at Pantalica's necropolis or Cava Grande in regions of immense beauty, bird watching at Vendicarri or explore Sicily's most southern point around Portopalo. Highlights: Ortigia: This beautiful warren of streets combines ancient Greece and Baroque with a view of the sea from almost every lane. Piazza del Duomo: This is one of Sicily's great squares and the Duomo its best church and a prime example of Siracusa's polyglot character. Take a dip in Cava Grande's waterfalls and refreshing pools. Pantalica's 5,000 tombs riddling the hillsides. The beautiful wetlands of Riserva di Vendicari. A great new resource. --Travel + Leisure. "The perfect companion for planning." --Rutgers Magazine. "These useful travel guides are highly recommended." --Library Journal. There aren't many places in the world you can ski and then hit the beach afterwards for a refreshing dip; see Greek, Roman, Etruscan, medieval and Arabic architecture all in the same town; and meet some of the friendliest people in the world. The richness in culture is demonstrated in the theater, cinema and art found everywhere. The coastal towns, the Mafia, the wines and foods, the astonishing history - all are explored in this guidebook. Full color throughout. This is excerpted from our full guide to Sicily.

Swim in the sparkling Mediterranean, marvel at the peak of Mount Etna, and get to know this region's timeless charm: with Rick Steves on your side, Sicily can be yours! Inside Rick Steves Sicily you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Sicily Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from Mount Etna and the Byzantine mosaics of Monreale to the Ballarò street market and Siracusa's puppet museum How to connect with culture: Savor seafood-centric cuisine made from ancient recipes, catch an opera performance at the Teatro Massimo, or sample authentic Marsala wine Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax with a glass of local Nero d'Avola Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed maps for exploring on the go Useful resources including a packing list, a historical overview, and useful Italian phrases Over 350 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Palermo, Cefalù, Trapani and the West Coast, Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, Ragusa and the Southeast, Catania, Taormina, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Sicily.

An electrifying New York Times bestselling novel about marriage and deceit that follows two couples on vacation in Siracusa, a town on the coast of Sicily, where the secrets they have hidden from one another are exposed and relationships are unraveled. With her inimitable psychological astuteness and uncanny understanding of the human heart, Ephron delivers a powerful meditation on marriage, friendship, and the meaning of travel. Set on the sun-drenched coast of the Ionian Sea, Siracusa unfolds with the pacing of a psychological thriller and delivers an unexpected final act that none will see coming. One of People Magazine’s Top 10 Books • A Washington Post Bestseller • A Los Angeles Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • One of Vulture’s 100 Greatest Beach Books Ever • A People Magazine Summer Reading Pick • One of Elle, InStyle, and Marie Claire’s Best of July • A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016 (Fiction)

The Rough Guide to Sicily is the leading travel guide to this fascinating island, with detailed maps, inspiring photography and thorough coverage of all the attractions, from flamboyant Arabo-Norman cathedrals to stunning galleries and the best collection of Greek temples outside Greece. Sicily's natural beauties are equally well covered, taking in the ascent of Europe's greatest volcano, Etna, hiking trails in the Monti Madonie and the most exquisite beaches of the Aeolian Islands. From Palermo to Taormina, unearth all the best restaurants, bars and cafés, the liveliest nightlife and the most brilliant festivals. The Rough Guide to Sicily provides detailed practical advice on where to stay, from hostels to luxury boutique hotels, how to get around and how to get the best value for money, plus background information on the art, architecture and history of this most colourful of Mediterranean islands. Originally published in print in 2011. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Sicily. Now available in ePub format.

Based on Mr Hudson's identity, the book is featuring destinations for gays, but not necessarily gay destinations. It is about travelling in style for everyone who is looking for something different and special - no matter if men or women, travelling solo or as a couple. Mr Hudson Explores shows that every part of a trip is an incredible experience. The core content of the book will consist of 20 cities in the Northern Hemisphere and showcases the very best the destination has to offer. Each guide will give a general introduction to the city and, if applicable, its relevance for the gay community. It showcases various locations on culture and art, the most inspiring museum to visit, traditional and upcoming food places, best shopping experiences, music and nightlife: Where to go out, which bars do have the best drinks, and clubs you can have the most fun at the city's best parties and concerts. Depending on the location, day trips and activities can be included. Luxury accommodations and places to stay complete the range. The book will not just give descriptions of the places but also background information, telling the story of the owner, history or anecdotes.

The Rough Guide to Sicily Make the most of your time on Earth with the ultimate travel guides. World-renowned 'tell it like it is' travel guide. Discover Sicily with this comprehensive and entertaining travel guide, packed with practical information and honest recommendations by our independent experts. Whether you plan to climb Mount Etna, relax on the golden sands of Cefalù or explore the Valley of the Temples, the Rough Guide to Sicily will help you discover the best places to explore, eat, drink, shop and sleep along the way. Features of this travel guide to Sicily: - Detailed regional coverage: provides practical information for every kind of trip, from off-the-beaten-track adventures to chilled-out breaks in popular tourist areas - Honest and independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, our writers will help you make the most from your trip to Sicily - Meticulous mapping: practical full-colour maps, with clearly numbered, colour-coded keys. Find your way around Palermo, Catania and many more locations without needing to get online - Fabulous full-colour photography: features inspirational colour photography, including the magnificent cave-riddled canyon of Cava Grande del Fiume Cassibile and the spectacular views of the Madonie mountains - Time-saving itineraries: carefully planned routes will help inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences - Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Ragusa Ibla, Sampieri, Linosa and Monreale's best sights and top experiences - Travel tips and info: packed with essential pre-departure information including getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, the media, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more - Background information: comprehensive 'Contexts' chapter provides fascinating insights into Sicily, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary - Covers: Palermo; Cefalù; the Monit Madonie; the Aeolian Islands; Messina; Taormina; the northeast; Catania; Etna; SIracusa; Enna; Agrigento; the southwest; Trapani; the west You may also be interested in: The Rough Guide to Italy, The Rough Guide to Sardinia, The Rough Guide to Rome About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold globally. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.

The new-look Rough Guide to Sicily - now in full colour throughout - is the ultimate travel guide to the Mediterranean's most captivating island. Discover the highlights of Sicily through stunning photography, colour coded street maps, and detailed listings of hotels, B&Bs, campsites, restaurants, cafes and bars. Climb the active volcanoes of Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano; laze on unspoilt beaches; dive the waters of Ustica and the Aeolian islands; see the ancient Greek temples of Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte, and the world's first bikinis at the Roman Villa of Piazza Armerina. Sample the streetfood of Palermo, the markets of Catania and the island city of Siracusa, and follow in the footsteps of TV detective Montalbano, to the glorious Baroque towns of the Val di Noto. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Sicily. Now available in ePub format.

"Keahey's exploration of this misunderstood island offers a much-needed look at a much-maligned land."—Paul Paolicelli, author of Under the Southern Sun Sicily is the Mediterranean's largest and most mysterious island. Its people, for three thousand years under the thumb of one invader after another, hold tightly onto a culture so unique that they remain emotionally and culturally distinct, viewing themselves first as Sicilians, not Italians. Many of these islanders, carrying considerable DNA from Arab and Muslim ancestors who ruled for 250 years and integrated vast numbers of settlers from the continent just ninety miles to the south, say proudly that Sicily is located north of Africa, not south of Italy. Seeking Sicily explores what lies behind the soul of the island's inhabitants. It touches on history, archaeology, food, the Mafia, and politics and looks to nineteenth- and twentieth-century Sicilian authors to plumb the islanders' so-called Sicilitudine. This "culture apart" is best exemplified by the writings of one of Sicily's greatest writers, Leonardo Sciascia. Seeking Sicily also looks to contemporary Sicilians who have never shaken off the influences of their forbearers, who believed in the ancient gods and goddesses. Author John Keahey is not content to let images from the island's overly touristed villages carry the story. Starting in Palermo, he journeyed to such places as Arab-founded Scopello on the west coast, the Greek ruins of Selinunte on the southwest, and Sciascia's ancestral village of Racalmuto in the south, where he experienced unique, local festivals. He spent Easter Week in Enna at the island's center, witnessing surreal processions that date back to Spanish rule. And he learned about Sicilian cuisine in Spanish Baroque Noto and Greek Siracusa in the southeast, and met elderly, retired fishermen in the tiny east-coast fishing village of Aci Trezza, home of the mythical Cyclops and immortalized by Luchino Visconti's mid-1940s film masterpiece, La terra trema. He walked near the summit of Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, studied the mountain's role in creating this island, and looked out over the expanse of the Ionian Sea, marveling at the three millennia of myths and history that forged Sicily into what it is today.

Offering details of all the sights of Sicily, from the mosaics of Monreale and the temples of Argrigento to bustling markets in Palermo, this guide also includes reviews of hotels and restaurants for every budget and region of the island. It also includes information on mountain hikes.

In Where Three Worlds Met, Sarah Davis-Secord investigates Sicily's place within the religious, diplomatic, military, commercial, and intellectual networks of the Mediterranean by tracing the patterns of travel, trade, and communication among Christians (Latin and Greek), Muslims, and Jews. By looking at the island across this long expanse of time and during the periods of transition from one dominant culture to another, Davis-Secord uncovers the patterns that defined and redefined the broader Muslim-Christian encounter in the Middle Ages.