Sicily in winter
Have you ever thought about it
Sicily is that wonderful Italian region where winter is never too winter and spring always tries to peep out beyond the clouds. It could then be a good time to visit the cities of art without the intense heat of summer and without the crowds of the Ferragostan exodus, or to go to the mountains and dedicate yourself to winter sports. And, again, to participate in the festivals dedicated to gastronomy, the evocative Christmas celebrations or the Carnival. So let’s see together where to go in Sicily in winter .
Month Average temperatures (min / max) Precipitation (days / mm) December 10/16 ° 12 days / 95 mm
January 9/15 ° 12 days / 90 mm
February 9/15 ° 9 days / 70 mm
March 10/16 ° 9 days / 60 mm

In the city between art and culture

1 – Palermo and Monreale
Palermo is an expanding city with an intense cultural ferment and, an aspect not to be underestimated, a splendid climate which makes it very pleasant even in winter.
Planning a winter holiday in Palermoit must be considered that there are many attractions to visit in this fascinating city of art. Do not miss a walking tour between street food and history: you can start from the Ballaro or Vucciria market, to give your trip an intense gastronomic imprint, and then all the historical and artistic attractions: the Norman Palace, the Massimo Theater, the Cathedral, the Capuchin Catacombs, the Botanical Garden, Villa Giulia, the numerous historic buildings.
We recommend that you include a half day tour to Cefalu and Monreale.

SEE ALSO : what to see in Palermo

  • Low cost flights: starting from € 40.00 – see the offers
  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 55.00 per room – see the offers

2 – Ragusa and Modica
Choosing Ragusa and Modica for your winter trip, you will have the opportunity to experience a journey through two baroque cities, both made up of two parts: the upper city and the lower one.

Ragusa is in fact divided into upper Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla , to reach which you could for example follow the path made of stairs that starts from Santa Maria delle Scale and continues up to Piazza della Repubblica. Following this itinerary will give you the opportunity to find incredible views of the entire city. Once you arrive in Ibla you can get lost in its baroque alleys. Do not forget, on your tour, to visit the Church of Santa Lucia, the Cathedral of San Giorgio and, a little outside the city, the Donnafugata castle.

About 16 km from Ragusa there is Modica, known in particular for its chocolate production. Between October and November, the sweetest event there is is held here: the Chocomodica. What better opportunity to visit the area
Even the village of Modica will be able to fascinate you with its small streets with a flavor of other times and richly decorated baroque stones. Don’t forget to try street food in both cities!

SEE ALSO : Modica – what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening What to see in Ragusa and surroundings

3 – Noto and Syracuse
Sicily has an infinite series of spectacular places to visit not only in summer, and Noto, the capital of the Baroque, and between these. Its village, also known as the stone garden, has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Noto was literally devastated by an earthquake in 1693 and its reconstruction engages architects and craftsmen in a real competition that gave splendid results: the architecture of this city leaves you breathless . There are many buildings to visit: Palazzo Nicolaci, Palazzo Modica, Palazzo Villadorata, the Theater, and then the loggia of the market, are just a few.
Impossible not to dedicate part of your tour in the area to the city of Syracuse. This city is also an example of Baroque architecture. We recommend visiting it with a guided tour, certainly the part not to be missed is the island of Ortigia , connected to the mainland by bridges; here the beauties are so many: the Apollo theater and piazza Archimede, the Cathedral and much more.

SEE ALSO : what to see in Syracuse and its surroundings Noto: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

4 – Catania
Even the beautiful Catania was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 and today its historic center and heritage of humanity. Catania offers splendid architectural workssuch as the Cathedral of Sant’Agata but also wild beauties such as Etna (the jeep tour is beautiful), always visible if you take the Via Etnea, a beautiful city walk of about 3 km. In Catania there is a lot to see and the advice is always to walk through its streets to discover every treasure. In the town hall square stands the Amenano fountain, if you look closely under it you can see the underground river of the same name flowing. To appreciate the spirit of the city you certainly need to take a street food tour and immerse yourself in the colorful chaos of popular markets, such as the Pescheria. Another tour to do is that of the Via dei Crociferi, which goes as far as Villa Cerami, and then to visit the Benedictine monastery.

SEE ALSO :

  • Low cost flights: starting from € 60.00 – check the offers
  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

In the mountains: where to ski in Sicily

1 – Linguaglossa, North Etna
If you love winter sports, Sicily will not disappoint you. In fact, here on the north side of the Etna volcano, you can practice the activities you like best.

Linguaglossa is a town in the province of Catania surrounded by greenery , and about 18 km from here, on the slopes of Piano Provenzana, you can ski in a practically alpine environment, with the summit of Etna completely covered with snow, 2700 meters high and … with a sea view: unique in the world. Here there is the cable car to climb to the top and 4 ski lifts, you can practice skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding on a total of 7 slopes. In this area not only sports, but also tours to the cellars of Etna and to the Alcantara Gorges, the river that flows in the area, naturally in case of good weather. The botanical and geological park is also worth visiting.

2 – Nicolosi, South
Etna Etna in winter offers numerous choices for practicing winter sports and having fun in an incredible natural environment. On the other side of the volcano, the one to the south, we find Nicolosi, another important center for practicing winter sports.
The slopes are located about 18 km from the town, there are 5 in all, and here you will find a different landscape than that of Piano Provenzana, because nature is wilder and harsher: made up of endless lava flows that occur in winter. covered with snow. On the slopes of the area you can practice skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Furthermore, from Nicolosi we leave for excursions in the direction of the summit craters of the volcano . The Volcanological Museum and the Peasant Civilization Museum are worth visiting in the village.

3 – Piano Battaglia and Parco delle Madonie
Piano Battaglia is a ski resort located in the heart of the Madonie Park. It is also usually chosen for summer holidays, because the mountain environment is truly relaxing and the lush greenery.
There are 5 slopes for practicing winter sports and there are also numerous ski lifts: the cable car, the ski lift and the Marmotta treadmill. In the ski area you can also have the possibility to rent the equipment you need, so as not to think about anything, and, finding yourself immersed in a truly incredible natural environment, winter is the perfect season for long snowshoeing in contact with the forest and the vegetation. Furthermore, inside the park, there are numerous activities: there is the Geopark, a geological park that offers museums, trails and paths to learn more about the natural history of this region.

Weekend in Sicily: events, festivals and anniversaries

1 – EriceNatale, Erice (Province of Trapani)
Erice is a beautiful hilltop village that can be reached from Trapani via the cable car or even via the panoramic road. In the village there are many points that offer a beautiful glance: the village overlooks the port of Trapani and the surrounding valley from above.
Erice also hosts many attractions to visit absolutely: the Castle of Venus, the Torretta Pepoli, the Balio garden. However, it is at Christmas that Erice gives its best thanks to the EriceNatale event: the fulcrum of the event is certainly the display of cribs, made with a thousand different materials and exhibited along all the streets of the town, in the courtyards, in the shop windows, in the churches … Then there are bagpipe concerts, Christmas markets, concerts with Christmas carols, jazz concerts, and to finish the famous New Year in the square to celebrate all together. It’s a really nice way to spend the holidays!

SEE ALSO : Erice: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

2 – Custonaci living nativity scene (Province of Trapani)

In the territory of Custonaci there is a series of splendid caves , the caves of Scurati which were an ancient prehistoric settlement, and today serve as a natural setting for the historic living nativity scene of the city . The crib is a real show made up of about 160 figures, artisans and shopkeepers from all over Sicily and is held every day during the Christmas period from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
It is necessary to go to the historic center of Custonaci to get the ticket, which costs € 10.00 for adults and € 5.00 for children aged 4 to 10, then there is a convenient shuttle service that takes visitors to the caves, in this way an excellent level of safety is also guaranteed, which means that the caves do not get crowded unnecessarily.
The event does not end here but because concerts, markets, children’s playgrounds are held concurrently in the streets of the historic center of Custonaci … in a truly engaging Christmas atmosphere. Let’s not forget that we are in the province of Trapani and the attractions to visit, in addition to the Custonaci crib, are so many.

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 45.00 per room – see the offers

3 – Sagra del Panettone, Cefalu and Castelbuono (Province of Palermo)
During the Christmas period the area between Cefalu and Castelbuono turns into a real sugar competition, dedicated to the best dessert of Christmas and more!

In fact, in Cefalu, the Panettone Festival is held , an event dedicated to the typical Milanese dessert which in Sicily met the typical products of the territory, transforming itself and becoming a gourmet specialty thanks to the local pastry chefs: hence the use of pistachio, almonds, up to even with candied capers.
In Castelbuono, on the other hand, also in December, the DolceMente Castelbuono event is held which, in addition to the panettone of local pastry chefs, offers numerous other delicacies: cannoli, Martorana fruit, cassata, the famous dolce Testa di Turco (a specialty made with sheets of fried dough, blancmange and cinnamon, an explosion of sweetness!). In short, the temple of sweets but not only, because during the events there are also Christmas concerts, craft markets and much more . In short, the right time to visit these splendid villages in the province of Palermo that offer many architectural and natural beauties.

SEE ALSO : what to see in Cefalu

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

4 – Carnival of Sciacca (Province of Agrigento)
The Carnival of Sciacca is one of the most important events linked to the carnival period in Sicily.
The program includes a parade of grandly decorated allegorical floats and a series of performances by masked groups, which both end with the show on stage. The work on the wagons involves many citizens of Sciacca for months, and this is a great convivial moment for everyone. In each edition there are also parallel initiatives, such as the Instawalk, which gathers the igers (the most assiduous Instagram users) of the province of Agrigento, but also masked parties and dance evenings. Sciacca is also a beautiful village to visit which, moreover, is located on the sea: the Enchanted Castle is a place wrapped in an aura of mystery that will show you, if the Carnival masks have not satisfied you, incredible heads sculpted in the stone by the sculptor Bentivegna.

SEE ALSO : Sciacca: what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

5 – Carnival of Acireale (Province of Catania)
The Carnival of Acireale is also a very ancient and well-known event, with a great tradition. Here, in particular, there is a real craftsmanship of papier-mâché processing , and for this reason a parallel initiative, the Miniature Carts, has been created for some years to promote the development of new artisans among the youngest , which are preparing for the processing of Carnival floats.
In Acireale, therefore, the Carnival takes place on several fronts: there is the parade of classic floats and flowered machines, real floats with mechanical structures made to support the flowery creations, that is, decorated with flowers; then there is the installation, around the country, of the so-called isolated Masks, always to stimulate the creation of young and very young talents, the future of the floats. The floral element has taken hold so much that a second Carnival, that of Flowers, was created between April and May. The daily ticket for the event is € 5.00, while the season ticket, € 20.00, entitles you to 6 entrances.

  • Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 50.00 per room – see the offers

Plan your trip: useful info

  • Ferries : Sicily Ferries starting from € 47.20
  • Catania flights : Cheap flights starting from € 33.06
  • Palermo flights : Cheap flights starting from € 37.46
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