2021 brings with it a Covid-19 vaccine, which promises a slow return to normal in the months ahead after the hardships of the pandemic that hit the world hard at the beginning of 2020. With coronavirus vaccinations being ramped up, the travel industry prepares for a rebound in demand following what has probably been the worst year in the history of tourism.
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When it is safe to travel again, Sicily, a captivating Mediterranean island with scenic views at every turn, should be your next holiday destination. Here, mass tourism has never really been an issue, and it certainly is not a problem right now.
Sicily, across the Strait of Messina from mainland Italy’s big toe, is awash with UNESCO World Heritage sites, blissful beaches, breathtaking landscapes, mountainous highlands, and gently sloping hills carpeted with beautiful rows of vineyards.
Dust off your passport, then. Here are five great reasons why this sunny island of stunning beauty should be high on your travel list for 2021.
Art and history
Sicily boasts an unparalleled historical legacy, having been occupied by many diverse civilizations over the centuries. Art lovers and history buffs will find much to delight them here.
From Bronze Age stones, majestic ancient Greek temples, Phoenician tombs and Roman theatres to intricate Arabic mosques, Norman castles, Byzantine mosaics, and Spanish Baroque architecture, each wave of civilization have left its mark and brought a different style and artistic statement to this big island in the middle of the Mediterranean over 10.000 years of history.
Great food
It should come as little surprise that such an amazing amalgamation of cultures gave rise to one of the richest culinary heritages in the world. Sicily’s cuisine is simply sublime and the island is home to over one hundred different D.O.P. items.
In charming Sicilian towns and villages, such as Marsala, Scopello, Cefalù and Sciacca, pronounced /shacka/, you will taste centuries-old dishes made with delicious ingredients and flavors bequeathed by Arab, Greek, Spanish, Norman, Turkish, French, and North African settlers, to name just a handful.
Crystal clear sea and sparkling beaches
Sicily’s 900-mile coastline on the Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Mediterranean seas has something for every kind of beach-lover and sunseeker. The largest Italian region, Sicily is known for its idyllic beaches, sheltered coves, limestone cliffs, surreal rock formations, pristine marine reserves, and secluded bays lapped by deep-blue, turquoise, and cobalt-emerald waters.
Highly regarded for its fine, powdery sand set against the beautiful backdrop of a rugged mountain jutting dramatically out into the shimmering aquamarine waters, San Vito lo Capo beach, on the north-west tip of the island, is so picture-perfect it could be a desktop screensaver.
Stunning scenery
A destination where cultural treasures and natural wonders go hand-in-hand, this sun-kissed southern Italian island is a little piece of paradise for nature-lovers, adventurers, and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
The landscape is as diverse as it is beautiful. Sicily’s bronzed, untamed and rugged landscape, vast rocky interior, mountainous nature reserves, rolling hills, balmy coastline, and lush valleys covered in fig, pistachio, olive, and citrus groves make it a perfect setting for tons of outdoor activities, like hiking, trekking, cycling, windsurfing, paddleboarding, scuba diving, kayaking, and kitesurfing.
If you are someone who likes a little more thrill, you can climb the magnificent Mount Etna in eastern Sicily, the tallest active volcano in Europe, believed to be the home of the Roman god of fire. At almost 11.000 feet, it is the highest peak in this triangle-shaped island off Italy’s toe. Don’t miss a chance to explore its craters and black lava fields.
Hospitality
This gorgeous Italian island is fast becoming a hotspot for luxury travel and is stepping into the limelight with a growing number of excellent accommodation options.
Instead of staying in a hotel, renting a self-catering vacation home is the perfect choice right now for those wanting a safety-conscious, socially distanced holiday away from other vacationers. Sicily villa holidays offer freedom, space, seclusion, privacy, and flexibility, and have sky-rocketed in popularity lately, as holidaymakers eschew the company of others in favor of a place they can call their own.
You can even find architect-designed villas complete with jacuzzi, panoramic swimming pools, and high-spec amenities typically offered by five-star hotels on Selectsicilyvillas.com, one of the island’s leading vacation home rental companies. For more information or reservations, please contact Select Sicily at +44 (0)20 3239 9708, info@selectsicilyvillas.com or visit www.selectsicilyvillas.com.
