4 Best things to see & do in Sicily

Northernmost of Sicily’s eight Aeolian Islands Stromboli stands out as one of the world’s most active volcanoes – and one of the best to see up close.

Since 1932 it has been belching fire and ash every ten to fifteen minutes – so regularly that its nickname is the ‘Lighthouse of the Mediterranean’.

Around 500 people live under the 925m (3038ft) smoking peak – because it always erupts to the northwest, down the lava and ash-scarred Sciara del Fuoco.

There are several ways you can see one of nature’s most spectacular pyrotechnics show – from the sea, on a boat tour, or from the crater itself, on a guided hike to the summit. The hike up the 400m cone is a relative breeze, given the spectacle that awaits at the top.

Halfway up the slope you’ll find Osservatorio, a pizzeria, where you can also stop to see the show from their terrace. Where else in the world can you watch a volcano erupt while eating pizza?

It’s old, bumpy and slow, but the Ferrovia Circumetnea, (which translates as round-Etna railway), is still one of the great train rides of Europe.

Southern Italy’s first railway (1867) runs in a circle around the slopes of Mt Etna, from near Taormina to Catania. The old narrow-gauge trains are charming and the scenery is spectacular.

Make a day of it, and stop at one or two of the interesting villages along the way: Paternó, Adrano, Randazzo or Bronte.

Frequent explosions, long lava flows and multiple vantage points make Europe’s largest and most active volcano a favourite with visitors.

Mount Etna (3,340m) is the biggest volcano in Europe and one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with almost constant activity from its four summit craters and hundreds of vents along its flanks. Etna’s visible from half of Sicily.

The volcano is over two miles high, and the upper levels are barren but fascinating, strewn with craters, fissures and volcanic caves. Visiting the summit is a humbling insight into the untamed power of nature.

A funicular takes you halfway up, with hiking trails to the summit for incredible views across the Ionean Sea – and if you’re lucky enough to catch it erupting, an unforgettable insight in the raw power of nature.

Located in Piazza Armerina, in central Sicily, this opulent villa was rediscovered only in the 1920’s. It contains the greatest collection of mosaic floors in situ anywhere in the Roman world, portraying imperial hunting scenes (with elephants), the tale of Orpheus, the Labours of Hercules, and the famous ‘bikini girls’ exercising on the beach.