Insular Italy

The Mediterranean's two great islands, Sicily and Sardinia: the former has Greek temples, Mount Etna and Baroque towns, the latter is known for the Costa Smeralda and clear bays.

By ISTAT's definition, Insular Italy comprises the two autonomous regions of Sicily and Sardinia, plus surrounding islands such as the Aeolian Islands, Egadi Islands, La Maddalena and Lampedusa; Tuscany's Elba and Campania's Capri are not included. It is separated from Calabria in Southern Italy only by the Strait of Messina to the northeast, and from Central Italy by the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean: in the west, Palermo has a cluster of Arab-Norman buildings and lively street markets, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento preserves spectacular Greek temples, and Trapani is the gateway to the Egadi Islands; in the east, Taormina's ancient theater backs onto Mount Etna, Ortigia in Syracuse and the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto are both World Heritage Sites, and to the north the Aeolian Islands such as Lipari offer views of Stromboli's eruptions. Sardinia is known for its sea: the Costa Smeralda in the northeast and the La Maddalena archipelago have crystal-clear water, the capital Cagliari has an old town and beaches, Alghero in the northwest has a Catalan flavor, and the inland nuraghe stone-tower sites are distinctive. Circling Sicily generally takes 8–12 days and Sardinia 7–10 days, and the two islands are usually planned separately. You can fly from Rome, Milan and elsewhere to Palermo, Catania, Cagliari and Olbia, or take overnight ferries from Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples; public transport on the islands is limited, so renting a car is advisable. In summer, book ferries to the smaller islands and accommodation in advance.

Destinations

Itineraries