Sicily villa holidays,
your questions answered

Catania (CTA) for the east coast: Taormina, Siracusa and Noto are each about an hour away. Palermo (PMO) for the north and west, including Cefalù, about an hour by car. Trapani (TPS) is closest to Marsala and the far west. Most US travelers connect through Rome or Milan; in recent summers there have also been seasonal nonstops from the New York area to Palermo.

Fly: Rome to Catania or Palermo takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. You can also take the train, whose carriages ride a ferry across the Strait of Messina, but the trip takes most of a day.

Yes. Sicily is an Italian region with special autonomous status and the largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina, about 3 km wide at its narrowest.

About 90 km. Fast ferries from Pozzallo, on Sicily's south coast, reach Valletta in about 1 hour 45 minutes, so Malta works as a day trip or an add-on from a villa in the southeast.

Yes, for a villa holiday. Distances are long (Palermo to Catania is about 2 hours 30 minutes) and trains are limited. Town centres such as Taormina, Ortigia and Noto have ZTL zones (restricted traffic areas) and are best on foot, so park outside. City driving in Palermo and Catania is chaotic; many guests book a driver for those days.

Some of it. Taormina, Ortigia in Siracusa and Cefalù are walkable, trains between Palermo and Cefalù take about an hour, and buses link Catania, Taormina and Siracusa. For the countryside and villa life, plan on a car or a private driver.

Our Sicily villas run from €3,625 a week (Villa Deolinda near Agrigento, sleeps 6) to €32,660 a week (Villa Tangeri near Siracusa, sleeps 20). In Taormina, Villa Maude sleeps 8 from €6,100 and Villa Diffusa sleeps 16 from €22,630. Villa Cornelia near Catania sleeps 24 from €24,000.

Less than Lake Como or the Amalfi Coast, and food is good value everywhere. Villa Dione near Cefalù sleeps 12 from €11,430 a week, about €135 per person per night with a pool and sea view.

For a first trip, the east: Taormina, Etna, Siracusa and the baroque towns of Noto, Modica and Ragusa are all within reach of one base. The west (Palermo, Cefalù, Trapani, Erice, Marsala) is less touristy, and many of our returning guests choose it. We have villas in Taormina, near Catania and Siracusa, Cefalù, Marsala and Agrigento; see the Sicily villas.

May, June, September and October. Late April is lovely in the southeast, with wildflowers at the Valley of the Temples. July and August are hot and busy, especially in Taormina, so book early for those months.

October, yes: the sea is still warm and the beaches are quiet. In November the water is cooler but some people still swim on sunny days. The swimming season runs from about May to October.

A week to see one side of the island well. With 10 to 14 days you can split the stay between two villas, one in the east and one in the west.

Yes. Etna is an active volcano, but it is closely monitored, and the summit areas are open only with authorized guides. Eruptions occasionally close Catania airport for a few hours because of ash, so build a little slack into travel days.

Sicily is known for Greek temples at Agrigento and Segesta, the Norman mosaics of Palermo and Monreale, the baroque towns of Noto, Modica and Ragusa, Mount Etna and its vineyards, and its food: arancini, cannoli, granita with brioche, pasta alla Norma and Marsala wine.

Taormina, Ortigia in Siracusa, Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Cefalù, Palermo, Erice and Marsala.

Yes. Sicily is safe for visitors; take normal care with bags in the busy markets of Palermo and Catania. Most of our guests' worries are about the driving, not crime.

Yes. Beaches, boat trips, a jeep tour on Etna, puppet theatre in Palermo and a daily granita make it easy with children. A villa with a pool, such as Villa Dione or Villa Cornelia for big families, makes the hot afternoons easier.