Ballarò Market, Palermo – photo PW

Italian is the language of Sicily, but the Sicilian dialect is very much alive, widely spoken, and at times utterly impenetrable to the uninitiated. At the market, among older locals, in village bars, Sicilian asserts itself with real force. Don’t worry though: in any tourist, commercial or urban context you’ll have no trouble finding people who speak standard Italian.

English is spoken to a reasonable standard at hotels and accommodation in the main cities and the busier tourist areas. In rural villages and inland towns it’s considerably rarer. That said, learning even a handful of words in Sicilian dialect is the fastest way to open any door.

Sicily’s climate is Mediterranean, but far from uniform. The coast is quite different from the interior; the eastern side (dominated by Etna) differs markedly from the west; the north from the south. In summer it’s hot everywhere — a dry, piercing heat, nothing like the sticky humidity of northern Italy. In winter the coasts remain mild, but mountainous areas such as the Madonie or Nebrodi can see snow.

The sweet spot is June or September: the sea is still warm from July and August, the crowds thin out, prices drop, and the afternoon light is every photographer’s favourite. For a cultural trip, any time works well apart from January and February, which are the coldest months.

Getting around Sicily

Here’s the honest truth about Sicilian transport: a hire car is almost always necessary if you want to genuinely explore the island. Trains connect the main coastal cities fairly well, but the interior — where some of the most extraordinary places are — is virtually unreachable without your own wheels. Pick up a rental car as soon as you arrive.

To reach Sicily you have two main airports: Falcone-Borsellino in Palermo and Fontanarossa in Catania. There are also ferry services from Naples, Genoa, Civitavecchia, and from Reggio Calabria (a 20-minute crossing of the Strait of Messina).

Street food in Palermo – photo depositphotos.com

Sicilian cuisine is one of the most extraordinary things about the island, and one of the aspects that most surprises visitors. It isn’t purely a restaurant culture — though there are excellent restaurants — it’s also a street food culture, a market culture, a tradition of families cooking with what’s to hand. Millennia-old in its ingredients (pistachio, almonds, fennel, capers, raisins) and Arab in its spices (cinnamon, saffron, cumin used in sweet dishes).

The food changes dramatically from province to province. The arancini of Palermo are not the same as those in Catania. The fish of Trapani is nothing like that of Messina. Modica chocolate exists nowhere else on earth. Eat local, eat seasonal, eat where the Sicilians eat.

Sicilians are hospitable in a way that can disorient visitors from northern Europe — a concrete, physical hospitality expressed through food offered, doors left open and time given without any calculation. If someone offers you something to eat or drink, always accept at least the first time. Declining is a minor but genuine slight.

The rhythm here is different. Towns wake slowly, come to life mid-morning, go quiet in the afternoon, then erupt again in the evening. Sicilian nightlife begins after 10pm. Don’t expect everything to run with Swiss precision, and don’t mistake that for a flaw.

In Sicily, time operates differently. It’s not about slowness — it’s a different relationship with priorities altogether. Once you adjust to it, going back feels oddly difficult.

Sicily is generally cheaper than Rome, Milan or Venice, and considerably cheaper than most comparable Mediterranean destinations in Greece or Spain. That said, prices vary considerably: the most popular tourist areas in high season can be pricey, while a few kilometres away you’ll find everything at half the cost.

Cash still matters. Many small restaurants, bars, markets and village shops accept cash only. Always carry some smaller notes: Sicilians are notoriously reluctant to break a €50 note.

Some things you only learn from living in Sicily, or from coming back many times. They’re small observations that require a bit of attention. I’m sharing them because they can make the difference between a good trip and a truly exceptional one.