Itineraries for Your Trip to Sicily
3 Days in Sicily for Families
Before I had kids, my holidays in Sicily were spent marveling at its ancient ruins and baroque splendor. When I started taking family vacations to the island, however, my culture-focused approach had to be adjusted to include beach time to keep everyone happy—especially in the scorching summer.
Sicily is an ideal destination for injecting a bit of art and history into a family seaside holiday. Blockbusters like the Valley of the Temples and Taormina Greek Theater are just minutes from the beach, making sightseeing an easier sell for young travelers. Here’s how to cover both the culture and the coast in three kid-friendly days in Sicily.
Temperatures soar in summer—sightsee early and spend the afternoon at the beach.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a boat tour of the coastline with stops to swim and snorkel.
Taormina is beautiful, perched high above the eastern coastline and home to a second-century Greek theater overlooking the sea. Visit the town’s highlights in the morning. Active families can also head up to Mt. Etna on a four-wheeled drive tour to hike the lava fields on Europe’s largest active volcano.
Spend the rest of the day on the coastline just below Taormina to relax on the Giardini Naxos beaches or in the waves just off Isola Bella. This protected coastal outcrop offers a sandy shoreline and excellent swimming and snorkeling for all ages.
Skirt Sicily’s eastern coastline by car or train to reach Syracuse and explore its ancient old town of Ortigia, set on a tiny outlying island. Visit with a guide to bring the city's three millennia of history to life, including highlights like the baroque Syracuse Cathedral and Greek Temple of Apollo.
Reward everyone with a boat trip around Ortigia, with stops for the sea grottoes that dot the coastline and to swim from the boat. End with a home dinner. Sicily’s cuisine and hospitality are captivating, and you can experience them both with a cooking demonstration and casual meal in Syracuse.
Agrigento’s clutch of ancient Greek temples impresses even young travelers, so visit the Valley of the Temples. There is little shade in the archaeological park and temperatures soar at midday; beat the crowds and heat with a morning visit. Cover the highlights in about two hours with a guide.
Finally, explore the Turkish Steps. You can admire the coastal cliffs by land, but it’s a long, rough trail hike to reach the sandy beach. Either book a boat tour for a swim break or drive for a cliffs snapshot before continuing to the more family-friendly beaches of nearby San Leone.
