Last reviewed: · Prices in Euro (€) are approximate and for orientation only.
Overview of Sicily (Sicilia)
Sicily (Italian: Sicilia) is one of Italy's 20 administrative regions, with its regional capital at Palermo and 391 official municipalities (comuni). Key sights and travel highlights across the region include Palermo Norman Palace & Monreale Cathedral, Taormina Greek Theatre & Mount Etna, Syracuse Ortigia & Noto Baroque towns, Agrigento Valley of the Temples & Cefalù.
How to get to Sicily
Palermo (PMO), Catania (CTA), and Trapani (TPS) airports; Trenitalia Regionale and InterCity trains (including the Villa San Giovanni–Messina train ferry from mainland Calabria—note that high-speed Italo does not operate in Sicily); SAIS, AST, and Interbus regional coaches. Use our Frecciarossa & Italo Fare Calculator and Trenitalia Pass Value Helper to compare rail tickets in Euro (€).
What Locals Actually Eat in Sicily
Across the cities, hill towns, and villages of Sicily, neighborhood trattorie, wood-fired forni (bakeries), and seasonal town sagre serve traditional regional cooking:
1. Primo — Handmade Pasta, Risotto & Polenta
Pasta alla Norma with fried eggplant, sweet tomato sauce, basil, and grated salted ricotta; busiate twisted pasta with almonds, tomatoes, and garlic (pesto alla trapanese); or saffron-and-fennel pasta con le sarde with pine nuts and wild mountain greens (€9–€14). In central Italy around Palermo (Palermo), seasonal menus balance hill-town olive oil, hand-rolled pasta, foraged mushrooms, and hearth-grilled meats.
2. Secondo & Trattoria Staples
Golden saffron arancini (or arancine) filled with ragù or butter and pistachio (€2.50–€3.50), sesame bread stuffed with spleen or chickpea fritters (panelle), and charcoal-grilled swordfish rolls (involtini di pesce spada) with bay leaves and capers (€12–€17).
3. Local Cheeses, Cured Meats, Breads & Wine
Fresh sheep-milk ricotta piped to order into crisp cannoli shells, Modica stone-ground chocolate, Bronte green pistachios, Pachino cherry tomatoes, sesame-crusted semolina loaves, and sun-ripened Nero d'Avola, Etna Rosso, and Grillo wines.
4. How & When Locals Eat Here
In warm months, locals replace pastry breakfasts with a brioche col tuppo dipped into fresh almond, lemon, or mulberry granita (€3.50–€4.50). Evening street markets and piazza bakeries stay lively past 10:00 PM. In Palermo (pop. 50,000), neighborhood bars, bakeries (forni), and trattorie across Palermo follow traditional regional dining hours—ask locally for the weekly market morning and patron-saint festival date.
Best time to visit Sicily
Best time to visit Sicily: Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov.
Featured Cities & Towns in Sicily (61)
Start with the largest cities and major tourist towns in Sicily, or scroll down to the complete A–Z directory of all 391 municipalities:
| City / Town | Status | Population | Province | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palermo (Province of Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 663,401 | Province of Palermo | Guide & food → · Flagship |
| Catania (Province of Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 311,584 | Province of Catania | Guide & food → |
| Messina (Province of Messina) | Comune (Municipality) | 232,555 | Province of Messina | Guide & food → |
| Siracusa | Comune (Municipality) | 121,171 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Marsala (Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 82,640 | Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Gela | Comune (Municipality) | 73,854 | Provincia di Caltanissetta | Guide & food → |
| Ragusa (Province of Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 73,373 | Province of Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Trapani (Province of Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 67,531 | Province of Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Vittoria (Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 64,040 | Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Caltanissetta | Comune (Municipality) | 61,064 | Provincia di Caltanissetta | Guide & food → |
| Agrigento (Province of Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 58,956 | Province of Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Bagheria (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 54,714 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Modica (Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 54,268 | Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Acireale (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 52,065 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Mazara del Vallo (Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 51,553 | Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Misterbianco (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 50,037 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Paternò (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 47,600 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Alcamo (Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 45,190 | Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (Messina) | Comune (Municipality) | 41,221 | Messina | Guide & food → |
| Sciacca (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 40,341 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Carini (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 39,049 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Monreale (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 38,884 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Caltagirone (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 37,883 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Licata (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 36,505 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Augusta | Comune (Municipality) | 35,872 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Canicattì (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 35,778 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Adrano (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 35,430 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Mascalucia (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 32,200 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Favara (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 32,059 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Partinico (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 31,840 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Avola | Comune (Municipality) | 31,218 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Castelvetrano (Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 31,151 | Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Milazzo (Messina) | Comune (Municipality) | 31,028 | Messina | Guide & food → |
| Comiso (Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 30,073 | Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Misilmeri (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 29,382 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Aci Catena (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 29,073 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Belpasso (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 28,083 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Erice (Trapani) | Comune (Municipality) | 27,465 | Trapani | Guide & food → |
| Giarre (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 27,444 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Enna (Province of Enna) | Comune (Municipality) | 27,004 | Province of Enna | Guide & food → |
| Scicli (Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 26,962 | Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Niscemi | Comune (Municipality) | 26,627 | Provincia di Caltanissetta | Guide & food → |
| Termini Imerese (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 25,861 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Gravina di Catania (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 25,424 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Noto | Comune (Municipality) | 24,192 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Biancavilla (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 23,832 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| San Giovanni la Punta (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 23,562 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Lentini | Comune (Municipality) | 23,101 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Floridia | Comune (Municipality) | 22,665 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Palma di Montechiaro (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 22,503 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| San Cataldo | Comune (Municipality) | 22,393 | Provincia di Caltanissetta | Guide & food → |
| Pachino | Comune (Municipality) | 22,144 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Piazza Armerina (Enna) | Comune (Municipality) | 21,726 | Enna | Guide & food → |
| Rosolini | Comune (Municipality) | 21,198 | Provincia di Siracusa | Guide & food → |
| Tremestieri Etneo (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 20,267 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Villabate (Palermo) | Comune (Municipality) | 19,960 | Palermo | Guide & food → |
| Pozzallo (Ragusa) | Comune (Municipality) | 19,427 | Ragusa | Guide & food → |
| Bronte (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,856 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Ribera (Agrigento) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,711 | Agrigento | Guide & food → |
| Aci Castello (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,480 | Catania | Guide & food → |
| Aci Sant'Antonio (Catania) | Comune (Municipality) | 18,135 | Catania | Guide & food → |
All 391 Official Comuni in Sicily (A–Z)
Every single municipality (comune) in Sicily has its own travel and local food guide. Click any town below: