Sicily is the most complex island in Europe — a place where Greek temples, Norman cathedrals, Arab-Byzantine mosaics and baroque town squares exist within a few kilometres of each other, and where the food is a direct expression of three thousand years of cultural exchange.

The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is the finest collection of Greek temples outside Greece — five temples in various states of preservation, set on a ridge above the sea, best seen at dawn when the light is extraordinary and the tour buses have not yet arrived. The Archaeological Museum in the town above is one of the finest in Italy.

Palermo is the most complex city in Sicily — a baroque capital with an Arab-Norman heart, where the Palatine Chapel, the Martorana and the Zisa palace sit within walking distance of each other, and where the street food of the Ballar market is among the most extraordinary in Italy. The catacombs of the Capuchin monastery, with their eight thousand mummified bodies, are one of the most extraordinary sights in Europe.

Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe — a mountain of extraordinary beauty and geological complexity, with ski runs on its northern slopes in winter and walking trails through its lava fields in summer. Bella Via designs Sicilian itineraries that combine the archaeology with the food culture and the landscape.

Sicily rewards those who arrive with curiosity and leave with a deeper understanding of what the Mediterranean world actually is. We will help you find the journey that does it justice.