Family Holiday in Sicily

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Sicily for Kids Sicily is an excellent family holiday destination. It offers a great choice of activities enough to keep everyone happy. There are beautiful sandy beaches, Greek temples, and medieval and Baroque towns. Sicily is surrounded by smaller islands and has three active volcanoes if you fancy some natural fireworks. For knights and princesses, there are castles galore. Mild even in winter, to see the sites, plan a trip in spring or autumn, as summer can be very hot. Easter is especially colorful. There are lots of opportunities for biking, hiking, horse and donkey riding. Be sure to catch a puppet show. Sicily has a strong tradition of puppet theatre and puppeteers, pupari usually re-enact stories of Charlemagne and his battles against the Saracens.

The Must-See See the Greek temples at Agrigento and Segesta and the Greek theatres in Taormina and Syracuse. Look for wild animals, among them elephants and rhinos, and girls in bikinis at the 3rd century Villa Romana del Casale. Take an archaeological workshop and shout Eureka! in the ancient city of Syracuse, home to Archimedes. Wander gelato in hand in the Baroque cities of Ragusa, Modica, and Noto. At Trapani on the western shore, see mounds of salt drying in the sun in the saltpans, ride on the cable car to the walled town of Erice and take a boat to see the old Phoenician city on the island of Mothra. At Selinunte, in the south-west, kids will have fun running around the ruins that are covered in wildflowers in spring. Older kids will enjoy being spooked by the Catacombs in Palermo.

The Great Outdoors Mount Etna is a must with children. It is a unique experience that they won't forget. You can walk up but with kids, it's best to take the funicular and then walk to the crater. Kids will wonder at the moon-like scenery. Don't forget to pack a picnic as it's surrounded by unspoiled wilderness. There is lots of activity for adventurous teenagers. In high season, Etna Adventure Park organizes white-water rafting and potholing. Just north of Mount Etna is a fabulous 20m gorge the Gole di Alcantara. The Egadi Islands are half an hour by hydrofoil from Trapani. Visit the prehistoric caves the Grotta del Genovese and see the cave paintings on Levanzo and go hiking on the remotest island, Marettimo. Discover the rugged coastline of the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, which has white sand and pebble beaches. The little known reserve at Monte Cofano has not just rare wildflowers but caves where hermits famous for casting demons once lived while the Riserva Naturale l'Oasi di Vendicari near Noto has some of the best beaches in Sicily.

The Big Day Out The Aeolian Islands have black volcanic beaches and two more puffing volcanoes, including Stromboli, Europe's most active. Older kids used to hiking can trek up to watch the explosions close up, and see the vents blowing stinking fumes.

What to eat There is plenty on the menu that children will enjoy. Sicily is all about street food and snacking so perfect for tiny grazers. The Arabs gave the Sicilians a taste for ice cream made with snow from Mount Etna over a thousand years ago. In Modica, they still make chocolate the Aztec way as the art of chocolate making was brought to Sicily by the Spanish in the 16th century. Kids will love to have 'granita al limone' and brioche for breakfast as Sicilians do. Let them try 'cannolo alla siciliana' filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate. For those who like aubergines, 'Parmigiana di Melanzane'  and 'Pasta alla Siciliana'  are a must!

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