Off The Beaten Track: 5 Sicilian Alternatives To Popular Mediterranean Destinations

Been there, done that. If this sounds familiar to you, maybe it’s time to mix things up. Every year, the same destinations get all of the fame and acclaim, but there’s a lot more to the Mediterranean than Mykonos, Ibiza, Rhodes, and Santorini.

Recent trends show that travelers seeking a luxurious sojourn in the warm Mediterranean sunlight are gravitating toward the lesser-visited regions for a charming stay. This is precisely what everyone from Mel Gibson, Sharon Stone, and Magic Johnson to Harrison Ford, Madonna, and Jessica Alba seems to have done by choosing the southern Italian region of Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean.

From Roman emperors and aristocrats to artists, writers, and Hollywood stars, everyone loves Sicily. Across the narrow Strait of Messina from the mainland, this sunny, tri-cornered island all the way down off the tip of Italy’s boot has been a popular retreat for wealthy people since Roman times, and a number of celebrities own or have owned villas on its shores, such as Mick Jagger, Giorgio Armani, Sting, and Julia Roberts, just to mention a few.

This gorgeous Italian region steeped in archaeological history and boasting sparkling beaches and great wine still plays host to a wealth of high society and Hollywood A-listers.

Add the island’s volcanic landscapes, flavorsome cuisine, awe-inspiring architectural wonders, and luxury accommodation options into the mix, and it’s clear why Sicily is so desirable right now.

After a haywire summer of travel restrictions, flight cancellations, delays, and chaotic airport traffic, going for a hit of winter sun between mid-November and April wouldn’t be a bad idea. Here are five Sicilian destinations you probably haven’t yet considered that deserve to be at the top of your must-visit list. Warning: you may never want to come back.

Menfi, south-west Sicily

For a change of scenery and a destination with spectacular panoramic sunsets, head to Menfi on the little-visited south coast. Rock icon and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger sealed his love for this spectacular part of Italy with the purchase of a seaside property in this area.

Here you can mix beach fun, traditional Sicilian culture without hordes of tourists, and delicious food and wine for a memorable getaway.

Men’s pristine coastal landscape, rolling green hills overlooking the crystal-clear Mediterranean Sea, balmy temperatures, and prickly pears as far as the eye can see make it a great holiday destination, still maintaining a pleasant under-the-radar feel.

The almost entirely untouristic, historic wine town of Menfi is driving distance from two of Sicily’s most impressive Greek temple complexes, the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, and the archeological site of Selinunte, a Greek city overthrown by Carthage in 409 BC.

Marsala, Sicily’s most westerly city

We can’t put the charming Baroque town of Marsala on this list of alternative destinations. Famous for its richly colored, sweet dessert wines, Marsala is a picturesque wine town with a glorious Baroque Centro Storico, midway between the port city of Trapani and the honey-hued town of Mazara del Vallo.

With all the beauty, sand, sea, and over-the-top accommodation options, the Baroque jewel of Marsala make the perfect base from which to visit the wineries and vineyards, taste the world-class wines produced in this area, and explore Sicily’s western coast, the Egadi Islands, the Phoenician archaeological site of Mothia, and the photogenic salt pans along the shore to Trapani.

Erice, northwest Sicily

Towering over the west of Sicily at approximately 2500 feet above the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea, the beautifully preserved medieval walled town of Erice – pronounced with the stress on the first syllable – is named in Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid. Built by the Normans in the 12th century, the Venus Castle dominates the southeastern slope and skyline of the ancient citadel of Erice.

One of the highest towns in Sicily, Erice is well known for its delicious almond pastries and plays host to a series of international scientific conferences, including an annual congress dedicated to astronomy.

San Vito lo Capo, northwest Sicily

You could be forgiven for thinking this long, wide, crescent-shaped beach is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but it’s actually in San Vito Lo Capo, a charming seaside town built around an Arab fort on the northwest tip of the island.

Sicily’s answer to Copacabana, the lively, white-sand beach of San Vito Lo Capo, extends for some 3 miles and is so picture-perfect it looks like an augmented reality game, except it is real. Highly regarded for its gleaming white sand and Tiffany-blue waters set against the beautiful backdrop of the imposing Mount Monaco, another photogenic headland, San Vito Lo Capo beach is a great place to relax, enjoy water sports, and discover the wonderfulness of an artisanal granita.

Scopello, northwest Sicily

The scenery around the tiny fishing village of Scopello is almost as vertical as the Amalfi coast. Its diminutive size, though, offers a level of peacefulness and tranquility not found in more popular tourist spots. With its steep, rugged, prickly pear-covered cliffs, old warehouses, picturesque fishermen’s cottages, and huge Faraglioni that rise out of the shimmering azure sea, Scopello is one of the most iconic and photogenic locations in the Mediterranean. The seafront is also home to some of the coast’s best fish restaurants.

If you haven’t already, consider this picturesque seaside hamlet as your next vacation destination.

So, why not rent a private villa in the surrounding area? A self-catering villa is the perfect luxury retreat to relax, slow down, recharge, and get much more privacy, space, and freedom than in a traditional hotel, B&B, or tourist resort.

This is especially important after the coronavirus pandemic. Located in Scopello, luxuriously finished Bay View, pictured above, is a wood-clad, two-bedroom villa with bright interiors, state-of-the-art amenities, and a fabulous infinity pool with far-reaching, 180-degree sea views. This panoramically positioned holiday home can accommodate six guests and is available to rent via Select Sicily Villas, one of the region’s leading and most exclusive vacation rental agencies.

Based in the flamboyant, vibrant and eclectic Sicilian capital of Palermo, the company owns a fleet of the most exquisite rental properties in this sunny, triangle-shaped island off Italy’s toe, ranging from tastefully-restored bagnios with a private swimming pool to luxury Le Corbusier-style villas with direct, private access to the electric-blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

For more information and reservations, please visit selectsicilyvillas.com.