Summer in Italy: Should You Choose Sicily or Sardinia?
Exploring the Charms of Summer in Italy: Sicily vs Sardinia
Choosing between Sicily and Sardinia for a summer vacation can be hard. While both islands are beautiful and fascinating, they each offer truly different attractions and varied experiences. Here we will help you figure out which one best suits your vacation desires, Sardinia or Sicily.
Seaside Experiences
Sardinia and Sicily both offer genuinely lovely beaches, but the views are visibly different. Sardinia is famous for its white sand beaches and diamond-blue waters. Being especially prominent are the Costa Smeralda, La Pelosa, and Cala Goloritzé. Due to its rugged terrain, Sardinia also offers plenty of opportunities for hiking and visiting flora and fauna, like that found in Gennargentu National Park.
On the other hand, Sicily also has truly outstanding sandy beaches and a variety of coastal landscapes. Two beaches among all, San Vito Lo Capo and Scala dei Turchi, are truly remarkable for their vistas. Hiking and breathtaking views from the peak of Mount Etna, the greatest and most active volcano in Europe, are other natural attractions. The Aeolian Islands form a part of Sicily with beautiful beaches and a scenic volcanic landscape.
Local Activities and Events
Sardinia is a place for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, and water sports including sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving, making it heaven for those who love spending time in the water.
Sicily is noted for trekking in places like the Zingaro Nature Reserve and Mount Etna. Events and festivals such as the Festival di Taormina and the Infiorata di Noto enhance the cultural richness of summertime vacations to the city. The island also offers some truly remarkable accommodation options, one of the most beautiful luxury resorts in Sicily is one of them.
Famous Cuisine
Both Sicily and Sardinia offer unique dining experiences. Among the famous delicacies in Sardinian cuisine, we can distinguish sweets like seadas, a pastry dessert, and porceddu, a suckling pig roast. Fresh seafood and a variety of wines, like Cannonau and Vermentino, complement this menu.
The cultural diversity in Sicily also resulted in a huge variety of dishes, among which are rice balls, or arancini, pasta alla Norma, or spaghetti with eggplant and ricotta, and cannoli, or pastries filled with sweetened ricotta. Marechala and Nero d’Avola are examples of full-bodied, seafood-heavy wines which go well with Sicilian cuisine.
Exploring The Culture
The complex historical mosaics and remnants of the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish have particularly decorated Sicily. Among several archaeological sites include the Greek Theatre at Taormina, the Roman mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale, and the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento. Cities like Palermo, Catania, and Syracuse boast ancient landmarks and Baroque architecture.
However, despite the rich cultural history of Sardinia, experiences are very different. The island is known for its Nuragic civilization, and historic stone monuments, like Su Nuraxi di Barumini.
As you can see, it’s impossible to give the ultimate evaluation on the best place to visit in summer. We would undoubtedly recommend both, but it depends on your preference and curiosity. In any case, we wish you the best Italian experience!
