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The rocky mountains between Trapani, Castellamare del Golfo and San Vito lo Capo are rich in marble, but are slowly being destroyed by huge industrial quarries extracting the stone for office buildings.

The rolling hills of the Belice Valley are planted with wheat – green in winter, gold in summer, and burned black after the harvest – bordered by grape vines and olive trees.

The rugged hills around Segesta, Calatafimi and Alcamo look dry and barren, but resourceful Sicilians plant them with hearty vines, cultivating the hills as high as possible.

A species indigenous to the Nebrodi, descendant of the ancient Equus sicanus .

The sandy beaches along this southeast stretch of coast are long and wide and splashed with green-blue surf. There is no tourist development to speak of, beyond small fishing villages such as Scoglitti and Donnalucata with their nice markets and good restaurants, and little seaside villages that come to life in summer, such as Marina di Ragusa.

Rare sea turtles bury their eggs in the sands of the Belice Estuary and the Pelagie Islands.

There are about 10 ski runs on Etna. Lift tickets and equipment rentals are available.

The depth of snow depends upon underground lava flows that affect surface temperatures, but there’s enough of a base for winter-time skiing at least on the northern slopes. Pick a base at Zafferana Etnea, Nicolosi or Linguaglossa where ski rentals, a ski school and lifts are available (see Mount Etna).

The unspoiled, clear water off Sicily and the offshore islands is spectacular, and also great for snorkelling and scuba-diving. The shoreline varies from sandy to pebble beaches, private coves, grottoes and rock formations. Lifeguards are rarely on duty, so swim at your own risk (see Water safety).