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Palazzolo Acreide is a lovely village with an impressive mix of sites – originally Greek, most of what you see today is Baroque. The churches are spectacular, particularly the tiny Church of the Annunciation with its twisting columns.

This tiny volcanic island, closer to Africa than Italy, is as well known for its VIP visitors as its natural beauty and culinary gifts. The architecture reflects Arabic influences and the island is dotted with dammusi – low, whitewashed, domed houses. Pantelleria is known for its caper production and the thick and sweet moscato passito , made from the native Zibbibo grape which grows well despite the scirocco winds.

The three flat islands that form this group are romantically isolated in the middle of the Mediterranean. Lampione is uninhabited, while Linosa is known for its fertile, volcanic soil and crystal clear waters. Lampedusa, the largest of the three at 20 sq km (7.5 sq miles), responded to a tourism boom with modern buildings, but is still good for swimming, diving and watching sea turtles, dolphins and whales (they migrate in March). The coast of Lampedusa was the object of the 1987 Libyan missile strike that fell short, dumping missiles into the sea.

Excavations here turned up remains of the 8th-century BC houses of the original Sicel culture. Around the oblong piazza are the Duomo, the town hall (located atop an Ionic Temple to Artemis) and outdoor cafés.

Sicily is full of pizzerie (see Restaurants), many of which are specifically geared towards families. Often they are outfitted with playgrounds and video games. At such venues, the traditional pizza toppings often give way to children’s idiosyncracies – don’t be surprised to find the dough base topped with hotdogs and French fries, for example. Kids particularly enjoy Boffo’s Castle, the Selinunte pizzeria built to resemble a fanciful Norman castle.

In the heart of the Belice Valley, Poggioreale Vecchio (the old town) was founded in 1642 and managed to survive as a self-sufficient village until the earthquake of 1968 left it nothing more than a ghost town. Modern progress arrives slowly in the remote interior, and Poggioreale Vecchio looks much as it did in the 1800s. The people of old Poggioreale who were left homeless after the earthquake moved into a new government-sponsored town 15 years after the event. The new Poggioreale, a 1980s design by Paolo Portoghese, is full of flamboyant architecture, yet sadly filled with rather uninviting public spaces.

Puppet theatres offer rip-roaring, gory re-enactments of the Norman crusader sword fights, lively music, and encourage the audience to root for a favourite crusader. The puppets “speak” in Italian, or Sicilian dialect, but an English-language written account of the story is usually provided by the theatre. In any event, it’s easy enough to follow the action without understanding every word (see Puppet Traditions and Museums).

The heart of town is marked by the intersection of the via Maqueda and the via Vittorio Emanuele. Called the Quattro Canti (the four corners that divide Palermo into quadrants) each is swathed in sculptural decoration. The town hall is in the Piazza Pretoria just steps from the Quattro Canti, although the square is more commonly referred to as the Piazza Vergogna (Square of Shame), after the shameless nudes perched around the edge of the elaborate fountain. Beautifully restored, the fountain was sculpted by Tuscan Francesco Camilliani around 1555 and was originally intended for a Florentine garden, but was then moved down south.