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Swimming pools are available at holiday villages (see Resort Hotels) and some other hotels, but don’t expect lifeguards to be on duty, or if they are, to be particularly attentive. Seaside villages often have a nearby water park, such as Acquasplash near Selinunte, with supervised wave pools, slides, a pizzeria or snack bar, as well as other diversions.

Remains of the mighty powerhouse of Magna Graecia make up some of the most important sites in Sicily, while the small historic centre of Ortygia is one of the most pleasant town centres on the island (see Syracuse).

On Largo XXV Luglio are the remains of the Doric Temple of Apollo. Built in 575 BC, this was the first temple in Sicily with an exterior colonnade of stone columns. Two monolithic sandstone columns remain.

The six parallel streets between via della Giudecca and via GB Alagona follow the Greek urban plan. It is still crowded with medieval houses and laundry flapping in the breeze.

The wide, tree-lined boulevard via della Libertàtravels west from the Teatro Politeama, where the sparkling modern city begins, full of shops and cafés. It passes the Giardino Inglese, laid out with palms, to Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the entrance to the public gardens.

The extensive ruins of ancient Tyndaris, first Greek and then Roman, lie to either side of the Decumanus Maximus, the main street. Homes show mosaic flooring, drainage and the remains of heating systems. A restored basilica with graceful arches spans the street where it marked the entrance into the public area. A theatre, built by the Greeks, modified by the Romans and still in use, was sited to take advantage of the view out to sea. A small museum houses finds from the site including a colossal head of Augustus. Nearby visit the sanctuary of the Black Madonna, a pilgrimage favourite.

A busy port since the Phoenicians landed here, it gained importance during Spanish domination as the closest port to Spain, and it’s still a bustling area. The modern town has ballooned, but the quaint and lively historic centre is concentrated on the tiny sickle-shaped peninsula – the entire area covers less than 2.5 sq km (1 sq mile). The perpendicular main streets are lined with a mix of Baroque buildings, shops and cafés. Via Torrearsa leads from the port to the market square with its lovely loggia. The Corso leads to the tip of the peninsula, with glimpses of everyday Sicilian life in the side streets.

Now lined with boutiques and restaurants, this street was where noble families built their Baroque palaces, often incorporating older structures.

The finest surviving Roman mosaics in the world cover the floors of this official’s luxurious hunting villa (see Villa Romana del Casale).