When to Go

April to June and late September to October are the best months for traveling in Sicily -- temperatures are usually mild and crowds aren't quite so intense. Starting in mid-June, the summer rush really picks up, and from July to mid-September, the country teems with visitors. August is the worst month: Not only does it get uncomfortably hot, muggy, and crowded, but the entire island goes on vacation at least from August 15 to August 31 -- and many Sicilians take off the entire month. Numerous hotels, restaurants, and shops are closed (except at the spas, beaches, and islands, where you'll find 70% of the vacationing Sicilians). From late October to Easter, most attractions go on reduced winter hours or are closed for renovation. Many hotels and restaurants take a month or two off between November and February, when spa and beach destinations become padlocked ghost towns, and it can get much colder than you'd expect. The almond trees blossom in February, especially along the southern coast, and Taormina and Mount Etna are celebrated for their riot of spring flowers. Easter is a time of major celebration on the island, with many traditional, religion-oriented festivals. High season on most airline routes to Rome/Palermo usually stretches from June to the beginning of September. This is the most expensive and most crowded time to travel. Shoulder season is from April to May, early September to October, and December 15 to December 24. Low season is from November 1 to December 14 and December 25 to March 31.

Weather

It can be very hot in summery Sicily, especially inland. The high temperatures begin in May, often lasting until sometime in October. Winters are mild.

For the most part, it's drier in Sicily than in North America, so high temperatures don't seem as bad because the humidity is lower. On the islands, temperatures can stay in the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius) for days, but nights are most often comfortably cooler.