With over 25,000 square kilometers, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It impresses visitors not only because of its endless sandy beaches and coast, rich in bays, but also because of impressive national parks, ancient temples and busy towns that have magnificent baroque buildings and well-preserved Norman fortifications. Another highlight is the approximately 3,340-meter-high Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe.
Culture and art lovers will find many well-known theaters and opera houses in Sicily. The elaborately restored “Teatro Massimo Bellini” in Catania and the “Teatro Massimo Palermo”, provide, for example, a special orchestration for your highest level of entertainment. During the summer months we recommend you to listen to those world-famous soloists and ensembles who perform at the Teatro Greco during the international festival. As in Sardinia, there are also lots of local festivities in Sicily. One of the highlights of the year is undoubtedly the Taormina Arte Festival, which is within sight of Mount Etna and attracts internationally famous artists to Sicily. In addition to performances of plays and classic as well as modern concerts, the annual film festival also takes place here.
The many, often religiously shaped festivities are also very impressive. Almost every town and every small village celebrates its own patron saint, which includes services, elaborately decorated processions and nightly fireworks. Despite the largely different backgrounds for these festivities, the typical theatrics can be found everywhere in Sicily among the actors who stage these festivities.
Because of the triangular shape of the island, the Greeks called Sicily "Trinacria", the "Three-Pointed". With over 1,200 kilometers of coastline, there is a large variety of beaches. The long swimming season, even by Italian standards, lasts in Sicily from mid-April to mid-November. In addition to the popular seaside resorts of Mondello, Taormina at the foot of Mount Etna or the romantic fishing village of Cefalù, there are many other gorgeous beach sections. Your captain will be happy to coordinate any option with you so that the beach stays are the best fit for your itinerary.
If you are looking for some relaxation on your luxury charter, a stopover at the beautiful islands around Sicily is the best choice. Just let your mind wander and enjoy the marvelous nature! Popular destinations are the islands of the following archipelagos belonging to Sicily: the Aeolian Islands to the northeast of Sicily, the Aegadian Islands to the west of Sicily and the Pelagian Islands to the south of Sicily.
The Aeolian Islands are of volcanic origin, which is very impressive from a geological and geographical point of view, as you can marvel at extraordinary rock formations, volcanoes and black sandy beaches on your luxury charter. The Sicilian marina “Marina di Portorosa” (luxury yachts up to 35m long find place here) west of the city of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and the “Marina del Nettuno Messina” (accommodation for luxury yachts up to 60m long) in Messina are excellent starting points for exploring the Aeolian Islands.
The sailing season begins in mid-April and ends late October. The most popular and best sailing and charter time is in the summer months, from June to September. The climate is typically Mediterranean: hot and dry summers followed by mild and humid winters. The average temperatures in the coastal areas are around 26° degrees in summer and around 10° degrees in winter. It is generally a bit cooler in the interior of the island. There is hardly any rainfall in the summer months. The hot desert wind Scirocco from North Africa, which occur in the southern part of Sicily, causes temperatures above 40° degrees. From June the water temperature is a pleasant 25° to 28° degrees. The sea area around the island of Sicily belongs to the weather-stable region of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in which there is a wind direction from the northwest. In summer (June to August) the wind force is mostly 20-25 knots.
