I think Sicily stands apart from the rest of Italy. Here’s why.

I’ve been to Sicily twice — once on a family trip with my grandmother (who was Sicilian-American) and just recently, during a 3-week stint around Italy. 

I spent 5 days in Catania, the second largest city in Sicily, which sits on the island’s east coast just below the looming Mt. Etna Volcano. 

I arrived in Catania in the afternoon and Sicily’s big personality started making itself known as soon as I stepped out of the airport and into my taxi. Right away I began to pick up on some key differences between this Italian island and the mainland.

A Slower Pace of Life (If That’s Possible)

Most Americans know a thing or two about Italy’s “La Dolce Vita” lifestyle — where things slow down and life is all about appreciating the little things. The pace of life is indeed slower in Italy than in most places in America. And this is especially true in Sicily.

Sicily and its people truly follow their own timelines. I noticed this in the nonchalant service at restaurants and cafes, in the delay of city buses, and in the fact that almost everything was closed on a Sunday afternoon (grocery stores, pharmacies, you name it).

What particularly struck me was that many cafes wouldn’t even open until around 10 am. And yet, local piazzas would be abuzz with live music, dancing, and chatter late into the night. 

One of my tour guides said it best: “When Mt. Etna erupts, the lava moves slowly, just like everything else in Sicily.”

A Charming Kind of Chaos

After years of traveling, I’ve come to learn that there’s charm to be found amidst the chaos of travel. 

The first day I arrived in Catania, I found myself dodging badly parked cars and whizzing Vespas as I hopscotched my way across cobblestone streets. I laughed to myself as I saw loud displays of hand gestures that felt oh-so-stereotypically-Italian. 

Daily happenings like these reminded me just how real Catania is. Catania isn’t as picture-perfect or even as tourist-friendly as Naples or Milan. The public transportation isn’t nearly as accessible and many outlying neighborhood streets are actually pretty dirty. This can be understandably off-putting to visitors. 

However, the sense of buzz and chaos I felt in Catania was similar to what I felt in Agrigento, another city in Sicily, years ago. It charmed me to realize that regardless of time and place, Sicily is still Sicily at the end of the day, chaos and all. 

I was also struck by the fact that this particular kind of chaos felt distinctly Sicilian — unrushed, unbothered, and a little bit stubborn. To be honest with you, I’d describe my Sicilian-American grandmother that way, too, so maybe there’s a correlation… 

Subtle Language Differences

Sicilian-Italian is a little different than Italian-Italian. In fact, it’s considered its own dialect because it has influences of Greek, Arabic, French, Catalan, and Spanish. [Source]

My Italian is ok — decent enough that I can at least get around and order food without a problem. However, I noticed a couple of key differences and even experienced a few language hiccups while in Sicily. 

The Sicilian accent was the first thing I noticed. As an outsider, the accent seemed only subtly different from “normal” Italian to me. However, the cadence was a little bit slower. 

The second thing is that grammatically and conversationally, Sicilians use different words than what’s typical around the rest of Italy. 

The thing I kept getting tripped up on? Everywhere else around Italy I order an “espresso macchiato.” In Sicily, it’s called a “caffe macchiato.” 

Expect a few language hiccups like these if you plan on testing your Italian skills in Sicily. 

Arancini, Granite, Seafood, and So Much More…

Sicilian food is a bit different from other regional cuisines around Italy. My advice? Take advantage of this. Some of Italy’s most famous dishes actually originate from Sicily! In fact, many of my favorite dishes on this trip were in Sicily.

Arancini is a popular street food to try. It’s a fried risotto ball with mozzarella cheese and filling. Ragu is the traditional filling but you can get things like eggplant or pistachio-filled arancini, too. Find a place that makes and serves them fresh and then thank me later. 

My other favorite food from Sicily is granite. It would be a crime to visit Sicily and not have some. It’s that good. You may think that granite is like Italian ice or a snowcone. Nope, it’s neither. Granite has the smoothness of gelato but is just as refreshing as Italian ice. Eat your granite with a fresh, hot brioche and you’ll discover heaven on earth. 

Arancini and granite were my two favorite foods I had here. However, there’s so much more to Sicily’s rich food scene. Cannoli and pistachio also come from Sicily! And of course, you have to try some seafood since it’s so fresh.

👉 Read Next: How to Visit Taormina on a Day Trip from Catania

An Underrated Gem

For me, Sicily’s most distinguishable feature was just how underrated I found it to be. 

Yes, Sicily has its bits of quirks and chaos. But it’s also a stunning place that’s unique and diverse. The people are vibrant, the food is divine, and there’s so much to do on a budget. 

I’ve traveled to so many places across Italy and spent significant time in the country over the years. I have to say — Sicily truly is Italy’s hidden gem. 

👉 Read Next: I Hiked Mt Etna, a Supervolcano in Sicily

Want More? Listen to My Italy Podcast Episode!

If you liked this post, you’ll love my Italy episode on the Travel Lemming Podcast. It’s available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts (just search “Travel Lemming Italy”). 

We chat about hiking Mount Etna in Sicily at minute mark 22:01.

The host, Betty, and I discuss places to visit in Italy (07:04), the best things to do in Italy (16:15), how to get around Italy (23:36), Italy travel tips and etiquette (27:20), why more people should visit Italy (03:56) and all the other common questions about travel to Italy.

Download now and remember to listen to the entire episode before you arrive in Italy.

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Thank you for reading why I think Sicily stands apart from the rest of Italy!

Have you been to Sicily? Let me know in the comments!