What is the best time of year to visit Sicily?
“What is the best time of the year to visit Sicily?” is a question we are often asked. Because you’re on this page, you are most likely wondering the same. The answer to the question depends on what you would like to see or experience in Sicily. For example, would you like to go to the sea and enjoy sunbathing in the Sicilian sun on one of the many sandy beaches? Do you want to go to Sicily to visit the various cultural places of interest such as archaeological parks and museums? Would you like to walk in beautiful nature reserves, go on extensive cycling tours or are you looking for other fun activities for you and your family? In this blog post we will tell you what you can expect in Sicily at any time of the year.
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Click here to see the weather graphs.
January and February
The weather in Sicily:
In the months of January and February you can expect temperatures between 12° and 18° C in Sicily. On sunny days you can often still wear a T-shirt, but it does cool down considerably in the evenings. If you’d like to go to Sicily in this period of the year, we’d advise you to choose one of our holiday accommodations with good heating, such as the apartments in the Borgo delle Olive (NB the swimming pool at this location cannot be used in the winter). A relatively large amount of rain falls in January and February (maximum 90 mm of rain per month).
In these months you can enjoy a beautiful, green landscape. The island is already strewn with beautiful flowers and the almond trees will be in bloom at the end of January. Various village festivals, so-called sagre, are organized in January and February. They often celebrate a typical dish or a specific product. One of these sagre, the Sagra della sfincia di priescia, can be found in the town of Montelepre, about a 20-minute drive from our holiday accommodations. Here you can taste the sfincia, which tastes a bit like a doughnut.
Until January 6 you can visit the various living nativity scenes (presepi viventi) on the island. Carnival is also celebrated in Sicily. The Festa di Carnevale of Sciacca is one of the largest and most famous carnivals on the island.
Given the lower temperatures and the chance of rain, January and February are not suitable for sunbathing, but it is a good period for those who’d like to visit various quaint towns and enjoy the excellent Sicilian cuisine and wines.
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March and April
The weather in Sicily:
In March the average temperatures in Sicily are already rising and you can expect temperatures between 14° and 20° C. In the evening it still cools down quite a bit, so also in this period it’s important that you rent a holiday accommodation with heating. In March much less rain falls than in the first two months of the year (maximum of 60 mm of rain per month). In April the chance of rain decreases even further (maximum of 40 mm of rain). In the evenings the temperature is getting more pleasant, which increases the possibility to have dinner outside. In April the temperatures are between 15° and 24° C and the average sea temperature is 15° C.
Things to see, do and experience.
During this period many sagre (village festivals) are organized and several processions are held. The most famous feast, San Giuseppe, is celebrated on March 19. On this day many towns make altars that are adorned with bread dough figures.
During Easter you can attend processions all over Sicily and in some villages, such as Partanna and Montelepre (about a 40- and 25-minute drive from our holiday accommodations), the crucifixion of Jesus is reenacted. In the town of Montelepre more than 400 extras are used to reenact various important events from the Bible. The procession in this quaint mountain village is one of the largest processions in the area.
On holiday in Sicily in March or April.
These months are excellent for nature lovers, cyclists and those who’d like to visit the many paces of interest in the area, and due to the many (religious) festivals there is much to experience in this period in Sicily. Thanks to the rainfall in the preceding months, it is very green and everywhere you’ll see flowers in bloom. A great period for a visit to one of the many nature reserves, for long bike rides through the rolling and mountainous Sicilian landscape and for walks on one of the many beaches on the island.
This period is also great for visiting archaeological parks, castles and other cultural attractions. In March and April there are not much tourists on the island, so at many of these sights you’ll be able to take the most beautiful pictures.
Things to see, do and experience.
In the first two weeks of May the Sicilian hills and mountains are still very green. At the end of the month, due to lack of rain, the landscape start to go from green to yellow.
The most famous festivals in the area are the Corteo Storico di Santa Rita da Cascia (a parade with people in historical clothing) in the town of Castelvetrano and the Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso in Monreale (near the city of Palermo). Most village festivals in the month of May are all about the ricotta. This cheese is used in many sweet treats, such as the cassata and the cannolo, but is also used in various pasta dishes.
On holiday in Sicily in May.
May is an ideal month to visit the island: you can often already swim in the sea and enjoy the Sicilian sun on the beach, you can take boat trips, go diving, hiking, cycling or horseback riding, visit the various sights in the region, enjoy a delicious brioche con gelato or a granita on the terrace of one of the many gelaterie on the island, and much more!
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Things to see, do and experience.
The Sicilian landscape is now colored yellow thanks to the many hours of sunshine, and the sagre (village festivals) – mostly celebrating the cherry, the strawberry, the ricotta or some type of fish – last until late in the evening. The very pleasant summer temperatures are also ideal for one of the favorite activities of the Sicilians: strolling! There are various festivals in June, including the Inycon that is being organized around June 20 in the town of Menfi. In addition to various wine tastings, you can enjoy live music and cabaret during this oldest wine festival in Sicily. In San Vito lo Capo you can visit the Cous Cous Fest Preview, a celebration of the cous cous, which is widely eaten in Sicily, especially in the province of Trapani.
On holiday in Sicily in June.
Many tourists choose to go and visit our sunny island in June, because the temperatures are slightly lower than in July and August, which makes June ideal for both sun worshipers and those who’d like to visit the cultural places of interest. You can enjoy boat trips to one of the many islands off the coast of Sicily, go for a walk in one of the many woods or conquer the hilly and mountainous terrain during a lovely bike ride.
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July and August
The weather in Sicily:
July and August are the hottest months of the year with average temperatures between 28° to 34° C. It can even get a little warmer, but luckily it’s not very humid in Sicily, so most of the time there is no clammy, oppressive heat. It almost never rains in July and August, but when it does, it usually won’t be more than a few drops.
Things to see, do and experience.
In the summer months, festivals and concerts are organized all over Sicily, such as the street food festivals in Trapani and Castellammare del Golfo, the Monreale Doc Festival with many tastings, the Palermo Art & Music Festival, teatri di pietra with theater performances in ancient Greek and Roman theaters all over the island and Calici di stelle (wine tasting in the evening). There are also many “notti bianchi”, which are evenings in which the shops stay open until the middle of the night, with street artists and various nice markets.
On holiday in Sicily in July or August.
These are the months for sun lovers, beach goers and those who’d like to swim in the sea: sun, sun and sun, what more do you want? Take wonderful boat trips, enjoy the clear sea water and sunbathe on one of the many sandy, rocky or pebble beaches in Sicily. The balmy summer evenings are ideal for eating outside, on the terrace of your own holiday accommodation or on the patio of one of the many good restaurants on the island.
Sicily is also the busiest in the summer months. In the first two weeks of August the Italians are on holiday, and then the seaside resorts in particular are flooded with tourists. July and August are still good months for cycling or running, but make sure to build it up slowly, so that you can get used to the high temperatures, before going on longer runs or bike rides.
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Things to see, do and experience.
The weather is still great, so numerous festivals are being organized this month. Some examples are the famous Couscous fest in San Vito lo Capo and the historic festival Nel segno di Guglielmo in Monreale. You can visit one of the many sagre where you can taste various typical Sicilian dishes.
On holiday in Sicily in September.
The weather in September can be compared to what you can expect in June. This makes September an ideal month to spend a varied holiday in Sicily. September is an ideal holiday month for a sporting holiday, for visiting archaeological sites and other places of interest, for beach goers and for everyone who enjoys a varied holiday.
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October and November
The weather in Sicily:
In the months of October and November the chance of rain usually increases (a maximum of 80 mm of rain in October and 65 mm of rain in November), but often there are just a few heavy showers while the pleasant temperatures make for a wonderful late summer. The average temperatures fluctuate between 20° and 27° C in October and 15° and 21° C in the last week of November. In the evenings it can cool down quite a bit, but there are still several days in which you can dine outside.
Things to see, do and experience.
In addition to the many sagre celebrating the grape harvest in October, you can attend many fun events in Sicily, such as the Festival di Morgana, a puppet festival in Palermo, the Funghi fest in Castelbuono (with many tastings of dishes with mushrooms) and the festival Il sole d’autunno nel Belice (various festivals in the villages in the Belice valley), the Rubino – Rotte del vino.
On holiday in Sicily in October or November.
Even though the chance of rain increases and it often cools down quite a bit in the evenings, October and November are still good months to visit Sicily. The temperatures are ideal for sightseeing, cycling and walks on the beach or in one of the many nature parks on the island.
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Things to see, do and experience.
December is the month of the Christmas-decorated towns, Christmas markets and live nativity scenes, the presepi viventi. The live nativity scenes in the towns of Custonaci and Balata di Baida, both in the province of Trapani, are among the best known and most extensive presepi. Few festivals are organized, but there are numerous sagre devoted to salsiccia (sausage), vastedda (cheese) or cuccia (a typical dish with beans, chickpeas, grain and wine).
On holiday in Sicily in December.
Those who spend their holidays in Sicily in December do so in particular during the Christmas holidays. Many places are nicely decorated and there are many Christmas markets and live nativity scenes (presepi viventi) in this period. On sunny days you can still go on lovely day trips and enjoy all the beautiful things in Sicily. December is also a good holiday month for cyclists and hikers.
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Our website is already packed with information about sunny Sicily, but we still have more tips, information and photos, which you will find on this blog.
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Arrivederci in Sicilia!
Arrivederci in Sicilia!
