Sicily sits right at the tip of Italy's boot, a big, sun-baked island where Mount Etna smokes gently over vineyards on one side and turquoise coves stretch out for kilometres on the other. Cliffside towns like Taormina hang above the Ionian Sea, ancient Greek temples rise out of almond groves near Agrigento, and there's a plate of arancini or a cannolo within reach in pretty much every piazza.

Whatever your Sicily trip looks like, from a week chasing ancient ruins to a slow stretch by the water, there's a base to match it. Palermo suits a city-and-market crawl, Taormina suits a splurge with a view, and Cefalù suits anyone who just wants to swim, eat and repeat.

Where to stay in Sicily

• Taormina & the Ionian Coast (Messina): Sicily's postcard town, perched on a cliff above Isola Bella with the ancient Greek theatre framing Mount Etna in the distance. Best for a special-occasion stay with the sea view built in. See stays around Messina.
• Palermo: the island's chaotic, charming capital, all baroque churches, street markets and seafront villas. Best for travellers who want history and street food in the same afternoon. See stays in Palermo.
• Catania: the easy-access gateway to Etna, with lava-stone streets, a proper arancini-and-cannoli food scene, and a university-city buzz once the day-trippers clear out. Best for basing up for a volcano hike without paying resort prices. See stays in Catania.
• Cefalù: a laid-back beach town with a long stretch of sand right in front of the old centre. Best for a slower few days by the water. See stays in Cefalù.
• Agrigento & the Valley of the Temples: home to one of the best-preserved clusters of ancient Greek temples outside Greece itself, set on a ridge above the coast. Best for a history-focused day or two inland. See stays in Agrigento.
• Syracuse & Ortigia: a baroque old town squeezed onto a tiny island, with sun-bleached piazzas and a working fish market most mornings. Best for wandering without much of a plan at all. See stays in Syracuse.

How much is Sicily accommodation?

A double room across Sicily averages around AU$150 to AU$180 a night, though it swings hard between a Palermo guesthouse and a cliffside suite in Taormina.

• Backpackers & Hostels: from AU$35 per night for a bunk in a Palermo or Catania hostel, usually with a shared kitchen and a rooftop terrace thrown in.
• Budget hotels & Guesthouses: from AU$90 per night for a simple ensuite room in a family-run B&B, often the best value option in beach towns like Cefalù.
• Mid-range hotels & Apartments: from AU$160 per night for a proper hotel room or a self-contained apartment with air-con, usually walking distance to the old town.
• Boutique hotels: from AU$230 per night for a restored palazzo or villa with real character, common in Ortigia and Palermo's historic centre.
• Luxury & Resorts: from AU$480 per night, climbing well past AU$1,000 at Taormina's grand cliffside icons, for sea-view suites, spa access and a serious restaurant downstairs.

Top-rated hotels in Sicily

• Rocco Forte Villa Igiea (Palermo): a restored early-1900s seafront villa with its own private garden running down to the water.
• Grand Hotel Timeo (Taormina): sits directly opposite the ancient Greek theatre, with Etna filling the view from the pool deck.
• San Domenico Palace (Taormina): a centuries-old palace above the Ionian Sea, all vaulted stone corridors and a rooftop pool looking straight at the volcano.
• Hotel Kalura (Cefalù): built into its own private cove a short walk from town, with a diving school and a terrace restaurant right over the water.
• Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel (Syracuse): a baroque palace on Ortigia's old streets with a courtyard at its centre and a rooftop terrace over the rooflines.
• Hotel della Valle (Agrigento): the closest proper hotel to the Valley of the Temples, handy for an early start before the coaches arrive.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Sicily

• If you're heading up Etna, base yourself in Catania or one of the small towns on its lower slopes. It cuts the drive time and puts you closer to the cable car and the guided hiking trails.
• Rooms in Taormina and around the Valley of the Temples get booked out months ahead in July and August, and prices can roughly double. Book early, or aim for May, June or September instead.
• Sicily's train line mostly hugs the coast, so a hire car opens up inland spots like Agrigento and the Etna wine villages properly. Stick to Palermo, Catania, Taormina and Cefalù and trains or buses will cover you fine.
• Old towns like Ortigia, Cefalù and Taormina are built for walking, not driving. Check whether your hotel has parking nearby before you book if you're bringing a car, since a lot of historic centres are pedestrian-only.
• Plenty of smaller guesthouses don't include breakfast. Budget a few euros for a granita and brioche at the local bar instead. It's the actual Sicilian way to start the day anyway.

Sicily is just one stop on a bigger Italian trip for a lot of travellers. Check Traveloka's Italy hotel guide for more places to stay before you head off the island.