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It’s always sunny in Sicily -- or at least, that’s how it feels. This beautiful island -- the “ball” that Italy’s “boot” is kicking out to sea -- is a Med paradise of dramatic landscapes, glorious coastline and trapped-in-time Baroque towns -- all watched over by the perma-puffing volcano, Mount Etna. For centuries, Sicily has been a bubbling gumbo of the different cultures that have landed on the island. That makes its culture, architecture and even food completely unique -- a fascinating blend of Mediterranean influences, from the ancient Phoenicians and Greeks (whose temples still are scattered around the coast) to the later Arabs and Normans. Walk around the tightly wound lanes of Mazara del Vallo, and you’ll find a thriving Tunisian fishing community in the centuries-old Arabic casbah.

Many visitors stick to the east coast, around tourist honeypots Taormina and Syracuse, with their ancient remains and famous hotels. But really you should start with the wild west: Palermo, Sicily’s swaggering capital, is one of Italy’s finest cultural cities. Beyond it, the coastal towns of Trapani, Marsala and San Vito lo Capo hum with Sicilian tradition. You could spend a lifetime exploring the ancient ruins scattered all over the island, but start with the Greek temple at Segesta, the Dancing Satyr bronze statue at Mazara del Vallo (scooped out of the sea by fishermen), and the temple complex at Selinunte, which is far less visited than that of Agrigento.

Don’t miss elegant Sciacca, where the locals go for their evening passeggiata (stroll) cantilevered over the brilliant blue Mediterranean, or the towns of the Val di Noto, rebuilt in frothy Baroque style after an earthquake razed them to the ground in 1693.

All those places are around the coast -- but you need to pair them with the entroterra, or inland Sicily, to get a feel for the island. Mussomeli, Gangi and Cammarata are all ridiculously pretty -- and if you fall in love, they all sell 1 euro homes. Follow the crowds to Mount Etna, of course -- but then escape from them with a trip to one of Sicily’s myriad offshore islands. Our pick? The Aeolians, volcanic islands wreathed in myth.

This is a year-round destination, mild and sunny even during winter. If you’re after a summer vacation, try September -- it’s still hot, and the Med has been warmed for months, but prices are lower once the crowds have dispersed. Otherwise, in May, the wildflowers bloom across the countryside, and in fall, the still-warm sunlight sets Baroque-sculpted cities aglow. Expect flamboyant island-wide festivities at Easter -- like Trapani's Processione dei Misteri. In May, Noto’s Infiorato festival sees the town’s streets “carpeted” with intricate flower art.

“To understand Sicily, you need to come to Palermo. With Greek, Roman, Arab, Swabian, Norman, and even French and Spanish influences, it’s a crucible of cultures, scents and colors that extend through historic markets resembling Arab souks, Baroque churches and Art Nouveau palazzos. That’s the essence of Sicily: a welcoming place riven with beauty and contradiction, poverty and wealth, old and new, silence and noise, full of different communities that recognize each other in a unique place and live together in harmony. Palermo embodies those characteristics better than almost any other town, but I also love Piazza Armerina, Ragusa Ibla, and Cefalù. Don’t miss the islands, either.”

This old country house wedged between Etna and the sea has been turned into a super-swish hotel, complete with a Michelin-starred restaurant and gorgeous stone-wrapped spa. Choose from a traditional room or contemporary glass cubes in the garden.