Four day-trip ideas from Syracuse

The UNESCO-listed baroque centre: the Duomo, Palazzo Ducezio and the catacombs of San Giovanni, plus the edges of the valley. A town you can cross on foot in half a day.

On weekdays and early in the morning: the centre fills up and the traffic on the way back concentrates in the late afternoon.

The baroque town can be visited in the rain too, with several covered areas. The Catacombs of San Giovanni are in Syracuse; check the route and opening hours before visiting.

The largest necropolis in Sicily: the rock-cut tombs, the caves of the Bove stream, the Anapo valley and its natural pools. Distances and journey times depend on the access point; check the route before setting off.

At dawn or before 9:00: the paths are rough and open, and in the middle of the day the sun leaves no choice.

The reserve is entirely outdoors: if it rains, stay in the city, at Neapolis (19 minutes on foot) or in the catacombs.

The Cassibile nature reserve: the river, the salt pans, the white cliffs dropping to the sea and the mouth where fresh water meets salt. The closest and the lightest of the four.

In the afternoon, when the light is lower and the temperatures drop; in winter the morning works just as well.

The reserve is large and much of it stays open and worth seeing under a grey sky. Alternatively, the Ortigia waterfront is 7 minutes on foot.

In Catania the historic centre, the Duomo, the Teatro Massimo Bellini and the Capo markets; then Etna, with its silent craters and volcanic landscapes up to the higher altitudes.

All year round, but on Etna the morning counts: the sky is clearer and the higher slopes are cooler.

Catania is the smart choice: markets, museums and Via Etnea are all under cover.