This is the definitive guidebook to the enchanting island that bears the legacy of many Mediterranean cultures from centuries of trade and occupation. Written by expert Italy travel writer and National Geographic Expeditions guide Tim Jepson, this guidebook contains everything you need to make your visit to Sicily an enriching, engaged, and unforgettable experience.

Beginning with an in-depth history of the island and an informative look at Sicily today, the guidebook takes you through the popular entry port of Palermo, followed by Syracuse and the Southeast, and around the island to popular and historic destinations, including ancient Greek temples, volcanic Mount Etna, and the olive gardens of Mount Iblei.

Features highlight every activity under the Sicilian sun: sampling cannoli and gelato; swimming in volcanic pools; and running a mountain marathon. Readers are guided on a walking tour through Northern Palermo and a rail trip around Mount Etna, and taken off the beaten path to places such as Ragusa's cheese farms and the fishing island of Favignana. Gorgeous National Geographic photography and useful maps help you navigate your way around Sicily and its surrounding islands.

This handy edition is designed to be perfectly portable and quickly accessible. It offers a wealth of reliable information on activities, excursions, and local sites, along with a useful listing of hotels and restaurants. The book also includes a detailed section of practical information, including how to get around the island. However you travel around Sicily, Jepson's local knowledge and National Geographic's travel expertise will prove indispensible.

TIM JEPSON was born near the River Thames and grew up on the fringes of London, close to Amersham, the second-most outlying station on the city's Tube, or subway system. Since 1985, interspersed with periods living and traveling abroad, he has lived in London itself, first in Islington and latterly in Notting Hill. He has written six other books for National Geographic and is a guide and expert for National Geographic Expeditions. His travel articles have appeared in the Daily Telegraph, Vogue, Conde Nast Traveller, and other publications. LARRY PORGES has been a book editor at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. He was born in New York and lived in London for five years, three of those in Maida Vale. Porges studied English history at Tufts University and the British and European Studies Group, London. He wrote the 2011 revision of the National Geographic guidebook to London, was a contributing author on the National Geographic e-book Quintessential London, and has been published in National Geographic Traveler magazine and other publications. Despite frequent trips back, he misses London, especially the London Evening Standard, Little Venice, and being surrounded by people who still think of Starburst as Opal Fruits.