Where to stay in Sicily?

A hostel on via Sammartino, in the 19th-century town north of the historic centre, 1.3 km from the heart of Palermo. You walk to the markets and the Kalsa while sleeping in a quieter area at night.

A simple hotel on via Antonio Gagini, in the Loggia district, 600 m from the centre. Old Palermo, with its alleys and markets, starts on the doorstep, for a tight budget.

A hotel on via Scarparelli, in the Albergheria, 400 m from the centre: the Ballarò market is the next-door neighbour. For those who want working-class Palermo, noisy and lively, from early morning.

A hotel on via Riccardo Wagner, in the 19th-century town between the Politeama and the Massimo, 900 m from the centre. The classic grand hotel, halfway between the shops and the baroque centre.

A grand hotel on via dei Cartari, on piazza Borsa, on the edge of the Kalsa. The lanes of old Palermo start at the door: for exploring the city on foot, in the setting of a grand house.

A hotel on via Vittorio Emanuele, the main street of old Palermo, in the Loggia district. From the Kalsa to the markets, everything is on foot before you take the road to San Vito Lo Capo.

A villa with a garden and sea views, on via Luigi Pirandello, 500 m from the centre of Taormina, towards Spisone. You go down to Isola Bella on the nearby cable car and come back up to the village for dinner.

A simple hotel on via dietro Cappuccini, 600 m from the centre of Taormina. A village address, away from the corso, for staying in town on a small budget and leaving early for Etna.

A simple hotel on via Bagnoli Croci, in the town of Taormina, within walking distance of the ancient theatre. A plain address for sleeping in town without paying palace prices, keeping some budget for Etna.

A palace hotel on via Teatro Greco, right next to the ancient theatre of Taormina. For a special occasion, with the theatre a step away for a visit as soon as it opens, before the groups arrive.

The Timeo opened its doors in 1873: it was the first hotel Taormina ever had.

A hotel right on the water on the bay of Mazzarò, via Nazionale, below Taormina. Isola Bella is on the same stretch of coast: for a beach and sea stop, heading back up to town in the evening for dinner.

A guesthouse on via Atenea, near Agrigento station, at the foot of the historic centre. You arrive by train with no car to park, and the lanes and cafés of the upper town are a few minutes away on foot.

A hotel on viale Cannatello, in Villaggio Mosè, outside the upper town of Agrigento. With a car, you easily reach the Scala dei Turchi and the temples, while sleeping away from the traffic of the centre.

A villa on the Passeggiata Archeologica, facing the floodlit temples. You sleep within the site itself: the temples at sunset, then again at dawn with no one around.

An 18th-century villa inside the perimeter of the Valley, facing the Temple of Concordia: the visit starts at the door.