You can practice soccer in Sicily on almost every corner. You will see kids playing soccer on the beaches, streets, recreational centers, etc. Sicily also boasts soccer teams that play in the major Italian soccer leagues, such as Palermo, Messina and Catania. Every Sunday, you can go to a nearby soccer stadium and watch a soccer game. In the summer, tournaments are held in small and large centers.

Tennis courts are located throughout the island and fees to play tennis vary from place to place. Smaller centers are the ones that apply the least expensive prices to play.

Biking in Sicily is a fascinating experience. You can cycle along quiet minor roads without encountering towns or villages; you might come across a Greek temple, a Baroque town, an archaeological site or the remains of an ancient city.

From November through April, you can ski on the slopes of Mount Etna, only an hour drive from Catania or Taormina. You can also ski in the Madonie Regional Park in Piano Battaglia, an hour drive from Palermo.

The Nebrodi Mountains are not only ideal for Alpine skiing during the winter time, but also rock climbing on these 220 million year-old peaks and cliffs.

Major sea-side cities like Catania, Palermo, Messina, Trapani, and Syracuse have centers to start and/or practice water skiing off the bays and beaches. There are also small lakes, such as Lake Arancio on the Palermo-Sciacca road, and Lake Pergusa in Central Sicily where fresh water skiing can be practiced from early spring throughout the end of the fall.

Sicily is full of caves, tunnels, passages and canyons that represent a highly interesting attraction for those interested in caving. Sights range from the Arab quanat, the old tunnels bringing drinking water to the Sicilian capital, to the graffiti of the Grotta dell’Addaura near Palermo. Don’t miss: the limestone Eremita and Cocci caverns on Mount Inici at Castellamare del Golfo; the Abisso del Vento at Isnello and the Inghiottitoio on the Serre di Cimina; the Acqua clak-stone caves on Mount Etna and the Grotta del Monello near Syracuse.

In the rainiest periods of the year, you can ride the rapids in the canyons and descend along the river Simeto, also famous for its papyrus groves. From May through September, the Gole dell’Alcantara near Taormina offers canoeing activities.

For more information:
Azienda Agrituristica Gole dell’Alcantara
Contrada Sciara Larderia
Via Nazionale 5, Motta Camastra (Me)
Tel.: (0942) 98 50 10
Fax: (0942) 98 42 64

The shrines of scuba diving are located in the smaller islands around Sicily – the Aeolian Islands, Aegadian Islands, Pelagian Islands, Ustica, and Pantelleria. At the beach resorts on the Tyrrhenian coast (San Vito Lo Capo, Scopello, Cefalù, Capo d’Orlando), specialized clubs offer diving activities for beginners and experts.

Across the island, great feudal estates (now charming agriturismo) are home to excellent riding stables. Many hotels on the southern coast, from Ragusa to Marsala, provide horses for rides along the beaches.

Sicily’s waters offer wonderful windsurfing thanks to the twists and turns of the wind. Also, the island is home to many sailing experts, as shown by the many Olympic champions bred and born there. Small and large boats can be rented to sail by the bays, gulfs, ports and islands.

Golfers can practice their favorite sport on the hills of Mount Etna, at the golf course Picciolo in Campofelice among ancient olive trees. Also, Villa Airoldi in Palermo offers a series of practice courses.