From the furious fireworks of Mount Etna to the plunging cliffs and turquoise bays, Sicily is endowed with breathtaking natural beauty. The largest island in the Mediterranean at the cusp of Europe and Africa, it is strewn with haunting reminders of long-gone civilizations, including the Greek city of Selinute strung out along the clifftops, and the glittering mosaics of the Norman Cappella Palatina. Nature has been generous to the Sicilians, and the straggling villages are lost in the forests of hazelnuts, olives and lemon trees. Take off and discover all this and more with Footprint's full-colour guide, including a unique standalone Popout map. Guide to the historic centres of Palermo and Syracuse, currently undergoing a renaissance Author's favourite walks around the towering Medieval cobbled-street town of Erice The spectacular Greek theatre at Taormina, Baroque palaces of Catania and the most famous volcano in Europe - Mount Etna Outlines the best beaches, natural parks, caves, marine reserves, wetlands and Sicilian wildlife Walking, running and driving in the Madonie region

Mary-Ann Gallagher has written extensively for numerous travel publishers, including five guides for Footprint. Mary-Ann has travelled throughout Italy, but Sicily remains her favourite region, first visiting on an ostensibly short writing assignment but loving it so much that she refused to come home for several months. Currently based in Barcelona, Mary-Ann continues to visit Sicily as often as possible.