You can visit Sicily in every season, not only in summer, but also in autumn, even in the month that is regarded as boring, namely: November. And so, what to do when you visit Sicily in the month of November? You can do many interesting things in Sicily, in November, above all because the weather is still mild at this time of the year. November is also an ideal month to attend traditional festivals, fairs and parades, where you can also taste the best food and drinks of Sicily. In many places of Sicily, on November 11, ever year, the Sicilian wineries open their doors to greet the Saint Martin day. During that day, visitors can drink the best wine of Sicily and witness the traditional production methods of many typical products.

Along with this, visitors are also hosted in delicious Sicilian farmhouses to taste delicious Sicilian dishes. Hence, if you love a travel to Sicily in autumn, don’t waste the opportunity to visit my loved island in November, because even without going to the beaches, this month is absolutely the best one to visit Sicily. To help you discover where to go in Sicily in November, I listed a series of events that are held in Sicily in that month. Read them and discover many wonderful ways to visit Sicily in November.

Events to visit Sicily in November

 Event 1

When you visit Sicily in November, you can enjoy the Palio of Saint Martin, this event is held from 10 to 11 November , in Castell’Umberto (see the image), a small village between Cefalù and Messina, nestled in the hills of the Nebrodi mounts. Here, for the Saint Martin day, people have a party with mushrooms, sausage, chestnuts and wine. The Palio of Saint Martin, also called the race of the barrels, takes place in the square of the village founded in the early years of the past century. The competitors of the teams who attend the race fight among them, by rolling big barrels (see the image below) through an obstacle course to reach the finish as soon as possible. The race is split into two runs: the first is to set the starting order of the second run. The event is included in the festival of Saint Martin day and is organized to promote the typical products of this Sicilian territory. During the Palio of Saint Martin, you can also discover an unknown historical center named Castania, among the ancient sandstone houses and flowered sights. In addition to this visit, you can also do another thing, namely to visit the remains of a Byzantine Castle with the tower, Santa Barbara and San Vincenzo Churches, and a picturesque place called U Chianu a Vucciria, this was the heart of the social and political life of the village, built at the Norman time and overlooking the Valley of Fitalia. In the surroundings, you can also visit the ecological park of Piano Collura. The latter is a nature reserve with a small lake and lush green where you can also ride a horse (see the first image of this article).   After visiting these places, you must enjoy the unmissable typical products of Sicily, such as macaroni with pork sauce and the so called “frittuli”, a simple dish gained from the remains of the same pork, such as heart and paws, seasoned as only the best Sicilian chefs can do and absolutely delicious. To book an accommodation in this beautiful place, you can see here.

Event 2

In the baroque city of Ragusa, instead, from 9 to 11 November, in the hearth of the historical center, you can attend the festival of Frittella, an event dedicated to the traditional cake of Ragusa (see the image). That is a fried dough with sprinkles of powdered sugar. The taste of this dough is not only delicious, but unforgettable. I spent my childhood in Ragusa and I know that food, there, deserves a taste, at least one time in our lifetime. During the Festival of Frittella, you can also taste other typical Sicilian cakes, both salted and sugared, such as cannoli, cassata and crispelle. In the baroque city of Ragusa, don’t forget to visit its beautiful tourist attractions, because Ragusa is included in the world heritage list by Unesco. Indeed, Ragusa is the Southern point of Sicily, where the namesake province and the ones of Syracuse and Catania meet. The borders of Ragusa are outlined by the Iblei mounts. The city has very ancient origins. The hill of Ibla was inhabited since the XIV century B.C. by the Siculi. The tracks of these ancient inhabitants lie in the archeological necropolis. Furthermore, the ancient city of Ragusa, placed just on the ancient hill of Ibla, and the San Giorgio Cathedral, are really magnificent and very evocative (see the image). From Ragusa, you can also visit the other beautiful baroque cities of Sicily, such as, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Syracuse, Scicli and Caltagirone. To book an accommodation in Ragusa and enjoy the festival of frittella, see here.

Event 3

Another thing you can do in Sicily in November is the tour of the barrels and wineries. This tour is held on 17 and 18 November, in Monforte San Giorgio, another picturesque and small village placed on the Peloritani mounts, in the province of Messina. There, the wineries are called “catoj”. On the occasion, the wineries will open to allow you to drink the best Sicilian wine. The wine is drunk through a calyx and in the meanwhile, you can also taste the best typical food of Sicily. Paying a small ticket, visitors will ride a path which leads them to the lanes of the village, where they will see picturesque shops of ancient Sicilian artisans and food producers and listen to the sound of traditional Sicilian songs. The event is also animated by original street games, musicians and the rhymes of Sicilian poets. In this way you will be immersed in the smells, nuances and sounds of the ancient Sicily. The end of the tour is just in the wineries, where you can also admire several kinds of barrels, even the most ancient ones. Along the streets, instead, while you listen to music groups, you’ll meet the stalls of Sicilian food producers, farmers with their own Sicilian cheese, cold cuts and much more ( see the image). This place will make your tour to Sicily in November, unforgettable and unique. To enjoy it, book an accommodation in the village, here.

If you are still wondering how to visit Sicily in November and what to do on my beautiful island, visit the above mentioned places.
To reach them, book a flight to Catania airport here and, then, rent a car here.

When you return to your home, let me know if you enjoyed these destinations.

Photocredits in order of appearance:

http://www.comune.castellumberto.me.it

www.taorminaweb.it

Vogliadisalute.it

Quotidianoragusa.it

www.1zoom.me

www.katabba.it

Rosalba Mancuso

Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor for the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.