Last updated on June 6th, 2024.
Every August, we return for one month to the Italian island of Sicily for our summer break.
The classic blend of Mediterranean sunshine, sea, and traditional Sicilian food, I consider myself lucky to return each year.
And, while I’ve written about visiting places like Taormina, Palermo and Agrigento, I’ve never written about my experience of living in Sicily.
Visiting a destination greatly differs to living there.
But, after over 7 years of (intermittent) living in Sicily, I’ve learned a thing or two about living the Sicilian life.
Unique material for your Italy bucket list, you can also use this post to help plan your trip to Italy.
Where we live in Sicily
We’ve two bases on the island where we live during our summer vacation.
Our main home is in a small coastal town called Santa Teresa di Riva. It’s located on the east side of Sicily, with Messina being the closest largest city. The nearest airport in Sicily is Catania Fontanarossa.
We’re blessed to live on the lungomare, the stretch of road that runs along the sea. The beach is directly opposite, with clean waters (most of the time) and mid-summer temperatures of around 95°F (35°C).
Our second base is further south of the island in Noto. One of the most beautiful places in Sicily, this small, yet historic, city has several notable examples of impressive Sicilian Baroque architecture.
We normally stay with family members on their farm, which so happens to be a luxury glamping site. IUTA Glamping & Farm is eco-friendly, boutique and your chance to experience Sicilian agricultural-tourism.
Booking.comIf you’ve ever wondered what it’s like living in Sicily, this is my first-hand experience of living in a small Sicilian town.
Please note, that the following is based on my personal experience and is not meant to offend in any way.
11 things to know about living in Sicily
Community is strong
One of the first things that struck me during my early visits to Sicily is the strong sense of community.
Unlike in a big city like London or New York, it’s normal for Sicilians living in small towns to rely on each other. While it’s expected that family members help each other out, I’ve also seen neighbors stepping in when needed.
From bringing food over, to exchanging goods, like lemons for oranges, it’s uplifting to see in person.
From my experience, this sense of community doesn’t just happen during times of crisis. It’s an intrinsic part of daily life and is something I wish I grew up with.
Contacts are everything
It goes without saying, that the right contacts make the world an easier place to navigate. And, when you live in a small Sicilian town, knowing the right people can make the biggest difference.
This isn’t about knowing where to eat the best Sicilian granita or pasta alla norma (though helpful).
Living in Sicily means exactly that, knowing how to live day to day. To give you an example, one of our most important contacts is a local fisherman.
It may sound strange, but to eat good, and fresh, fish and seafood in Sicily isn’t always a given. I write about this subject in greater detail in 13 Sicily travel tips.
Instead, he lets us know when the catch is fresh, and always gives us a reasonable price.
Sicilian is difficult to understand
One of my first posts that I wrote about Sicily was 5 fun Sicilian words and phrases. It was a playful introduction to the dialect and one that I was also beginning to learn.
Years later, I’d be lying if I told you that I’m now fluent in Sicilian. Living in a small Sicilian town, I get by on conversing in regular Italian.
The same goes for when we’re back at home in Vicenza and I hear some locals speaking in the Venetian dialect. I’m no expert in the language but I can recognize several words and phrases.
Not on the same page
Something that you should be aware of, is that different parts of Sicily have their own regional dialect. And, as a family member once told me, they may mock you for not speaking their lingo.
Naturally, if you don’t understand them, you’ll be none the wiser anyway. But, if you do plan on living in Sicily, learning the local language is essential.
Not only will it help you to communicate effectively, but it’ll also give you a fully immersed Sicilian experience.
Map of Sicily
Sicilians are strong people
The first word that comes to mind, if you ask me to describe Sicilian people, is strong.
Strong minded, opinionated, willed and sometimes loud, the shy, retiring types are a minority. While this only refers to my own experience, it’s something with which I’ve a love/hate relationship.
Some Sicilians can be very direct in what they say, which for the most part, I’ve no problem with. It all depends on the situation and the context.
On the other hand, I’ve also experienced situations that didn’t leave me with the most positive impression.
Do as the Sicilians do
The ferry ride from Reggio Calabria to Messina in Sicily is a straightforward one. It takes about 20 minutes and can be a hit or miss experience. However, my first experience of taking the ferry was a big miss.
We waited for about an hour in slow moving traffic to enter the port in Messina, along with a hundred or so other cars. This was followed by a mad dash to buy a ticket as there was no other way to buy one beforehand.
It was a far cry from the calm and order that we’d encountered when visiting Tallinn. Finally on board, I made a beeline for the bathroom, only to find a long line ahead of me.
While some women waited patiently in line, others boldly skipped it and went straight to the front. There was no reasoning, nor any attempt to give an excuse, however feeble. Instead, there was plenty of line jumping, and even two times of being pushed aside to get to the front.
Not a one-off incident
The same thing happened at the line for the bar. By the time we’d arrived at Reggio Calabria, I was relieved to be back in the comfort of our car.
Since that first experience, I’ve learned that you also have to behave in a similar way in some contexts in Sicily. That’s not to say that you should also jump the line, but you need to be assertive when living in Sicily.
The more time I spend here, the more I realize the importance of standing your ground. Being surrounded by many strong-minded people, it’s something to be aware of, especially when living in a small Sicilian town.
Speaking of the people….
It takes time
While there are the perks of having a close-knit community in a small Sicilian town, being accepted into one takes time. It’s not that the locals are suspicious of new faces, especially during summer in a coastal town like Santa Teresa.
As a woman of color living in Italy, I’m used to many people asking me questions about where I’m from. It’s not often that they come across foreigners, and the only visitors they see are typically other Italians.
However, I’d say to give it time. Getting accepted into friendship groups is hard in Italy in general — one of the things I don’t like about living here.
But, the more they see your face around town, the more likely they are to accept you into the fold. Speaking their language will help to break barriers, and in time, people will slowly open up to you.
Driving in Sicily comes with a warning
I never want to drive in Sicily.
On an island with plenty of long winding roads and scenic routes, driving here should be a dream.
However, my rose-tinted glasses have long been tarnished with memories of irrational Sicilian drivers. Though it can’t compare to our experience of driving in Morocco, I’ve zero desire to get behind the wheel.
Even in a small town like Santa Teresa di Riva, I’ve seen several accidents over the years. Sad to say, but it’s not surprising given the things that I’ve seen.
From speeding around bends in a 30kmh zone, to overtaking cars on busy roads, driving in Sicily isn’t for the faint of heart.
Slow connections
Something that won’t come as a much of surprise is that the internet in Sicily can be slow. Many larger hotels are more likely to have a fast, and reliable, connection. The same, however, doesn’t apply to smaller towns.
Not made for conference calls
Having a fast and reliable WiFi network makes a world of difference to remote workers or digital nomads. However, when you’re living in a small Sicilian town, you may need a backup should it not work.
I found this out the hard way when I tried joining a conference call.
Despite being next to the router, and in a location where the signal was strongest, my connection kept cutting out. After constantly trying to reconnect to the call, I eventually had to give up.
I should point out that, the internet works perfectly if you’re using it solely for leisure. Just be mindful of your connectivity if you’re planning on staying long term in Sicily.
Slow service
Living in a small town in Sicily means learning to have more patience. While I consider myself to be a generally patient person, there have been times when I’ve also been tested.
Maybe it’s something that comes with island living, but service in Sicily tends to be on the slower side.
Ordering breakfast in Sicily is a good example of this. One morning in Santa Teresa, we waited for about 20 minutes before someone arrived to take our order.
Another day, in another pasticceria, we ended up leaving after not one member of staff came to our table. I should point out, that on the second occasion there were hardly any patrons in the cafe.
Though slightly frustrating, Sicilians don’t discriminate. On that same morning in Santa Teresa, I overheard two other patrons complaining about waiting for a long time.
Compromising on goods
This is an obvious one, but living in Sicily means having to compromise on certain things.
Local shops won’t stock the same products that larger cities have, so you have to make do with what’s there.
But, online services like Amazon are becoming more popular in Sicily. And, having ordered several packages to our home, I’ve to admit that delivery times were quicker than I had expected.
Food is reasonably cheap
It’s easy to live well, and cheaply, in a small Sicilian town.
Fruits and vegetables from Sicily are some of the best that you’ll find in the whole of Italy. Other produce like meat, bread and dairy products are also reasonably priced.
As I mentioned above, knowing the right people can make a big difference when buying fresh fish or seafood.
Frequent get-togethers
Having regular get-togethers, either with friends or family, was something that took some time to get used to. Regular for me, meant once, or a maximum of twice a month.
Instead, it’s common, when living in Sicily, to have weekly gatherings. Monday night might be a casual dinner at a rosticceria, while Tuesday might be a birthday at someone’s house.
But if you happen to get invited to a Sicilian family get together, say yes. It’s an evening of great fun, tradition and Sicilian food and it’ll be a night that you’ll always remember.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading stories about my Sicilian life. If you’ve any questions, feel free to ask me them in the comments below.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I’ve recommended. Thank you for your support.
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ABOUT me
Welcome to my site. I'm Lisa, an Italy-based travel and lifestyle blogger behind Following the Rivera. Find out more about me and my story.
How wonderful that you get to spend a month in Sicily every summer! Of course, there’s a huge difference between just visiting and sort of living in a place and its very relevant to have the right contacts no matter where you are, to have the authentic best experiences. I love your example of the local fisherman who tells you whenever there’s a fresh catch. How cool is that! I’ve never been to Sicily, hopefully I’ll make it there one day.
It’s definitely an experience! Knowing a trustworthy fisherman makes the biggest difference, you should come and visit Sicily one day!
Thank you for the tips! They are very helpful when considering Sicily as a place to live. I have heard that driving in the area is horrible, so that is something I would definitely avoid. And while its a great area, the slow connection would definitely play a big role in my decision as I rely on the internet for a lot! I think it would be nice to enjoy the slow service in Sicily for a bit, just taking the time to slow down and relax. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Melissa 😀 Yes, the internet connection is a real pain for me at times I must admit. It’s especially hard if you want to work remotely. Other than that, the slower pace of life is quite nice!
I wish I had an opportunity to spend a whole entire month taking a break from the regular world. Sicily is such a wonderfully unique place. I’d never considered the fact that when visiting, you’ll have to pick up on the local dialect to really get that local feel.
It definitely helps when you know the dialect; language really does open up so many doors.
With the slow internet, family connections, cheap food, and amazing sense of community, it sounds like visiting or living in Sicily is a perfect place to do a digital detox and recharge your mental bank!
I love all the stories, especially the incidents you had dealing with strong willed Sicilians. It reminds me of all the Cuban Women in my family who take no bull from anyone too!
Thanks Eric! It’s definitely a Latina connection 😀 And you’re right about Sicily, it’s really a great place to relax and recharge 🙂