Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean,( and of course the most beautiful and enchanting) and one of the most diverse in terms of geography, flora and fauna. The geography of Sicily is a distinct feature of the island and something worth understanding before you get here.

Much of Sicily is mountainous or hilly especially in the inland region making for some spectacular hill top towns and plenty of good views as you travel around. The coastal areas are a lot more level. Of the mountainous regions the most extensive are in the north and east. Mount Etna is the main feature in the east and the island's highest peak at 3340m. It's also one of Sicily's two active volcanoes – the other is Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands. The mountains to the north include the ranges of Peloritani, Nebrodi and Madonie. These ranges are significantly different and each, or all, would make for an interesting itinerary.

As you might have guessed this hilly and volcanic terrain is due to Sicily's position on continental plates that makes it a little prone to earthquakes, thermal activity and other eruptions. These have become tourist attractions in their own right however; for example there are thermal baths and smoking craters to see.

The coastline itself is quite dramatic in parts too with some rocky features in the north and sandy beaches in the south. The coastline is some 1000 kilometres in length.

Flora

There is a diverse amount of flora in Sicily, most thanks to a geology and climate that encourage plant life. A lot of the flora species were actually introduced here by the array of invading powers that settled in Sicily over the centuries. For instance the Greeks brought vines, olives and figs; while the Arabs planted dates, lemons and almonds; the Portuguese brought with them tomatoes and sweet oranges; and the Romans planted vast amounts of grain.

Today along the coast you will find anything from citrus orchards to olive trees and vineyards. In mountain areas there is broom, lavender, rosemary, wild olive, dwarf palm, lentisk, cork oaks, oleanders, carob trees and tamarisks. Of the great forests that once covered Sicily much has been removed. The largest tracts left are largely contained in the Nebrodi, Madonie, Peloritani and Etna slopes in oak trees, holm oaks, cork oaks, chestnut trees and beech trees. Other local fauna includes the agave, palm, plane trees, ficus, cedar, mulberry and eucalyptus. Parks and reserves have been created to protect these last vestiges of forest and also coastal, estuarine and other environments.

The most fertile region in Sicily are the slopes of Mount Etna. The volcanic soil here has allowed for the cultivation of numerous products such as olives, grapes, citrus, pistachio plantations, walnuts, almond, chestnut, pine, birch and oak trees.

Fauna

Unfortunately climate, environmental and other man made changes in Sicily have affected native wildlife. Animals that have disappeared from the island include birds of prey and large animals such as wolf and deer. However there are still populations of hedgehog, rabbit, squirrel, beaver and wild boar and birds like the falcon, pilgrim hawk, windhover, kite, eagle, rock partridge and imperial crow. Migratory birds that still use Sicily as a pit stop include the common wader, pink seagull, grater sea swallow and the spoonbill. You can also find insects and invertebrates here such as the spotted grass snake, a rather large toad and varieties of frog and gecko.

In terms of river life freshwater fish have all but disappeared but there are still eels. While in the seas there are large numbers of blue-fin tuna, swordfish and great white shark.

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