Italy is especially hot for set jetting and Sicily has us wanting to take a closer look thanks to our infatuation with HBO’s “White Lotus.”
Words by Marc Graser
Photos by Samuel Ferrara and Alec Favale
We’re all about set jetting right now: Getting wanderlust and visiting a destination that was prominently featured on TV or in the movies.
Italy is especially hot this summer, with Rome and Venice getting the spotlight in the newest “Mission: Impossible,” “Indiana Jones” and “Fast & Furious” movies. But it might be Sicily that has us wanting to take a closer look in person thanks to our infatuation with HBO’s “White Lotus.”
Sicily’s picturesque and historic seaside towns of Palermo, Noto, Catania, Modica, Siracusa, and Giardini Naxos are LGBTQ friendly and offer a lot for the curious traveler on the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with Mount Etna, one of Europe’s highest active volcanoes, towering above.
In addition to lounging on the sandy beaches and swimming in the azure blue waters, you’ll want to roam the winding roads and timeless rural towns of the countryside.
The overall vibe of the region is relaxed Mediterranean, and you’ll find long sandy beaches on the northern part of the island. They get rockier around the remote fishing villages dotting the southern point. Oasi di Vendicari offers a laid back gay friendly nudist beach, not far from Noto.
I can’t believe an entire country eats pasta every day, knows how to properly eat pasta, and makes the best pasta in the world. It’s like heaven to me. It’s like Disney World.
– Comedian, Matteo Lane
The Four Seasons resort featured in “White Lotus” is the San Domenico Palace, in Taormina, generally considered the top LGBTQ travel destination in Sicily, and a great home base for exploring the island.
A stunning point of interest that should be on anyone’s must-visit list—and a site that hasn’t been overshared too much on social media—is La Scala dei Turchi, or the Turkish Steps, a blinding white cliff of limestone and clay that rises above the Strait of Sicily.
The food, of course, is a major attraction.
“That’s why I love going back to Italy every year,” says queer comedian Matteo Lane, who effusively promotes Italy in his standup and YouTube videos. “I can’t believe an entire country eats pasta every day, knows how to properly eat pasta, and makes the best pasta in the world. It’s like heaven to me. It’s like Disney World.”
Try busiate, spiraled spaghetti-like pasta, originally from the seaside city of Trapani, and cassata sponge cake at Caffè Sicilia, heralded as the best café in Italy, also in Noto.
Don’t worry about how you’ll look in that bathing suit. People in Sicily “have no shame,” according to Lane. “They love being tan, love being in Speedos and they’re not going to change.”
Also Read: Great Escape – Algarve, Portugal
