Sicily is the Italian island of smoking, volcanic landscapes, white sandy beaches, an intriguing past, crumbling architectural treasures and jaw-droppingly fresh flavours.

We asked Candida Smith, director at Hunters Interiors in Stamford, Lincolnshire, what she loved most about the island when she visited in September, her tips on where to go and what to see, whilst there, and did it compare to her favourite holiday destination: the island of Paxos in Greece?

First of all, Candy, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do

I am an interior designer and business owner with a design studio, retail showroom and coffee shop called The Hayloft.

Do you travel much and where has been your favourite holiday destination, prior to this trip?

My husband, Gary, and I usually go away 3-4 times a year. Every time I get back from somewhere we usually end up saying we still prefer Paxos, Greece, though!

We love the fact that Paxos is small enough to travel around on a boat or scooter in a day and we swap between the two. It’s a chill out place for us; somewhere to relax and take things slowly, rather zooming around to fit in all the cultural sights which we can’t resist doing elsewhere.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have any cultural sights – it certainly does – but because we’ve been there a few times, we can take things more slowly. As it’s a bit off the beaten track, it tends to be a bit quieter than the other Greek islands we have been to and I guess it just feels comfortable and familiar. 

What was the weather like in Sicily in September?

A very pleasant 25-30 degrees Celsius and full sun, apart from one torrential downpour which was over within an hour. 

What made you choose Sicily as a holiday destination?

Sicily had been on our list of places to visit or a while. We love Italy and figured it would be a good place to go later in the year, as the weather would still be good. We love a bit of faded grandeur too and Sicily has it in abundance. 

Have you been to Italy before?

Yes, many times – to Venice, Florence, Rome, Verona, Pisa, Padua, Turin, Bellagio, Lake Como, San Gimignano, Sienna, Cervinia, Pila and Courmayer -but this is the furthest south we’ve been. 

Did you go on a package break or did you travel independently?

We travelled independently and we made up the latter part of the week as we went along which we love doing, rather than getting stuck somewhere we aren’t so keen on. 

We used Booking.com and Airbnb to book our hotels, staying at Hotel Gargallo in Ortigia, Palazzo Failla Hotel in Modica and Hotel La Plumeria in Cefalu. We booked an apartment in Taormina with Airbnb. Prices ranged from £100 to £160 per night.

What were the people like in Sicily?

Very hospitable and very jolly! We both enjoy classic cars and when we were following the route of the Targa Florio (an endurance race which was held on the mountain roads near Palermo), we stopped in Caltavuturo to take photos of a very cute, old Fiat 500. A local man, who owned the garage it was parked in front of was desperate to tell us all about it. He spoke no English and our Italian is very limited but we got the gist that he had been involved with the race many years ago. That’s just one example of the very kind and hospitable people we met everywhere we went. 

What did you do in Sicily?

We did quite a lot of mileage between each place we stayed which was great fun and we followed a bit of the Targa Florio race route when going from the south to the north. 

We visited the stunning towns of Caltavuturo, Caltagirone (famous for its ceramics) and 

Collesano (where the Targa Florio museum is), enjoying the amazing architecture, restaurants and bars. We had one afternoon on the beach at Cefalu but we’re not very good at sitting still!

We also went up Mount Etna, which is one of the oldest active volcanos in Europe. We drove up as far as you can go, then got a cable car and then an all-terrain Unimog bus nearly to the top. An extremely knowledgeable volcanologist then walked us around one of the many a craters at the top, where the climate was totally different.

How did you get to Sicily?

We flew from London Stansted to Catania with Jet 2.

Is car hire essential in Sicily?

It was for us, as we were keen to explore the island, but not if you are staying in one of the towns. We booked with Viaggiare via discovercars.com.

What’s the food like in Sicily and what was your favourite meal while there?

Delicious, of course, and our favourite was at a beachside restaurant in Taormina called Pizzachella, which overlooked a beautiful bay, with fresh fish caught that day. 

We also loved Rappa Entoeca in Modica – a wine bar with simple, very delicious pastas meats and cheeses, and fabulous atmosphere. Food wasn’t expensive, wine was cheap and very good

Do you have any tips or advice for people travelling to Sicily?

When hiring a car, read the small print and make sure you have a credit card, not a just a debit card, in the driver’s name, otherwise you’ll have to pay extra for insurance, which was more than the cost of the car. Lesson learned!

And finally, where would you like to go for your next trip?

Our son is going to be working in Canada soon, so that’s on the agenda, as is Vienna. But will either compare to Paxos? We’re not sure.