I’d compare it to the situation with Romania. Before we flew there for an adventurous trip, everyone told us we’d be robbed immediately and that the place was full of Roma. The opposite was true – we only met decent, normal people like ourselves. The same applies here in Sicily.
🎒 A backpack of information for those short on time
- Sicily is safe for tourists – comparable to other Mediterranean destinations
- The main risk is pickpocketing
- The mafia exists, but it doesn’t concern tourists; no wild shootouts like in the 1980s.
- Don’t leave anything visible in the car or on the seats. Everything goes in the boot. That applies across the whole island.
- For peace of mind you can register with your foreign ministry’s traveller registration scheme (in Czechia, DROZD on the MFA website) before you leave
Is Sicily safe for tourists?
The short answer: yes, without question.
Sicily isn’t a place where, as a tourist, you should be afraid to go out in the evening or visit a historic centre. And my view has changed, because on my first visit in 2022 I was apprehensive about Palermo. But that was down to a rushed visit. When you spend longer somewhere, you understand how things really are.
The safety situation is essentially comparable to other southern European destinations like Naples, Rome or Barcelona – places where common sense applies, but where millions of tourists move around without any problems.
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The problems that do occur are almost exclusively pickpocketing – not violence, not confrontations with organised crime. And where doesn’t that kind of theft happen?
The mafia – what tourists need to know
The mafia exists in Sicily. There’s no doubting that – Cosa Nostra has deep roots on the island going back to the mid-19th century. You can find out more in this video, which I devoured in one sitting.
As recently as the 1980s and 90s Palermo was a place of open mafia wars thanks to the unrestrained rampage of Salvatore Riina. The murder of the investigating magistrates Falcone and Borsellino in 1992 shook the whole of Italy, and order followed.
Today’s reality is different. The mafia operates covertly, focuses on economic crime (waste management, rigging public contracts, construction) and doesn’t concern tourists. Sicilians half-joke: “There’s no mafia in the city – or it’s all around you and you just can’t see it.” There’s truth in both versions. What’s certain is that as a tourist you won’t notice it.
The world of the mafia and the world of tourism are two separate realities that don’t intersect.
What to watch out for as a tourist
Pickpocketing
This is a real risk – the same as in Barcelona, Rome or Paris. Organised groups operate mainly in busy tourist spots: the Ballarò and Vucciria markets in Palermo, La Pescheria in Catania, crowded city centres and public transport while boarding and getting off.
How to protect yourself practically:
- Carry your wallet and phone in a front pocket or zipped inside your backpack
- Leave important documents and larger amounts of cash at the hotel
- Don’t wear jewellery or expensive watches on display unnecessarily
- Don’t leave anything sticking out of your pockets
Theft from cars
Theft from cars is fairly common in Sicily. It’s something plenty of tourists underestimate. The rule is simple: don’t leave anything visible in the car. Nothing at all. Not a bag, not a jacket. Thieves break a window in ten seconds and are gone.
If you’re renting a car, we’d recommend always putting everything in the boot. In the three years we’ve been travelling to Sicily we’ve never had anything taken from our pockets. We always followed the rule about the car and nothing ever happened.
Theft on the beach
On popular beaches in season there’s both pickpocketing and theft from unattended backpacks. On paid beaches (lido) it’s less common – the staff usually keep an eye on things.
Counterfeit goods – watch out for the fine
At Sicilian markets and on the beaches, street vendors offer counterfeit goods – bags, watches, shoes. Italian law punishes not only the seller but also the buyer – the fine can reach up to 10,000 €. The financial police (Guardia di Finanza) carry out spot checks and don’t distinguish whether you knew it was a fake.
A simple rule: don’t buy anything from street or beach stalls without a receipt.
Only in hindsight did it dawn on me why we saw the financial police more often than the local Carabinieri.
Sicily: safety city by city
Palermo
Palermo carries a reputation as a dangerous city that is exaggerated. The historic centre today is relatively safe and lively. The Ballarò and Vucciria markets are excellent for street food. The buzzing atmosphere of the markets absolutely drew us in – which, on the other hand, is exactly what you don’t want, because you lose your focus.
In the evening stick to lit streets and busy tourist areas. As a tourist there’s no reason to go into the outlying districts on the edge of Palermo. Or at least we had none.
Catania
Catania is a lively, slightly chaotic city – the second largest in Sicily. The historic centre is safe. The same applies as in Palermo.
Taormina and the tourist resorts
Taormina, Cefalù, San Vito Lo Capo and the other tourist resorts are the calmest places on the island from a safety point of view. The presence of tourists naturally increases surveillance and reduces petty crime.
Smaller towns and the countryside
In the Sicilian countryside – in Modica, Ragusa, Noto or small villages – you feel safe and the locals are open and hospitable.
Thinking back, the only situation where I felt “at risk” was on my first visit to Palermo, when I stepped off the main street and ended up somewhere between buildings in a dark alley. I then concluded it was a dangerous city. How foolish I was.
📌 Heading to Sicily? Don’t waste hours hunting for places on a map. Get our packed map with 120+ spots you won’t find anywhere else — every single one with my own notes. Online and offline version. Saves to your phone in seconds. I want it!
Natural phenomena
Etna is an active volcano and can occasionally affect operations at Catania airport or close hiking routes. If you’re planning a climb, always check the current status of the trails.
Sicily lies in a seismically active area. Weaker earthquakes aren’t rare, but they have practically no effect on tourists. Stronger earthquakes are rare; the last major one was in 1693.
Summer heat often does the most damage. In July and August the temperature in some inland areas can exceed 38 °C. Prevention means plenty of water, high-factor sun cream and avoiding walking around at midday. That applies especially to Zingaro, where there’s almost no shade at all.
A practical checklist before you go
✅ Travel insurance – the basic thing that covers you for illness, injury, theft or a delayed flight. We don’t head to Sicily without insurance.
✅ Copies of documents – scan your passport and insurance documents and email them to yourself or put them in the cloud.
✅ Traveller registration – you can, or you needn’t. We don’t.
