Sicily

Mount Etna reigns as Europe's tallest active volcano, soaring 3,329 meters above Sicily's eastern coast and earning a UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2013. The island's south coast shelters the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento—one of the finest examples of ancient Greek architecture outside Greece itself. Spanning 1,300 hectares, this archaeological park rivals #6 Tuscany's Val d'Orcia in historical significance but covers less than 2% of its geographic area. Sicily's layered Norman, Arab, and Baroque heritage—visible in its cathedrals, mosaics, and street food—makes it one of the Mediterranean's richest cultural destinations, attracting 5 million tourists annually who spend an average of 8 nights exploring its diverse landscapes.