Messina (for Mount Etna) Cruises, Sicily

From the tangle of timeworn streets to the sickle-shaped harbour dotted with rustic trattorias, it’s easy to see why Shakespeare chose Messina as the setting of his romantic play Much Ado About Nothing.

• Be in Piazza del Duomo for 12 noon. Here, a Norman citadel houses the world’s largest mechanical clock. At midday, gilt figures, including a roaring lion and a host of beautiful angels, emerge from the clock to re-enact the city’s history.
• Don’t miss Sicily’s star turn, Mount Etna. Europe’s biggest active volcano, it’s a contradiction in every sense - fiery and snowy, barren and lush, feared and loved. One of the best ways to see it is from the cutesy carriages of the Circumetnea Railway which follows a delightful route up along the slopes of the volcano.
• Talk about gorgeous. Perched high on a cliff above glittering blue seas, Taormina is arguably the most charming town in Sicily. Lose yourself in the cobweb of narrow backstreets. Put a dent in your holiday kitty along boutique-lined Corso Umberto. And head up to the Greek theatre at the top of town. Like curtains edging a stage, the ruins frame the silhouette of Mount Etna. Cameras at the ready.
• The shady goings on of the mafia underworld was famously showcased in the Godfather trilogy, much of which was shot on location in Sicily. Follow in the footsteps of Marlon Brando, Robert di Niro and Al Pacino around the so-called ‘Godfather Villages’. Take a peek inside the Bar Vitelli watering hole and visit the Church of Annunciation where Michael Corleone’s wedding was filmed. We’re making you an offer you can’t refuse.