February is the month when Sicily begins its transition from winter to spring still cold, still occasionally wet, but with the first specific signals that the season is turning. The almond blossom at Agrigento (the Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore, held in the first or second weekend of February) is the most celebrated single natural event of the Sicilian winter and one of the most photographically extraordinary available in Italy. The Carnevale of Acireale (the most elaborate and internationally recognised carnival in Sicily, with papier-mâché floats of extraordinary scale and craftsmanship) provides the most animated cultural programme of the late winter calendar. And the first wildflowers of the Sicilian spring the wild narcissus, the early orchids of the limestone meadows begin to appear in the sheltered valley floors of the southern coast from mid-February onward. February is a transitional month with specific rewards for the visitor who chooses it deliberately.
In this guide
- February weather
- The almond blossom and the Sagra del Mandorlo
- The Acireale Carnival
- The first wildflowers
- Sightseeing in February
- Etna in February
- February food
- Practical tips
- February vs January vs March
- FAQ
Sicily in February quick reference
- Average temperature: 11 to 16°C coastal, 7 to 12°C inland
- Sea temperature: 14 to 15°C too cold for comfortable swimming
- Rainfall: Moderate 6 to 10 rainy days average, improving from January
- Crowds: Minimum second quietest month after January
- Prices: Annual minimum range very close to January rates
- Key event: Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore, Agrigento (first/second weekend)
- Key event 2: Carnevale di Acireale (date varies, typically February)
February Weather
February in Sicily is the transitional month between the winter and the spring measurably warmer than January in the second half of the month, with the first genuinely spring-like days appearing from mid-February onward on the southern coast. The average coastal temperature rises from approximately 11 to 12 degrees at the beginning of the month to 14 to 16 degrees by the end the difference is perceptible and significant for the quality of outdoor activity. The rainfall is moderating from the January peak 6 to 10 rainy days average and the clear periods are longer and more reliable in the second half of the month.
The specific quality that distinguishes February from January: the days are measurably longer (the February 28th sunset is 45 minutes later than the January 1st sunset), the atmospheric quality on clear days is increasingly sharp and clear, and the specific sensation of a winter that is ending rather than continuing provides a psychological quality to the February visit that January cannot offer. The late February visit to Sicily the last week of February and the first days of March provides the closest approximation to the spring programme available without the April crowds and at the January-adjacent price point.
The Almond Blossom and the Sagra del Mandorlo
The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore at Agrigento is the most celebrated single winter event in Sicily the almond trees of the Valley of the Temples in full white blossom, photographed against the Doric limestone of the Greek temples in the February morning light, produce the most internationally published single image of the Agrigento archaeological park in any season. The festival is held in the first or second weekend of February (the precise date varies by year check the Agrigento municipality website for the current year’s programme) and combines the almond blossom programme with folk music performances, traditional craft markets and an international folklore festival that brings folk groups from across the Mediterranean and beyond to perform in the Valle dei Templi.
The blossom itself the specific natural event that the festival celebrates peaks typically between the last days of January and the second week of February depending on the winter’s temperature pattern. In mild winters the peak can arrive in late January; in cooler winters it extends into mid-February. The almond blossom visits the Valley of the Temples for approximately 2 to 3 weeks, after which the petals fall and the green leaf programme begins. The window is specific and narrow arriving in the right week provides the most extraordinary version of the Valley of the Temples available in any season; arriving a week late provides the ordinary version.
The photography programme at the Valley of the Temples during the blossom: the morning light (9am to 10.30am) with the east-facing Temple of Concordia behind the flowering almond branches provides the most specifically photographic composition; the afternoon light (3pm to 5pm) with the golden warmth on the west-facing temples and the blossom catching the low sun from behind provides the most atmospheric version. The festival weekend brings a significant crowd to the site; the weekday blossom visit (Monday to Thursday, outside the festival weekend) provides the best combination of the blossom at peak and the manageable visitor numbers. Read our complete Agrigento guide.
👉 VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES ALMOND BLOSSOM TOUR THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY FEBRUARY EXPERIENCE IN SICILY
A guided visit to the Valley of the Temples during the almond blossom the Greek temples behind the white flowers in the February morning light, the Sagra del Mandorlo festival programme and the most photographically extraordinary version of the finest ancient site in Sicily. Available from Agrigento, Palermo and Catania. Check dates carefully the blossom window is 2 to 3 weeks only.
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The Acireale Carnival
The Carnevale di Acireale held in the town of Acireale on the Ionian coast north of Catania in the weeks before Ash Wednesday is the most elaborate and most internationally recognised carnival in Sicily, and by the assessment of most Italian carnival aficionados one of the finest in Italy after the Venice and Viareggio programmes. The Acireale Carnival is celebrated specifically for its allegorical floats (carri allegorici) the papier-mâché constructions of extraordinary scale and craftsmanship that take teams of artists and craftsmen months to complete. The floats are both satirical (the Italian political satire tradition applied to the events of the preceding year) and fantastical (the baroque grotesque tradition of the Val di Noto applied to carnival imagery), and the combination of the skilled craftsmanship and the specific cultural references makes the Acireale Carnival the most intellectually engaged as well as the most visually spectacular in Sicily.
The parade programme runs on several Sundays in the weeks before Lent, with the main parade on the final Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Acireale baroque historic centre the most elaborate small-city baroque programme in the Catania province, with the Cathedral and the Basilica of Santi Pietro e Paolo facing each other across the main piazza provides the most architecturally appropriate backdrop for the carnival parade of any Sicilian town. The town is 20 kilometres north of Catania, accessible by train (20 minutes) or bus; hotel accommodation in Acireale books up weeks in advance for the main parade weekends. Read our complete Acireale guide.
The First Wildflowers
The Sicilian spring wildflower season begins in February on the southern coast the wild narcissus (Narcissus tazetta) appears in the sheltered valley floors of the Agrigento and Ragusa provinces from mid-February, the early purple orchids (Orchis purpurea) on the limestone slopes of the Hyblaean plateau from late February, and the first poppies in the most sheltered and warmest microhabitats of the southern coast from the last days of February in mild years. These early flowers are a preview of the April-May wildflower peak rather than the peak itself, but for the visitor with a botanical interest the February wildflower programme combined with the almond blossom and the Acireale Carnival provides a specific and genuinely rewarding programme that no other late-winter European destination can match.
The Vendicari Nature Reserve coast in late February the flamingo population still near its winter maximum, the first wildflowers appearing in the coastal scrubland, the empty beach of Calamosche with the winter sea calm and reflective is the most specifically atmospheric version of the finest nature reserve in southeastern Sicily available in any month. Read our complete Vendicari guide.
Sightseeing in February
February provides the same walk-in monument access advantage as January the Cappella Palatina without pre-booking, the Valley of the Temples without a queue, the Val di Noto baroque towns without tour groups at slightly warmer temperatures and slightly more reliable weather. The specific February addition to the sightseeing programme is the Agrigento almond blossom, which transforms the Valley of the Temples visit into the most specifically seasonal cultural-natural programme available in Sicily. The visitor who times the February visit to coincide with the almond blossom peak and the Acireale Carnival (checking both dates for the current year in advance) achieves the most specifically rewarding February programme available on the island.
The February Val di Noto circuit Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Modica and the Vendicari coast provides the most consistently comfortable sightseeing weather of the late winter, as the southeastern coast is the driest and warmest zone in February. The Noto Corso in late February, with the winter light and the absence of any tourist, and the Ragusa Ibla skyline in the early afternoon light of a clear February day are the finest available versions of those places outside the April-June shoulder season. Read our complete Noto guide and Ragusa guide.
Etna in February
Etna in February is typically at its maximum winter snowpack the summit and upper slopes covered in snow, the ski facilities at Piano Provenzana and Rifugio Sapienza potentially at their best snow conditions of the season. The February Etna programme (the cable car in the clear winter air, the snow on the upper slope, the volcanic steam rising from the summit craters) provides the most dramatically different version of the volcanic experience from the summer programme and the most specifically winter landscape available in Sicily. The ski programme at Etna in February subject to snow conditions, which vary significantly between years is the only ski programme available in Sicily and one of the most geologically specific in the world. Read our complete Etna guide.
February Food
The February food programme extends the January blood orange season (the Moro variety peaks in February, slightly later than the Tarocco) and introduces the first specifically February foods: the frittelle di San Giuseppe preparation beginning to appear in anticipation of the March 19th feast day, the winter broccoli and cauliflower of the Sicilian interior at their best, the ricotta fresca at peak quality from the winter sheep pressing and the specific Carnival sweet programme of February. The chiacchiere (fried pastry ribbons dusted with icing sugar) and the cannoli freshly made for the Carnival period are the most specifically Carnival food available at every Sicilian pasticceria from the first parade weekend through Ash Wednesday. Read our complete Sicilian food guide and Sicilian desserts guide.
👉February is one of the cheapest months for rental cars in Sicily. A car is essential for reaching the Valley of the Temples for the almond blossom, driving the Val di Noto circuit and accessing the Vendicari coast. Compare prices at Palermo and Catania airports on DiscoverCars February rates are very close to the January annual minimum.
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Practical Tips for February
The almond blossom date is the most critical planning variable for the February visit it varies by 2 to 3 weeks between years depending on winter temperatures, and arriving before or after the peak means missing the specific natural spectacle that motivates the visit. Follow the Agrigento municipality social media channels (typically Instagram and Facebook) and the Sagra del Mandorlo official website from mid-January for the current year’s blossom forecast and festival date confirmation. Book Agrigento area accommodation 4 to 6 weeks in advance for the festival weekend; for non-festival February dates, 1 to 2 weeks is sufficient.
The Acireale Carnival date is determined by the Ash Wednesday date in the liturgical calendar, which varies each year. Check the current year’s programme on the Comune di Acireale website. The main parade Sunday is the most crowded and the most spectacular; the preceding parade Sundays are more accessible and still provide the full float programme. Book Catania or Acireale accommodation for the main parade Sunday 4 to 6 weeks in advance.
Pack for transitional weather the February day can range from 10 degrees and wet in the morning to 17 degrees and sunny in the afternoon. Layers, a waterproof jacket and warm shoes are the correct February packing; the spring wardrobe is premature. Read our complete Sicily travel tips.
February vs January vs March
The honest monthly comparison: January is cheaper and quieter but lacks the almond blossom and the Carnival the correct choice for the visitor who wants the absolute minimum crowd and maximum authenticity at the lowest price. February has the almond blossom and the Carnival as specific motivating events that make it a better choice than January for most visitors the modest price premium over January is justified by the specific programme. March is the transitional month into spring the weather is warmer and more reliable than February, the wildflower programme begins in earnest and the tourist season starts building from mid-March, pushing prices and crowds slowly upward from their winter minimum. For the visitor who can choose between February and March, the almond blossom and the Carnival make February the more specifically rewarding choice; for the visitor who wants the first reliable spring weather, March is the correct decision. Read our complete Sicily in January guide, our Sicily in spring guide and our best time to visit Sicily guide.
FAQ about Sicily in February
Is February a good time to visit Sicily?
Yes, for the visitor motivated by the almond blossom or the Acireale Carnival these two events make February a specifically rewarding month that January and March cannot replicate. The weather is still winter but improving, the prices are at or near the annual minimum and the crowds are at their lowest. For visitors without a specific event motivation, April through June or September through October provide better overall conditions.
When is the almond blossom in Sicily?
The almond blossom at Agrigento typically peaks between the last days of January and the second week of February, depending on the winter’s temperature pattern. The Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore festival is held in the first or second weekend of February. Check the festival website and the Agrigento municipality social media from mid-January for the current year’s blossom forecast and festival date.
What is the Acireale Carnival?
The Carnevale di Acireale is the most elaborate carnival in Sicily, celebrated in the baroque town of Acireale north of Catania in the weeks before Ash Wednesday. It is famous for its large-scale satirical and fantastical papier-mâché floats, which teams of craftsmen spend months preparing. The main parade is on the final Sunday before Ash Wednesday; the full programme runs over several weekends. It is considered one of the finest carnivals in Italy.
The Month Between Two Seasons
February in Sicily is the month between two seasons not quite winter and not yet spring, but specifically the month when the transition becomes visible and the first specific spring signals appear in the landscape. The almond blossom is the most dramatic of these signals: the white flowers on the bare branches above the Greek temples, the first warmth in the low-angle winter sun, the bees that appear in the blossoming orchard for the first time in months. The Sicilian almond blossom at Agrigento is not a tourist event that happens to occur in February. It is the natural event that defines February in this specific landscape, that has defined it since the Greek colonists planted the first almond orchards on the Akragas plateau 2,600 years ago, and that continues regardless of who is present to photograph it because it is what almonds do in February in Sicily.
For the complete seasonal picture, read our Sicily in January guide, our Sicily in spring guide and our best time to visit Sicily guide.
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