Sicily — land of thick pizza, rich cannoli, and Mafia legends — is the island that Italy appears to be kicking with the toe of its boot. Its strategic location in the early years of seafaring Mediterranean trade helped it to develop based on multiple cultures. You will find ancient Greek archaeology here, as well as Arab-influenced ceramics and jewelry. Orange and lemon orchards dominate the natural landscape, which also literally breathes fire in the form of the lava-spitting Stromboli — one of the only active volcanoes on Earth where it is considered relatively safe for tourists to hike to the summit.