A scruffy, splendid, sun-baked mosaic of varied cultures and landscapes, all under Mount Etna’s menacing gaze, the island’s strategic Mediterranean position has allowed almost every civilization to have a peck at its fertile soil. Europe’s most active volcano’s slopes are dotted with flamboyant guest houses and vineyards passed down like heirlooms through the generations, while over on the far west of the island, Moorish influences endure in the couscous dishes and spices, and great stretches of its cliff-backed, wispy coastline remain fiercely protected for wildlife.