Sicily Guide - Palermo region

Finally I'm traveling again! After skipping nearly two years, I started to plan my spring and summer travels. I spent a long weekend in Sicily, discovered beautiful beaches, national parks and cities. If you plan to visit the Palermo region anytime soon, this could be a great help for you.

Where to stay?

I chose a modern four-star hotel in the city center. Hotel Politeama was a great base for exploring the area. Very tidy hotel right in the center of the luxury shopping street, Prada was basically our neighbour. Two minutes away from the place I've found a very nice local delicacy called Antichi Sapori, where I bought some nice wine, ham and cheese. I love these hidden gems!

Palermo city

I only spent the evenings in the city, this time I was focusing more on the area, beaches and other sights. I must say it's a busy city with great bars, restaurants and shopping streets. The city is noted for its cultural heritage: churches, cathedral, theatres, if you are really into architecture and history, you will love it. On my photo below you can see Teatro Politeama, the name means multi-purpose theatre in Greek. It houses popular shows and festivals as well. The main shopping street basically starts here.

Mondello beach - the closest beach to Palermo

This is the place where local citizens like to spend their weekends. It's very close to Palermo city center. I went there for Sunday, the area was full of life: people were walking around and enjoying the sunshine. Pretty beach for having fun. The area is full of bars and restaurants. Italian "Gelato" is a must!

Northern visits - Zingaro National Park

From the Mondello beach I was heading to the North and stopped for a few hours at the Zingaro National Park. The place is famous for its fabulous blue beaches and caves. It's about a 1 hour drive from Mondello to get to the entrance of the park. The little bays can be reached by steep paths. Great program for a few hours. You can do picnic at the outdoor area and enjoy the view.

San Vito Lo Capo - The fairytale beach

The small seaside town is a popular destination. Spring was in the air and the place was not crowded at all. 20 degrees and sunshine, so perfect in February. You will find a gorgeous stretch of white sandy beach, which is voted as one of the most beautiful beaches of Sicily. Look at this!

I had lunch at a wonderful restaurant, where I tried Sicilian wine from a local grape called Grillo. To me it was very similar to our Furmint wine with mineral and volcanic notes, loved it! The owner of the restaurant showed me the catch of the day, they make everything fresh and just delicious. Highly recommended!

Best view in the region

On the way back from San Vito Lo Capo to Palermo it's worth stopping at Castellammare just to admire the panorama. I shortly stopped by in the morning and than before sunset as well.

Let's go to Cefalu!

Next day I decided to discover the North coast, east from Palermo, my destination was Cefalu.The medieval old town with its romantic cathedral make you feel as if you are in a different era. Walking the cobalt streets makes the impression we are still in the ancient times. I love these tiny streets, it's so Italian. History embraces you wherever your go.

I enjoyed a perfect lunch at a fancy restaurant in the center. Mussel soup was my choice again accompanied with some local wine. Just divine! Locanda del Marinaio Ristorante is a gorgeous Michelin rated Italian style place with delicious food, very friendly staff and great wine selection. It's located close to the beach and the cathedral.

This is the place where I would happily spend my summer holiday. The beach is perfect, great choice for families with small kids as well. The town has an incredibly good atmosphere, culture, sea, life and so much more. It was a good choice driving in and exploring the town at least for a few hours.

Short stop at Capo Zafferano

On the way back from Cefalu, I spent an hour at Capo Zafferano. I heard there is a chapel and a lighthouse here, so I wanted to find these sights. It was not easy to find them tough, parking options were limited here as well. Crystal-clear blue water and sunshine just made my day.

The lighthouse was a good 15 minute-walk from the parking place. It was originally built in 1884, the building itself is nicely renovated but the area is neglected. Madonna Del Lume chapel is located just a few steps away from the lighthouse. I read that it was built to protect the sailors. The whole area has its own charm, great to come here for a romantic walk.

All in all I enjoyed my few days in Sicily, there is so much more to discover, but if you only have a long weekend here, it's worth following my tips and you will see a special side of Sicily. Let me know in the comment below what else shall I discover next time!

Hugs and peace,

Adrienne