In this Sicilian travel blog, I will give you tips, information and inspirations on the Palermo Region of Sicily. In this part of Sicily: you can see the treasures of the hillside town Monreale, explore the historical centre and markets of Palermo, and chill on the beach at the most popular beach close to Palermo; Mondello. See below my route and tips and information on my accommodations, restaurants and places to visit in vibrant Palermo, Sicily! Many travelers will arrive here in Palermo on their tour around Sicily; Catania was my start and end destination.
Visit the Treasures of Monreale
The plan for the day was to drive from San Vito Lo Capo to Palermo, with a stop in Monreale along the way. The hillside town lies only a few kilometers from Palermo and is best known for its spectacular Cathedral di Monreale. The cathedral is part of the UNESCO-listed Arab-Norman heritage of Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale. Its architecture combines Norman, Byzantine and Arab influences, a style you will see several times around Palermo and northern Sicily.
I parked at Parcheggio Comunale, which was free during my visit. From here, walk up the stairs towards Via Torres and into the historic center, with the cathedral appearing almost immediately. The exterior is impressive, but it is the interior that makes Monreale really special. Almost everywhere you look, the walls are covered with golden Byzantine mosaics depicting biblical scenes. The enormous Christ Pantocrator in the central apse is impossible to miss. Even if churches are normally not your thing, this one is worth going inside for.
I visited only the main part of the cathedral, which was already stunning. You can also visit additional areas, including the famous Benedictine cloister and terraces. Ticket prices and opening hours can change, so check the latest information before your visit.
Walk along Via B. d’Acquisto for a panoramic view over Palermo, the surrounding valley and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Monreale itself is small enough to explore around the cathedral. The streets can be steep, but it is nice to wander around for a while before continuing to Palermo. By then, it was time for lunch. I sat outside at Osteria Peper’s Pub near the cathedral and ordered a pistachio pasta with ricotta. A very Sicilian combination and exactly what I needed before continuing my road trip towards Palermo.
Things to do in Palermo
Time to head to Palermo the Capital of Sicily. I heard good stories about this vibrant city and was looking forward exploring. Palermo has a rich culture and historical buildings on one side and on the other side very modern shopping streets with trendy bars and restaurants. It is a good mix! Here my 7 tips and inspirations to do and see here in Palermo:
1. Visit one of the Local Markets
I love foreign markets; you get the real local feeling and see and smell the fresh ingredients. Palermo has two famous markets: Mercato del Capo in the Il Capo quarter and Mercato di Ballarò in the Albergheria quarter. I visited them both on my walk through the city. The later has more cloths and households’ stalls, but also a very nice lane with street food restaurants; perfect to eat the local dishes at one of the stalls. When strolling after my lunch you can see that they are already cleaning and closing the stalls. The markets are a great variety for the cultural buildings during your tour through Palermo.
Visit the markets in the morning for the most activity. Try to eat some street food at one of the market stalls; local, fresh, divers and cheap food!
Be Aware: Keep an eye on your belongings while strolling the markets, you could get robbed here in the busy streets.
2. Pray in the Cattedrale di Palermo
One of the many highlights here in Palermo is the Cattedrale di Palermo in the Il Capo quarter. Sicily if full of beautiful historical churches and cathedrals but this is another piece of art. All is so beautiful, the piazza in front of the cathedral, the outside and the inside. I must admit, during my trip I lost counting how many stunning buildings I entered and at some point, I had seen too much; I must alternate it with other activities. But this Arab-Norman architectural is a must visit on your trip to Palermo. The view on top of the cathedral must be amazing too.
3. Shop till you Drop
Perfect to alternate your cultural visits; Palermo is great for shopping. They have modern shopping, car free, streets with high and lower end shops. In the evening I walked from Quattro Canti (my hotel was in this area) in one straight line to Via della Libertà, where the more high-end shops are. You will pass Via Maqueda which is a mix with shops and eateries and Via Ruggero Settimo has more common chain shops. Loved to stroll and watch the shopping windows and end up eating in one of the eateries.
4. Admire Capella Palatina
Very high on the must visit list here in Palermo is the Capella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni; which is part of the Sicilian regional parliament. The entrance fee is 10 EUR to visit only the chapel and garden outside; the apartments were closed during my visit. One advantage of Covid-19 was, that there were no queues.
The Capella Palatina has glittering gold mosaics with inlaid marble floors and wooden ceilings. You can really see the Arabic influences here. I sat here a while on the benches on the side just to admire the breathtaking interior; what a work must this have been. Not only the mosaics are stunning, the muqarnas, wooden ceiling is unique too. I was still surprised by the beauty of this small chapel; after seeing already many other churches and cathedrals in Sicily.
5. Chill in the Harbor and Park
Time to rest and not wandering through the busy city; go to the Porticciolo della Cala. Here the smaller boats are located, and you get a nice harbor view with same nice restaurants around. I love being around the waterfront and I walked further to the attached park Parco della Salute Livia Morello; here you see the local people train, play football and exercise. You see a lot of people running around this park and the next Foro Italico; which is a promenade at the waterfront with a lawn, benches and some sculptures. Loved to chill here at the end of the day.
6. Take a Tour of Teatro Massimo
Another impressive landmark in Palermo is Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. The building dominates Piazza Verdi and is worth seeing even if you are not planning to attend a performance. Unfortunately, the theatre was closed for tours during my visit because of the Covid-19 restrictions, so I could only admire it from the outside. Normally, you can take a guided tour through the theatre to see the impressive auditorium and several of its historic halls.
The standard guided tour takes around 40 minutes and is available in several languages, including English. If you love opera, ballet or classical music, an even better experience would be to book a ticket for a performance and see Teatro Massimo as it was intended to be used.
Check the performance calendar before your trip. Even if there is nothing that fits your plans, a guided tour is an easy way to see the inside of this beautiful theatre.
7. Highlights around Quattro Canti
Quattro Canti, or the Four Corners, sits right in the heart of Palermo’s historic center. It is one of the easiest places to start exploring because several beautiful churches, squares and monuments are packed into just a few streets around the intersection. Quattro Canti itself is formed by four curved façades marking the corners of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Built in the early 17th century, each façade is decorated with statues and fountains. The square is also known as the Theatre of the Sun, because the sunlight moves across the four façades throughout the day.
Just around the corner you will find the Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Padri Teatini and Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. Continue a few steps further and you arrive at Piazza Pretoria, dominated by the impressive Fontana Pretoria. The fountain was originally created in Florence in the 16th century before being moved to Palermo. It is filled with statues of mythological figures, animals and water gods, surrounded by several historic buildings.
On one side of the square stands the Palazzo Pretorio, Palermo’s Town Hall. Walk behind it and you will find even more churches, small squares and Teatro Bellini nearby. This is what I liked about this part of Palermo: you hardly have to walk before another impressive building appears. Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria and the surrounding churches are all close together, so you can easily explore this area on foot while wandering through the old city.
Where to Stay and Eat in Palermo
I booked my hotel B&B Hotel Palermo Quattro Canti in the historical centre of Palermo for two nights. The location is perfect next to the Quattro Canti highlights and shopping streets. The hotel is renovated but not all is fresh and newly done; the bathroom was still old and definitely not fresh and new. The fresh paint and decorations are doing just the trick, but not more than that. B&B hotels are part of a chain in Europe, I didn’t know that, thought it was more of a boutique style hotel. The main appealing of this hotel next to location, was the roof terrace; perfect to chill in the evening and look down on Fontana Pretoria.
Parking is difficult in the city centre. My hotel suggested to park it at San Matteo private parking 50 meters away, asked for the discount from the hotel.
After having a street food lunch at Mercato di Ballarò, dinner was a simple combo of Pizza slices and Aperol Spritz at BIGA Genio e Farina on Via Maqueda. Perfect for a delicious, fresh pizza and you can choose from many variations and combinations. This is a trendy take-away and you can sit outside as well and watch the people walking by; perfect for a solo traveler like me!
Hic! La Folie du Vin: Top Pick in the Lonely Planet and is popular with 30- and 40-plus locals; perfect to spot some handsome Italian men. I was sitting at a wine barrel outside and the wine (5 EUR) comes with a lot of snacks like peanuts, crisps, olives and local pizza bread. Great hangout for the late afternoon to watch mainly local people; big recommendation. I saw more nice bars and fancy restaurants in this New City quarter in Palermo; check it out!
NonnAngé Bakery & Coffee Palermo: Great place for breakfast; something different that the standard sweet Italian breakfast. I had a combo with avocado on toast and yogurt with of course a cappuccino (10 EUR total). I loved the vibe and decoration of this place at Via Sant’Agostino, a side street of the main Via Maqueda. Perfect if you want something different!
Chill on the Beach of Mondello
Before continuing to my next destination, Cefalù, I made one last stop near Palermo and drove around 11 km north to Mondello, the city’s best-known beach. Even on a Wednesday in September, Mondello was busy with people from Palermo enjoying the last weeks of summer. The long sandy beach curves around a beautiful bay, with clear turquoise water, palm trees and elegant Art Nouveau villas along the seafront.
One of the most recognizable buildings is the historic Antico Stabilimento Balneare, standing directly over the water. Together with the surrounding villas and mountains behind the bay, it gives Mondello a completely different atmosphere from the city center of Palermo. Much of the beach is occupied by lidos with sun loungers and umbrellas during the summer season, but there are also public sections. I had to search a little to find a free spot, and even those areas were busy, but the shallow clear water was perfect for cooling off before getting back on the road.
If you are staying in Palermo for a few days, Mondello is an easy place to combine with your city trip. Come for a few hours at the beach, have lunch or an aperitivo near the waterfront, and then head back into Palermo.
If you park along the street, check whether you need a parking ticket and how it should be validated. I forgot to scratch the arrival time on mine — so learn from my mistake.
Heading your journey to Cefalù like me or to the San Vito Lo Capo or even to Trapani?!
