- GUESTS ONLY INFORMAZIONE
- & THINGS TO DO
The Norman Palace & Palatine Chapel
When you walk out of the apartment and go towards Palermo central you will first pass an old ancient gate called
You will also see The Palazzo dei Normanni /Norman Palace/Palatine Chapel
This is the oldest royal residence in Europe and today hosts the Sicilian Regional Assembly. You can visit inside for some good frescoes, mosaics and King Rogers room. Beside this is the beautiful Villa Bonanno 38.11183179941767,13.354098127710545
Villa Bonanno is a great place to relax with many places to sit.
Now, set your map for…
Palermo Cathedral (UNESCO)
A masterpiece of Arab-Norman architecture, the Cathedral 38°06′52″N 13°21′22″E houses the royal tombs of Frederick II and Roger II.
Its history reflects Palermo’s multicultural past, as you notice the different architecture styles on the facade. THis place was heavily destroyed in the 4th century by vandals but rebuilt in 590. It was once converted into a mosque but returned to Christian worship in 1072
Tip : Don’t miss the rooftop tour open everyday from 7am to 7pm, and its maybe 5 💶 to ascend to the top roof, which will give you a fairly decent view of the surrounding town.
A place that’s nearby and could have better view is 38.11463° N, 13.35887° E Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore
Next, Quattro Canti (Four Corners)
Many people and wedding goers take pictures here. As you see its baroque style that the Spanish completed in the city when they occupied here. They remodeled much of the facades of the churches around the city to in this style. Here is pedestrian only, and please slow down if you have a bicycle or scooter.
NOW,
Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana) Church of San Cataldo
This church is popular for its dazzling Byzantine mosaics.
Recognizable by its its famous red domes as we mentioned, is pure Arab-Norman architecture. If you decide to pay to go inside, you will see its peaceful garden. And beside it is our Teatro Bellini from Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) He is one of italics most popular composers. If you happen to visit visit Catania do not miss Teatro Massimo Bellini
Now, you will notice the Fontana Pretoria that is has many people statues. THere once was a family residence that owned this area and had this entire fountain transported from Florence to where it is today (1554). Transporting piece by piece to its existing place by boat.
You will also see in this area the Convent of Santa Caterina
This building housed nuns from 1311 to 2014. Today, y’all can explore inside and its cool, as you walk thru you will pass by historic rooms of the nuns and end up at their own bakery in the end, where you can try traditional pastries—especially their cannolo.
NOW, on towards
Teatro Massimo
Its another famous attraction in our city. Opened in 1897, this is Italy’s largest theater and the 3rd largest in Europe after Paris and Vienna. Known for its acoustics and impressive architecture. You can see a show for a good price and they do tours very often. Behind the theatre a few blocks, kinda towards the west you will notice the first and only skyscraper in Palermo called Assitalia building.
NOW, set your map towards Politeama, then our water front area called …
Porto & Foro Italico
Its a great place to stroll, offering a long promenade overlooking the sea with broken benches but some are strong concrete ones that are still holding up. Our cities most downtown centralized park, with a large green lawn were you can lay down, or kick a ball around, set up a volleyball net. Perfect for walking, picnics, or sunsets by the water.
-A good spot to get coffee beside the boats in the marina, check out 38.120022894886134, 13.36931569668615
NOW, set your map towards these destinations if you’d like botanical garden its supposedly has many rarities there (5 💶 entry), and next door to it is a beautiful gated public park (Villa Giulia) with many benches, palm trees, and statues with closing hours at sunset.
And, there is Palazzo Butera. It is a beautiful building to visit for 5 💶, they have a private museum and you have roof top access included in the ticket price, and a lovely cafe that is quiet and private feeling with big terrace out back.
The largest ficus trees in Europe, over 30 meters tall and 20 meters wide. Walking in this direction will set your course back to the center ( train centrale )
Palermo’s Historic Markets
Bollaró, Capo, Vucciria and are heavily focused on food.
Ballarò
The largest and most authentic.
Capo
Known for its food stalls and atmosphere, some like it the best in the city.
Vucciria
The smallest, but the most central of the 3.
At night, Vucciria turns into a nightlife center, with social, street food.
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A further excursion outside of the downtown area, do this one day… take a visit to PARCA FAVORITA 38.15613047514801, 13.339337404428939 It is directly next to Stadio Renzo Barbera that is home to the our football team Palermo Eagles FC. What you can do is take the bus #101 from the centrale station ( pay 1.40 💶 using the cellphone app called PALERMOBILITA, and take the bus to Stadio Renzo Barbera. There, you can walk thru the beautiful Parca Favorita. (It is great to jog, walk + bicycle through the park too.) Make sure to walk thru the wooded run/bike trails towards the beautiful Palazzina Cinese (pic below). Its open during the day to visit.
Across from the park area is Parco Uditore. Its a public space now that locals garden their own individual plots. Also, there, is an outdoor bar to get a caffe or beverage. From there you can continue to Mondello, or take bus back to city centrale.
You can always rent electric scooter (BIRD, LIME) and continue the journey towards Mondello Beach.
Mondello Beach
Its our nice crystal clean beach with a nice strip of restaurants and coffee shops nearby, though there are other more local beaches that are small are Spiaggia Vergine Maria or Spiaggia dell’Arenella
Mondello gets very crowded in the summer months. Public transport bus #806 goes there.
Nearby to Mondello beach is Capo Gallo Nature Reserve, if you would like to hike up the mountain that you see ( starting point 38.206168199163564, 13.310629493818404 ) It is perfect for hiking and reaching the nice building at the top. It is an old maritime semaphore/military post that was built in the Bourbon era. It’s often referred to locally as the “Semaforo di Capo Gallo” . This building once served as a coastal signaling/military station.
LITTLE CUBA 38.198016, 13.316298 is nearby our Bed and breakfast in the direction of LIDL…is a place that has one entrance and open now during typical working hours. The history of this beautiful place is when nobles passed thru Palermo, they would visit and stay. It has a beautiful garden with an ancient red topped domed building, and steps away is the Villa Napoli, that also houses a small church. The Sicily regional government owns it and from what I gather it was closed for a while but is now open, I walked by it November 2025 and saw it open and a worker casually collecting money for entrance.
Zisa neighborhood is a twenty minute walk from the apartment, first walk towards the catacombs @38.11161771783804, 13.339195882718624 and when there, set map to the Palazzo della Zisa, its a park and has a well maintained building that you can check out or just spend time walking around the park with all the many caffes around.
Villino Florio All’Olivuzza is a nearby unique mansion built by Ernesto Basile in the Art Nouveau you can visit.
Traditional Foods of Sicily
Arancina Arancine – Crispy fried rice balls with meat sauce, cheese, peas, etc it is a street-food staple. Panelle Panelle & Crocchè – Chickpea fritters and potato croquettes (good in a sandwich). Sfincione (typical Palermo focaccia pizza thing), Boiled octopus with lemon and salt. Pane ca’ meusa (veal spleen sandwich) + Grilled stigghiola Grilled lamb/goat intestines is a street food summer classic, if you bike by the smoke of of the grill, make sure to bike thru the smoke of the grill. Caponata – Sweet-sour eggplant and vegetables. Pasta alla Norma – Classic pasta with tomato, fried eggplant & ricotta salata. Pasta con le Sarde – Palermo’s signature pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins & pine nuts. Babbaluci – Tiny garlic & parsley cooked snails you eat with a toothpick and speak
- DRINKS &
- SWEETS
Granita con Brioche – Icy treat, Cannoli Siciliani – Sweet ricotta-filled pastry tube. Cassatella / Cassata – Traditional sweet ricotta cake. Aperol Spritz – Classic Italian aperitivo .Limoncello – Sweet lemon liqueur, great after dinner or summer drink with wife. Chinotto – Bitter-sweet traditional soft drink, good to get cold out the vending machine.
🏨 Where to Stay?…We have an AIRBNB you can view, or message us for dates or month to month
GOOD RESTAURANTS ~AFFORDABLE
Trattoria Ferro di Cavallo Coordinates: ~ 38.11713° N, 13.36266° E https://www.google.com/maps?q=38.11713,13.36266,
Trattoria Trapani Trattoria Coordinates: 38.1098° N, 13.3665° E https://www.google.com/maps?q=38.1098,13.3665,
Trattoria Al Sorriso Coordinates: ~ 38.1100° N, 13.3660° E https://www.google.com/maps?q=38.1100,13.3660,
Antica Trattoria Pizzeria Enzo Coordinates: 38.1105° N, 13.3655° E https://www.google.com/maps?q=38.1105,13.3655 ,
Cotto e Bollito https://www.google.com/maps?q=38.1120,13.3680 Coordinates: 38.1120° N, 13.3680° E
Trattoria da Pino, Via dello Spezio, 6, 90139 Palermo PA, Italy
Ke Palle Arancine d’Autore www.kepalle.it
Il Rosticciere 38.10954617682905, 13.362989341259318 1.50 💶 Hot Arancina
><>Coffee bars<><
For a good free rooftop view, grab a coffee or small bites at Obicà Mozzarella Bar off Via Roma
Best Coffee Bar is Vabres ( here ) they roast their own with high quality beans. Though, there are thousands of bars here. Vabres, Corona bar and Officine Calderai we like recommend.
I conduct coffee tours here, if interested e-mail! 12 💶 for 2 hours here
If you prefer a quieter catacomb sites other than busy one in Palermo that is not mentioned in this site, we recommend Catacombe dei Cappuccini, it is less frequented, has a personal tour guide that is very knowledgeable and more interesting of a visit.
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If you like big murals on buildings, go to our centrale train station and taking our light rail above ground TRAM to the Malaspina Neighborhood called the Malaspina neighborhood Murals. You can sit on the TRAM and taking it to the very last stop called FORUM. You will notice the murals are entirely on residential buildings. It is similar that of Philadelphia USA has, that can be viewed from the elevated train platform of the Market-Frankford line (45th to 63rd streets).
List of co-working spaces in Palermo///
Every Sundays is a free market / dollar market near Ballaro Market off Corso Turkory
Church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo ( its a roofless Church with a dramatic open-sky view, used for musical events) Via dello Spasimo, 15, 90133 Palermo PA///
Piazza Casa Professa, 21, 90134 Palermo PA beautiful church in Palermo
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-Visit the Pupi workshops of Palermo at various locations in the city. Puppet makers Pupi Siciliani (traditional puppets) are still hand-carved and have shows daily.
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– San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi is a quiet, ancient church with red domes that is east of the train station. Via Salvatore Cappello, 38, 90123 Palermo PA
Palazzo de Gregorio 38.136332741875414, 13.366537632539076
Arsenale della Marina Regia opened in 1997, is based in the city’s ancient Bourbon arsenal.
The building has rectangular architectural forms, was built between 24 January 1621, the day when the first stone was laid, and finished in 1630. Inside you can admire 42 anchors of the third century. Its the first Sea Museum of the Sicilian Region
-Grotta dell’Addaura 38.186959558796616, 13.35134169507785 looks cool, we haven’t been.
Good hike from Mondello, called Salita Eremita Isravele
Vito D’Anna was a painter from Palermo has great works around the city,<insert pic here>
- THINGS MORE OUTSIDE OF PALERMO TO DO
- &
You can also take train to the very close nearby town of Sferracavallo (1.70 one way), the name of the train stop is Sferracavallo. Once arrived at the stop go to bar in the center called Pasticceria Del Golfo for an espresso + sweet and then walk here.
You can also take the train further to Capaci, exit the train,walk the beach and many bars, restaurants, place to rent a chair for the day. Good for summer.
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U can take the train to Bagheria, visit the1600s Villa Sant’Isidoro De Cordova Phone, SMS, Villadecordovamuseo@libero.it or telephone for a reservation, +3311581081, its 5 💶/ and walk down the road (45 minutes) to the town of Aspra the beachfront and go swimming. Be sure to get Sfincione Bagherese is a Sicilian style pizza made with a thick spongy dough covered with anchovies, tuma cheese, ricotta and golden sautéed onions
—————–IF YOU RENT A CAR or MOTORCYCLE————-
Highly recommend dreamrent.info
Salto dei Ventimiglia is a central city that has an interesting viewing window to the mountains of Sicily. Gives you good perspective, its located @ Via Francesco Ventimiglia, 27, 90010 Geraci Siculo PA
THERMAL BATHS are also public and near Trapani, in a town called Segesta near Salemi and also there is a popular desolate, empty Teatro di Segesta.
Spiaggia di Vendicari+
Spiaggia di Calamosche — are both near Ragusa
RAIDETNA.IT is a yearly car parade that is similar to past of Targa Florio that happens around the island.
If you go to Catania there is a good market everyday, except Sunday called Carmelo market. 8 AM to 2PM.
📅 Practical Tips
Palermo Italy 5th biggest city. You can tell immediate difference of our other cities. In comparisons of new buildings, construction, transit, so forth. You can walk around the main parts of the city easily (walk-ability is high) with good walking shoes. Bicycling is easy for all the streets are pretty much flat. This page has assortment of tourist and non touristy places chosen and selected by us. Restaurants that are posted are affordable.(€💶/ €€💶💶). Inland rent, utilities, food prices are cheaper. We notice Palermo is by far the most expensive city on the island. Trapani is cool and a bus ride away for the day.
Click here for holidays major on the island of Sicilia
Airport travel, our airport is modernizing and there is also an airport near Trapani with economyflights.
Cost of living is increasing here, we have high utilities so be kind to Sicilians! (air-conditioning and heating, turn 💡 off! when not needed) Its common some places charge extra for for AC in rooms in the summer before you book.
Language tips, it’d help to know very basics of Italian.
Payment: its wise to have cash/coin always on you for caffe or small items at panifcio.
Need to visit a doctor? A zoom type meeting for 20 💶@ https://www.doctorsinitaly.com/
If you ever find yourself in an emergency situation and need the police, ambulance or fire brigade, dial 112.
Is there anything to add, email and will update.
Other / Train Milano to St. Moritz/ Places near Siena, CASENTINO for hiking and GARFAGNANA Mountains, Vallombrosa, North of Lucca, The medieval town of Barga and near Roma town called Ferentino. Montefulciano says NC, and of course Acilia.
This is long distance walk in Sicily www.stradaromanticadisicilia.it
https://www.tuscanytrail.it/ A walk North of Italia
Another car rental…www.locautorent.com/it/
Ancona, Fano, San Benedetto del Tronto, and Pesaro in Italy near Venezia
