Things to do in Sicily
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Scicli
Scicli is full of wonderful baroque architecture - in particular Palazzo Beneventano and Palazzo Fava - and framed by rocky cliffs. It is well off the beaten track and there is seldom another tourist in sight. From here you can head down to Modica Marina (around €2.20, six buses daily) and Sampieri (around €2.50, three buses daily) on the southern coast for long sandy beaches, as well as rocky coves.
Both are popular with the town's youth, with bars and loungers (bed & umbrella for two around €10) on the sand, though there are vast unpopulated areas if you walk along the beaches, where you can be undisturbed by the crowds.
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Fontana Pretoria
At the civic heart of Palermo, a crowd of imposing churches and buildings surrounds the ornate Fontana Pretoria. This huge fountain fills the piazza with its tiered basins, supporting the sculptures, rippling in concentric circles. The city bought the fountain in 1573; however, the flagrant nudity of the provocative nymphs proved too much for Sicilian church-goers attending Mass at the grandly formal San Giuseppe dei Teatini, and they prudishly dubbed it the Fountain of Shame.
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Chiesa di San Domenico
The Chiesa di San Domenico lies Off Via Roma. It was built in 1640 following the design of architect Andrea Cirincione; the façade was added in 1726 after the buildings that once occupied the square were demolished to give the church some space.
The church has been the place where Italian VIPs have been buried since the Middle Ages; among the tombs and cenotaphs of notable Sicilians, you'll find the names of parliamentarian Ruggero Settimo, painter Pietro Novelli, and the former Italian prime minister Francesco Crispi.
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Cathedral
The Cathedral is an extraordinary (and enormous) feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenulations, majolica cupolas and blind arches. The interior, although impressive in scale, is a marble shell, a sadly un-exotic resting place for the royal Norman tombs. The crypt and treasury contain various jewels belonging to Queen Costanza of Aragón, a bejewelled Norman crown and, most bizarrely, a tooth extracted from Santa Rosalia, Palermo’s patron saint.
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Orto Botanico
Laid out by Léon Dufourny and Venanzio Marvuglia, the gorgeous Orto Botanico is a tropical paradise, with massive fig trees, tall palms and dazzling hibiscus bushes. There is an avenue of the bizarre-looking bottle, soap and cinnamon trees, as well as coffee trees, papaya plants and sycamores. It's a real haven of silence and fascinating botany, with a large herb garden that focuses on Mediterranean plants. Beware the mosquitos at dusk though.
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Trattoria La Foglia
An eccentric owner/chef and her vegetarian husband have made this place into something of a cult Syracusan restaurant, but the tiny portions and relatively high prices make the eclectic interior take a back seat. The menu features whatever seafood and vegetables are fresh that day and the bread is home-baked. They also have a one- to two-bedroom flat to rent on Ortygia, its décor in the same eclectic style as the restaurant.
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Quattro Canti
The busy intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda marks the Quattro Canti, the centre of the oldest part of town, neatly dividing the historic nucleus into four manageable sectors.
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Kursaal Kalhesa
Recline on plump sofas with silk cushions and sip a cocktail beneath the high vaulted ceilings. There’s a roaring fire in winter, plus art exhibits and a bookstore with foreign newspapers. A lively unpretentious crowd is attracted by the good program of music and literary events. Meals (from €30) are served in the dining room or on the leafy patio flanked by 15th-century walls.
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Il Mirto e la Rosa
Pantelleria has a healthy supply of slips and sandals shops to cater for all those fashion victims. What you should stock up with is the island's own range of cosmetic products.
Il Mirto e la Rosa, just off Via Borgo Italia, stocks the island's own range of cosmetic products, Linea Cosmetica Lago di Venere, made from the mineral-rich mud of the Bagno dell'Aqua.
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Teatro Massimo
The grand neoclassical Teatro Massimo took more than 20 years to complete. Nowadays the theatre is an iconic Palermo landmark and has become a symbol of the triumph and tragedy of the city. Appropriately, the closing scene of The Godfather: Part III, with its visually stunning juxtaposition of high culture, low crime, drama and death, was filmed here.
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Osteria da Mariano
Specialising in the mountain cuisine of nearby Ragusa, with more meat than fish, this cheerful place sets out a river of tables under the lights and balconies of a narrow alleyway, with cosy indoor seating in a beamed dining room. Everything’s tasty and affordably priced, and the atmosphere’s very convivial, if you can forgive the sometimes lackadaisical service.
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Sant’Andrea
The position of this excellent restaurant is a reflection of Palermo’s contradictory appeal. It’s tucked into the corner of a ruined church in a shabby piazza. Sant’Andrea’s well-heeled customers pick their way across the broken flagstones to enjoy creative, yet classic, dishes such as tagliatelle with lobster and almond pesto.
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Giardino Garibaldi
Surrounded on all sides by elegant palazzi, gentrified Piazza Marina (M0154) is Palermo's quietest piazza, and its small Giardino Garibaldi encloses Palermo's oldest tree, a venerable 25m-high, 150-year-old ficus benjamin. Dedicated to Garibaldi, the square has witnessed its fair share of bloody executions.
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Teatro Politeama Garibaldi
Teatro Politeama Garibaldi is Palermo’s second theatre. Designed by architect Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda between 1867 and 1874, it has the same imposing circular layout as the Teatro Massimo and features a striking facade resembling a triumphal arch topped by a huge bronze chariot.
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Centro Ippico Amico del Cavallo
This well-run stable is 8km west of Catania. Horse trails include a seven-hour trek through Etna farmland, a two-day trek along the Simeto river and a five-day trek around the summit. For other stables pick up the booklet Itinerari a Cavallo from the tourist office in Catania.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale
If you have the time, the old town is best accessed via the salita commendatore, a winding pass made up of stairs and narrow archways taking you past the remains of the 15th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale, from where there's a good viewing point.
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Cucina Papoff
Specialising in Sicilian classics like trancio di pesce in umido con capperi e olive (slow-simmered fish stew with capers and olives), Papoff creates an intimate ambience with carved wooden ceilings, exposed brickwork and torch-style lighting.
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Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini
In the southwestern corner of the Quattro Canti is the Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini, topped by a soaring cupola. The monumental interior is baroque at its brashest, and has been lovingly restored after it suffered substantial damage during WWII.
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Al Porticciolo
If the indoor dining room looks empty, it’s because everyone’s piled out on the ample waterfront terrace, one of the prettiest in town. The pizzas are excellent, and fixed-price menus start at €18.
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Trattoria Favarotta
Trattoria Favarotta has an excellent reputation for tasty, local fare including spaghetti con pesto pantesco (spaghetti with a tomato, garlic, pepper and basil sauce), and roast hare.
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Villa Giulia
Villa Giulia in La Kalsa is a welcome relief from the claustrophobic streets, although the formal planting scheme of the park is severely challenged by the rampant fecundity of the island.
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Divino…Rosso
With outdoor tables on Marsala’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, this excellent restaurant and wine bar serves pizzas, over 150 different wines and an extensive menu of local dishes.
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Antico Caffè Spinnato
A sophisticated cafe dating back to 1860 located on the smart pedestrian boulevard. Sit on the vast terrace to enjoy coffees, cocktails, ice creams, sumptuous cakes and snacks.
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Sicilia in Tavola
A tiny place with a dozen tables that specialises in all manner of fresh pasta dishes (try the speciality of the house, seafood ravioli).
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Mercato di Ballarò
Although it's popular with tourists, many Palermitans shop for their fresh produce and household goods at Mercato di Ballarò.
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