Where to Stay in Palermo
I stayed at an Airbnb on Via Maqueda. This was the perfect central location to be able to visit everything in Palermo easily. It was also on a closed-off walking street filled with bars and restaurants so it was great to be able to go right downstairs and have so many options of places to go. I am not going to link the Airbnb that I stayed in because while it was a great location, the service wasn’t great and there was no sort of soundproofing at all so it was incredibly noisy all night long.
Exploring the Markets of Palermo
Palermo is famous for its street markets. The three main ones are Di Ballarò, Di Capo, and Da Vucciria. Spending time walking through all of the markets and enjoying the yummy street food is a must. When I was in Palermo my favorite markets were Di Capo and Di Ballaro as Da Vucciria only had a few stands open. I did get a recommendation from a local friend that Il Tentacolo in Da Vucciria is a must when visiting it though and is home to some of the freshest seafood in Palermo but I didn’t get a chance to visit.
At Mercato Di Capo. I got a “Melo-Spritz” from a place called Peaky Blinders. It was made of fresh pomegranate juice and Aperol and was the most refreshing market treat. The man making them was also the nicest and if you are looking for any fresh juice I would definitely recommend going there. He informed us you have to be careful at the markets because even places that look like they are squeezing fresh juice will have a premade one that they secretly pour you with which is watered down.
Mercato Ballaro was the most lively of the ones that I went to but also pretty intense. Multiple fights broke out while I was there so it is important to stay alert so you don’t get yourself into the middle of something. It is important no matter what market you are visiting to make sure you are very aware of your surroundings and make sure you keep a close watch on your things.
My second favorite market snack that I had was from a pizza place called Pizza Re. They were making fresh pizza in a pizza car, and it was perfectly cooked and delicious. I would see what fresh ingredients they had that day, because when I was there they had fresh sausage that was off the menu but we saw them snacking on it raw and asked if we could have some on pizza and they gave it to us.
Getting Cannolis and other Traditional Desserts at the Monastery
The monastery, Santa Caterina is a great place to add to your Palermo itinerary. I spent a few hours in the afternoon here one day, sitting on the patio and enjoying the tranquility along with the yummy desserts made there. The cannolis are fantastic and a must-get. After you are done enjoying your sweet treat you can buy a ticket to explore the monastery, tower, and the beautiful church that is connected.
The church is small and beautiful. The church is filled with artwork from the beautifully painted ceilings to the intricately designed walls on the sides. The tower has great panoramic views of Palermo which makes it the perfect place to take photos. Unless you are specifically interested in seeing the monastery I would recommend just getting tickets to the tower and the church as those were the most memorable.
Palermo Cathedral:
Palermo has one of the most unique cathedrals that I have seen in Europe. Its history begins as early as the 4th century when it was a basilica which was later turned into a mosque. Then it was converted into a catholic place of worship again. In the 13th century, the towers outside were added. But the inside was completely redesigned in the 18th century in a neoclassical style. The contrast between the modern inside and the old outside makes this cathedral truly extraordinary. Walking into this cathedral was jaw-dropping because it was not what I expected at all. Entry is free and it is a must if you are visiting Palermo.
Gardens in Palermo:
Palermo is filled with beautiful gardens. Just walking around the city we ran into many beautifully designed gardens with old trees and flowers. If you are spending time in Palermo you should definitely spend some time leisurely walking around the gardens.
Must Eats in Palermo
There are some foods that you cannot miss when visiting Palermo. Aranchine, caponata, sfincione, panelle, cannolis, granitas and pasta alla norma were some of my favorite Sicilian dishes that I tried while in Palermo. Bar
Touring is famous for its aranchine, the classic flavors are meat and peas (often called ragu) and burro which is a mix of ham and cheese. They are very yummy but huge. I definitely prefer mini arancine because they are easier to eat and the flavors are more distributed.
Caponata has to be my favorite Sicilian dish, I love how fresh and flavorful it is and trying all of the different variations. The best place that I had caponata in Palermo was Buatta. It was super flavorful and light. Their sfincione had to also be my favorite. It is freshly made there and soooo tasty. I can’t wait until I go back and get to eat it again. If you are going there you should try the “Degustazione Buatta”. It is a mix of typical Sicilian street food. It came with the sfincione (this stuff is seriously so good I would recommend also getting an order of it) panelle, and caponata.
Another place that had great caponata was Vossia Cucina Mediterranea. This is a great casual dining restaurant. The staff was very friendly and they offered a variety of Mediterranean dishes, but my favorite had to be their Caponata.
Pasta alla norma is another fantastic Sicilian dish. It is from Catania, not Palermo but many restaurants there offer it. If you see it on a menu you should definitely try it. It is a tomato and eggplant sauce that was named after the opera by Vincenzo Bellini.
Cannolis are a classic Sicilian dish and as I said before my favorite cannolo was from La Dolceria di Santa Caterina. Their cannoli shells were nice and thin and the filling wasn’t too sweet which for me makes the perfect cannolo.
Granitas are one of my favorite Sicilian treats as they are so refreshing. In Palermo, it is normal to eat a granita for breakfast as well as a refreshing treat during the day. My go-to breakfast order was a granita with ½ cafe and ½ mandorla (almond) granita as when they are combined it is like a yummy blended coffee. Fruit granitas are also lovely as many places use fruits that are in season so you can get anything: watermelon, lemon basil, and pomegranate are just some of the great flavors that are offered. My favorite granita that I had in Sicily had to be the mandarin one from Cappadonia Gelati as it tasted exactly like biting into a perfectly sweet and sour mandarin. I also loved the lemon basil Granita from Il Gelatone.
Aperitivo at Via Igiea
If you are looking for a relaxing evening outside of the buzz of the center of Palermo, you should make a reservation at Villa Igiea. It is a beautiful nineteenth-century palace, decorated to perfection. Enjoy sitting on their terrasse sipping a specialty martini while you hear the soft sounds of live music.
We sat there for three hours, watching the sunset and enjoying the evening. Their aperitivo is complete with small snacks (chips, olives, almonds) and some small bites from the kitchen. Toward the end of our night, they also brought us biscotti. We ordered food off of their bar menu, but they also let us order pasta off of the dinner menu and it was divine. The sauce was light and herby and it was finished with fresh clams. If you are able to, I would definitely recommend asking if you could order off the dinner menu.
Gelato
Maybe the most important part of this whole guide is where to get the best gelato in Palermo. I found the best gelato in Palermo to be Cappadonia Gelati. The gelato was clearly made out of the highest quality ingredients and the flavors were so rich. I am not normally a big salted caramel fan but we got that flavor and it was life-changing. It tasted like a rich dark toffee. They also had a mandarin granita that was unreal. I am still dreaming about the gelato from here so if you are in Palermo you must stop at one of their two locations and indulge in some refreshing treats.
Palermo Vintage Shopping
I love vintage shopping and I was surprised by all of the amazing vintage shops Palermo had to offer. They were all on the more expensive side but filled with some amazing treasures. My favorites were Magazzini Anita, and Libreria Easyreader. Magazzini Anita had a good mix of men’s and women’s clothes and Liberia Easyreader is a mix of a vintage store and a bookstore with a wonderful women’s selection.
Day Trips from Palermo:
Palermo is a great place to take day trips by train. The train is located right in the center and makes it simple to visit many towns in Sicily. I went on two little trips from Palermo, Cefalu, and Terrasini. These were both great little towns but if you had to pick one I would say Terrasini. Cefalu was great but it felt very geared toward tourists while Terisini felt like a much more authentic experience. There you could really enjoy local life as there were not many tourists and the locals were always out in the streets socializing and enjoying life.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this
Sarah 🙂
