CEFALU'

The town, developed around the Cathedral of Cefalù, wanted by Roger II, has preserved its ancient appearance over the centuries, with its narrow streets of the historic center, typically medieval. The buildings that enrich the city are made up of architectural decorations and the numerous churches present show all the importance of the episcopal see. Particularly characteristic is the seaside village, with ancient houses facing the sea.

Cefalù, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, offers tourists a series of fascinating points of interest to be discovered and a beach more beautiful than the other, to enjoy a well-deserved rest in one of the most beautiful seas of Sicily.

What to visit in Cefalù

Cefalù offers many points of interest for a holiday by the sea of Sicily.
During your holiday in Cefalù, you cannot miss the cathedral, which in 2015 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to a legend, the cathedral of Cefalù was said to have been built following the vow of Salvatore de Ruggero II, after escaping from a storm.

The Cathedral of Cefalù is a UNESCO heritage site.

Surrounding the entire historic center of the town is a megalithic city wall dating back to the 5th century BC, which is still largely preserved today. A kiss under the Porta Marina, an arch with a sea view, the last remaining of the 4 original doors, is particularly romantic.

Porta Marina

Extremely fascinating is also the temple of Diana, a sanctuary built in a megalithic building, dominated by dolmen stone slabs housing a cistern dating back to the ninth century BC

Walking along via Vittorio Emanuele it is possible to stop at the medieval wash-house, in front of the Renaissance Palazzo Martino. The sink is characterized by a lava stone staircase and a series of tanks in which the water that flows from the 22 lion heads above is collected. The tanks house the supports that were formerly used for cleaning clothes.

The beaches of Cefalù

During your holiday in Cefalù you can spend hours of fun and relaxation in a series of incredibly beautiful and characteristic beaches.

The beach is configured as the ideal choice for families, thanks to its gently sloping seabed and thanks to the countless services it offers to bathers.

The sunset in Cefalù is fantastic .. !!!

The coast is located a few steps from the city center and lasts for over a kilometer and a half of coastline. From the beach you can enjoy an incredible background, consisting of the fortress from the cathedral and the old port of Cefalù. During the summer evenings, the beach comes to life filling up with festive tourists.

Another beach that can not miss in your holiday in Sicily is the Caldura beach, just a few minutes from the town center, whose scenery is totally different from the Lido di Cefalù: the beach is made up of gravel, and the seabed immediately becomes deep . Particularly suitable for diving enthusiasts, who can jump from one of the many rocks that surround the beach, on the coast it is possible to rent the necessary equipment and dine in one of the refreshment points.

Dedicated to windsurfers, Salinelle beach is a long stretch of sand where you can find both equipped and free areas. It is configured as a beach that is not particularly suitable for children, as the seabed becomes shallow in a few steps.

Capo Playa beach, made up of sand and pebbles, is a few kilometers from Salinelle and can be easily reached by public transport. Also this beach is particularly appreciated by surf and sailing lovers, thanks to the constant winds that blow. Again the seabed drops rapidly, which does not make it suitable for families with children.

CAMPOFELICE DI ROCCELLA

For those looking for absolute tranquility and at the same time looking for restaurants where you can taste local products , you can choose the Campofelice di Roccella beach, where you will find a free beach or fully equipped bathing beaches. Furthermore, the Lungomare lends itself to long relaxing walks and offers romantic and breathtaking sunsets .. !!!

Campofelice di Roccella, among its name from the magnificent castle of Roccella, located by the sea in the Municipality of Campofelice di Roccella in the province of Palermo, retains traces of its ancient grandeur, testified at the end of the sixteenth century by a drawing by Tiburzio Spannocchi and from a watercolor by Camillo Camiliani.
They had been drawn up for military purposes on behalf of the Deputation of the Kingdom of Sicily who deemed it necessary to proceed urgently to explore the Sicilian navies to reorganize the military defense against the Turkish and pirate danger.

The castle of Roccella was an integral part of this defensive project since it was located in a site that has always been considered of great strategic importance for the penetration into the interior of the island.
The place, in its intrinsic meaning and in the topographical context, has all the characteristics to be associated with the Roccamaris locality listed in the foundation diploma of the Diocese of Troina (year 1082) among those granted by Count Roger to the new Diocese (R. Starrabba, Contribution to the study of the Sicilian Diplomat, Palermo 1893, pp.19-20)

It is also identified with the Arabic toponym Saharat al Hadid - to which the meaning of Iron Rock has been attributed - of which the geographer Edrisi speaks about the year 1139 placing it twelve miles from the fortress of Brocato and describing it as a small farmhouse with strong on top of the cliff, which advances steeply of each band on the beach of the sea (Michele Amari, Arab-Sicilian Library, Edrisi, Turin 1880).
Description that corresponds to the place, and which is always a fortress on the sea. Some scholars believe that the site existed before the Norman period.

PALERMO

Both typical Palermo cuisine and street-food is an irresistible temptation: pasta with sardines, sardine meatballs, baked pasta, caponata, bread with panelle and crocché, sfincione, focaccia with spleen, stigghiole, pasta with soft drinks , etc. Round off your meal by not refusing a limoncello.

Do not forget to go to the Palermo ice cream parlors and the best pastry shops where you can eat typical sweets: cannolo, cassata, sphinx with ricotta, watermelon frost.
The Politeama Garibaldi theater where symphonic music concerts are held.

If it's on the program, don't miss an opera by the Massimo theater. The Teatro Massimo is the largest theater in Italy, and the third in Europe. Dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, one of the most elegant theaters in Europe with its neoclassical forms.

Find the time to surprise yourself with the opera dei Pupi at the small theater of Mimmo Cuticchio in Via Bara dell'olivella.
Museums: the art museum of Villa Zito, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Antonio Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum.
Go to the historical markets of the city: the Capo, Ballarò, Vucciria where you can get in touch with popular culture.
Do not miss the Arab-Norman itinerary which in 2015 was included in the World Heritage List declaring it a World Heritage Site. The monuments that are part of the itinerary: Palazzo Reale or dei Normanni, the Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral of Palermo, the church of the Martorana, the church of San Cataldo, the Castello della Zisa, the bridge of the Admiral, the cathedral of Cefalù and the cathedral of Monreale.
Santa Rosalia is the patron saint of the city, she lived near the top of Mount Pellegrino in a cave, transformed into a chapel in 1625.
Visit the noble palaces: Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata, Palazzo Mirto, Palazzo Bordonaro, Palazzo Butera, and many others. Or visit the Liberty villas: Villa Pottino, Villa Florio, etc.
One of the most suggestive and unusual places to visit are the Capuchin Catacombs.
Observe the different species present walking in the large greenery of the Botanical Garden or Villa Giulia.
Just 30 minutes from Palermo you can take a bath in the famous Mondello beach.

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT IN SICILY ...

In the event that these wonderful attractions are not enough, during our beach holiday in Sicily it is possible, from this starting point, to visit numerous areas located a short distance away.

Reachable by bus or car, in just over 2 hours, San Vito lo Capo , in the province of Trapani, is a famous seaside resort for its beach, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in Italy.

In the area it is also possible to visit the Zingaro Reserve , a protected natural area in which it is possible to come into contact with numerous plant and animal species, including one of the last 10 pairs of peregrine falcons in Sicily.

In speaking of San Vito lo Capo we cannot fail to mention, moreover, the Gulf of Castellammare, a deep inlet of natural origin overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, which extends from Capo Rama, in the province of Palermo, to Capo San Vito, in the province of Trapani.

A short distance away is also the island of Favignana , belonging to the archipelago of the Egadi Islands. Covered by the Mediterranean scrub, consisting of bushy shrubs and maritime pines, the island takes its name from the term "favonius", with which the ancient Romans called the warm wind coming from the west.

Favignana is famous above all for its typical Mediterranean architecture, with white walls and blue or green frames.

On the other side, in the province of Messina, there is also Taormina with its Isola Bella, overlooking the Ionian Sea. Also nicknamed "the pearl of the Mediterranean", it is famous for its extreme beauty and artistic value.

Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands)

Finally, with a few hours by ferry, starting from CEFALU 'or from MILAZZO it is possible to visit the Aeolian islands, an archipelago that includes a series of islands more beautiful than the other: from Panarea to Vulcano, from Lipari to Salina, passing from Stromboli and Vulcano , among the Aeolian Islands there is plenty of choice. The archipelago, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of the Sicilian coast, includes two still active volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano, which give their name to the respective islands in which they are located, and various secondary volcanism phenomena.

We also advise you to visit the Roman villa of Casale and its wonderful mosaics in Piazza Armerina in the province of Enna .. .. SICILY IS FANTASTIC .. !!