In Palermo you can move from the mosaics of the Palatine Chapel to the voices of Ballarò in the time it takes to morning walk. In Acireale, a cobbled street winds down from the baroque center to a fishermen’s village. Both are distinct ways to spend a weekend in Sicily, and both are doable in any season of the year.
With two or three days available, it’s wise to pick a single base and build the trip around it. Between towns to explore on foot and villages where the sea is enjoyed right from the shore, here are five destinations reachable from the airports of Palermo and Catania.
Palermo, from mosaics to puppets
The first day in Palermo can begin at the Palazzo dei Normanni, where the gilded mosaics of the Cappella Palatina deserve a relaxed visit. From there you walk toward Ballarò to have lunch with pane e panelle among the market stalls. The following day you change neighborhood and head to the Kalsa, where the Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino tells the world of the Opera dei pupi through knights, armor, and stage sets. With an extra day and sunny weather, you can reach Mondello for a seaside stroll. Reaching the city from the Falcone Borsellino airport is easy by regional train, or by taxi or comfortable buses that traverse the city center.
Cefalù, a seaside hamlet even in the off-season
From Palermo Centrale you reach Cefalù by train, often in less than an hour. The historic center is explored on foot, from the Cathedral square to the small harbor. In the Norman cathedral, the eye is immediately drawn to the mosaic of the Cristo Pantocratore, while on Via Vittorio Emanuele a staircase leads down to the medieval washhouse, where the water of Cefalino still flows in stone basins. If the weather is fair, it’s worth dedicating the second morning to a climb up to the Rocca. From the quay, you can see Cefalù’s houses rising directly over the water.
Catania, between Pescheria and the Benedictine cloisters
From the Fontanarossa airport you can reach the city center of Catania by bus if you don’t rent a vehicle. Once there, the starting point is piazza del Duomo, with the lava-stone elephant and the Pescheria just a few steps away. The market shines the best in the morning, when the fishmongers lure customers among the stalls. For the second day you can book a guided tour of the Monastero dei Benedettini di San Nicolò l’Arena, among cloisters, staircases and rooms now used by the university. Then you return toward the center passing along via Crociferi, where the façades of Baroque churches follow each other along the same street.
Siracusa, one day in Ortigia and one at Neapolis
Also from the Fontanarossa airport, travelers will find convenient direct buses to reach Siracusa. For a weekend, Ortigia serves as a comfortable base for walking around. In Piazza Duomo just look at the Doric columns embedded in the cathedral to recognize the ancient temple of Athena. From there you descend to the Fonte Aretusa and continue along the sea, letting the rest of the afternoon be given over to the lanes of Giudecca. The second morning is devoted to the Parco archeologico della Neapolis, on the mainland, where the Teatro Greco and the Orecchio di Dionisio are explored in the same itinerary. With a third day, you can enjoy a morning wandering the stalls of Ortigia’s market.
Acireale, from Baroque to the Santa Maria la Scala village
To the north of Catania, Acireale is the less anticipated stop. In the center, Piazza Duomo and the Basilica di San Sebastiano are worth visiting on foot. On the basilica’s façade, among statues and reliefs, it’s worth lingering a few minutes before entering. The next day, on good weather, you can descend to Santa Maria la Scala along the Chiazzette, the old pedestrian street that crosses the Timpa’s slope and reaches the harbor district. The return is uphill, so it’s best to leave some time to climb back at a leisurely pace. Acireale is served by the rail along the Ionian coast, with connections from Catania.
