1. Visit Monreale
Located on the slopes of Monte Caputo, this little town is easily one of the most delightful and intriguing day visits. The biggest tourist attraction without a doubt is the Monreale Cathedral. After that, you might find this a lovely lunching spot with mist clouding over the gaps in the high rise flats. The peak of the mountains in between the buildings makes this a beautiful view. Overall, we found this one of the friendliest towns we had visited in Sicily.
2. Visit Catacombe dei Cappuccini
Unfortunately, I have no images of this incredible and chilling tourist attraction. No photo or videos were allowed within the catacombs which I find quite peculiar because I saw a promo video on Facebook just the other day and of course there are countless images online. However, these burial catacombs in Parlemo are magnificent. They lay host to bodies, some of which are more than 400 years old. ‘The bodies were dehydrated on the racks of ceramic pipes in the catacombs and sometimes later washed with vinegar. Some of the bodies were embalmed and others enclosed in sealed glass cabinets. Monks were preserved with their everyday clothing and sometimes with ropes they had worn as a penance’ (Wikipedia, 2018). To all the faint of heart, don’t worry, there are lights inside but you may want to prepare yourself with a quick google search before going.
3. Vist Mondello Beach
Without a doubt, Mondello is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. I didn’t get to swim much as I was busy photographing the picturesque backdrop however the shore stretches on for 1 mile and a half! Only a 30 minute bus journey outside of the city. This was definitely one of the most recommended by the locals and did not fail to disappoint. I can confirm that the photos do actually do it justice but you definitely have to see it for yourself!
4. Visit Orto Botanico dell’Università di Catania
A small yet well-maintained botanical garden in the middle of the city with plants from all around the world. You’ll want to visit the beautiful botanical garden if you want to escape the city for a while and feel closer to nature. We walked around for a good few hours in here until it closed and I found so many stunning backdrops for photo ops. Best of all, it’s free entry!
5. Visit Café Garibald
I’m mentioning this in my top 5 list because we genuinely received 5-star treatment from the staff here. On top of the invaluable service, we had our own personal sommelier (@stevblow) who served us some of the finest wine I have ever had the pleasure of sampling. He also kindly lent his ear while we asked question after question about how he’s developed his strong and acute knowledge in wine as well as his insatiable smile. Overall one of the best café’s in Palermo and conveniently right next to a modern art museum.
Best of luck on your travels around Sicily and lastly, thank you to CCT-SeeCity for hosting us in Sicily, I can not wait to return in future.
Laurelle Kamara
PS. Leave a comment letting me know if you have visited or plan to visit any of the following recommended places listed in my top 5 must-see places in Palermo, Sicily.