Palermo, Sicily: Markets, Street Food and the Best Things to Do

Palermo is a city of layers: Phoenician, Arab, Norman, Spanish and Baroque, all crammed into a chaotic, beautiful port on Sicily's north coast. It has some of Italy's best street food, golden mosaics, noisy markets and a beach just 20 minutes away. Here's how to enjoy it.

Markets and street food

1. Ballarò market

Palermo's oldest market is a feast of sound and colour: vendors shouting prices, fish on ice, mountains of fruit and stalls frying snacks. Go in the morning.

Vendors bellow their prices in a sing-song dialect, swordfish heads stare from the ice and piles of lemons, aubergines and olives spill into the street. Arrive hungry and point at whatever smells best.

2. Vucciria and Capo

The Vucciria comes alive at night with street food and bars; the Capo market is a good morning alternative.

In the evening, Vucciria turns into an open-air party, with barbecues smoking on the pavement and music playing. Capo is calmer by day, with colourful stalls in narrow lanes.

3. Street food

Try arancine, panelle, crocchè, sfincione and, if you're brave, pani câ meusa. Finish with a cannolo or a brioche filled with granita or gelato. A street food tour is a fun way to taste everything.

Hot arancine stuffed with ragù, panelle chickpea fritters in a bun and the brave pani ca meusa (spleen sandwich) – eat on the street like the locals.

History and architecture

4. The Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel

The Palazzo dei Normanni houses the Cappella Palatina, covered in glittering Byzantine mosaics – one of the most beautiful rooms in Italy. Palermo's Arab-Norman monuments are a UNESCO site.

The chapel's walls and ceiling glow with gold mosaics, and the carved wooden ceiling mixes Arab, Norman and Byzantine art – breathtaking in its richness.

5. Monreale Cathedral

Just above the city, Monreale's cathedral has more than 6,000 square metres of gold mosaics and a beautiful cloister.

Inside, gold mosaics cover almost every wall, with a huge Christ looking down from the apse. Climb to the roof for views over the Conca d'Oro.

6. Quattro Canti and Piazza Pretoria

The Baroque crossroads of Quattro Canti and the nearby Fontana Pretoria, with its naked statues once called the "Fountain of Shame", are at the heart of the old town.

At the baroque crossroads of Quattro Canti, the four facades curve around you, and nearby, the fountain of Piazza Pretoria is crowded with marble nudes.

7. Teatro Massimo

Italy's largest opera house featured in The Godfather Part III. Take a guided tour or catch a performance.

The opera house's staircase, lions and dome are magnificent – take a guided tour or, better, see a performance.

8. The Capuchin Catacombs

Not for the faint-hearted: thousands of mummified bodies, dressed in their clothes, line the corridors beneath a Capuchin monastery.

Rows of preserved bodies in their clothes line the dim corridors – eerie and fascinating, but not for everyone.

Beaches and day trips

9. Mondello

Palermo's beach suburb has fine white sand and turquoise water, with Art Nouveau villas along the seafront.

Turquoise water, white sand and Art Nouveau villas – on summer weekends, the whole city comes here to swim.

10. Cefalù

An hour east by train, Cefalù combines a Norman cathedral, a medieval centre and a sandy beach. See our pick of Italy's hidden gems.

The medieval town sits under a huge rock, with a Norman cathedral and a sandy beach right below the old houses.

Practical tips

• Getting there: fly to Palermo, or take the overnight train from Rome or a ferry from Naples – see our Naples guide.
• Driving: avoid driving in the centre; parking is difficult.
• Best time: spring and autumn; summer is very hot.
• Nearby islands: ferries and flights connect Sicily with Malta – see our Malta guide.