Last days of summer in Sicily

Last Updated on February 26, 2023

After visiting the Palermo of Buenos Aires earlier this year, it was time to visit the real Palermo, the Palermo of Sicily. It was the end of summer, early October. The last warm rays of sun made the Mediterranean Sea shimmer in turquoise colors. Houses were colored in warm whites and beiges and every now and then a shy cat walked around the corner.

In the morning we were awakened by the honking of the wild driving style of the Sicilians, followed by Arabic-influenced market atmosphere, where the most diverse smells of fish, fresh fruit and Sicilian specialties met. Our nights were filled with Italian pizzas and fireworks, that happened every single day. Palermo and the surrounding area were diverse and incomparable with the rest of Italy.

Exploring Palermo – the capital of Sicily

Our Airbnb was located right in the middle of the city and had the cutest balcony, on where we enjoyed our breakfast every morning. After sleeping in we stepped outside the door and basically fell right into one of the biggest markets in Palermo. It was filled with fruits, vegetables, fresh juices and typical food from Sicily.

On our first day, we just walked around the city, soaking up the late summer sun and admiring the architecture. We soon realized that Palermo has a lot of nice little shops and breathtaking buildings to offer, while the feeling was so different compared to northern Italy. To end our day, we enjoyed a nice Pizza and fell right into bed.

A daytrip to Cefalù

The next day we decided that it’s time to explore the surroundings of Palermo and took the train to the small city Cefalù. It is located right next to the Mediterranean Sea with a little beachfront and beautiful white and beige houses as well as green hills behind. On our way we stocked up for a little lunch picnic and enjoyed our afternoon laying in the sand and taking a swim – the perfect late summer enjoyment.

Sicily

We stayed there all day until sunset and watched the last sun rays of the day as they sank behind the dark hills with a refreshing Granita in our hands. It’s a sicilian sorbet that comes in lot of different flavors such as strawberry or mango.

Beachfront of Cefalu in sicily
Kids playing in the water for sunset in sicily

Roadtripping along the coast of Sicily

For the next day we had rented a car to take a little roadtrip to the east of Sicily. At first we were a little frightened since all the cars in the streets had partially smashed windows or were held together with duct tape. A result of the interesting driving style there, I guess.

First we stopped at a small fishing village just outside of Palermo called Sferracavallo. The village still looked very sleepy when we arrived, but the beautiful turquoise water in the bay had us in shock. It was so clear and sparkling in the sun that we wished we could dive right in.

However, we had planned to swim in the next stop of our little roadtrip that was called Scopello. We had to pay entry, but it was really worth it, since it comes with a nice deckchair and the bay was really breathtaking.

Our final stop was the national park “Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro”, which we finally reached after taking the wrong exit on the highway. There are several hiking paths along the green hills which eventually lead to a small beach with the most turquoise water. Since we were already pretty late, we had the beach almost to ourselves and took another swim to end the day.

Bay in Sicily with turquoise water

Rainy day in Porticello

Time flies and we already enjoyed our last day together in Sicily. After sleeping in and enjoying some pancakes on our balcony, we took the train east again to Porticello. It’s a small fishing village and seemed sleepy as well, but we really liked the chill atmosphere.

Unfortunately, it was raining a bit all day, but since it was warm rain, it was not a big deal. Every now and then some sun rays made their way through the clouds and we were able to admire a small bay in the village, where we stayed to chill and cool down in the water.

Ceramic painting in Palermo

My friend had to leave early in the morning and since my flight was scheduled late in the evening, I basically had an entire day left in Palermo. It was still raining all day, so I’ve decided to search for an indoor activity.

After seeing all those beautiful ceramics all over the city, I’ve decided I wanted to try and paint some by myself. Some online research lead me to a small studio with lovely owners, where I spend my entire morning just painting.

Ceramic mugs and bowls in Palermo

In the afternoon I went for a typical Sicilian dish and then decided to visit Palermo’s famous markets again to take some more pictures. Somehow the day passed so fast and I found myself in the airport again, ready to take off and end my summer days in Sicily.

market with fruits and vegetables in Palermo
Thank you for reading this blog post! See you for the next adventure 🙂
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2 Comments

  • Wonderful ❤️ can’t wait to admire this beautiful land too. Sicilian food is probably one of the best in the world. Granita there should be next level so jealous.
    Thanks for telling us about this adventure… and of course for the colorful and astonishing photos.

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