From the moment your foot hits the tarmac, Sicily in all her wild beauty enters your heart and will forever remain lodged there. Through the bustling streets of Palermo where the smell of frying arancine fills your head to the cliffs of Taormina where the waves crash against its towering rock, Etna looming in the distance with a cloud of smoke billowing from her lips, every moment spent in Sicily is filled with wonder. For Palermo based travel consultant and private chef Linda Sarris (ie: The Cheeky Chef), Sicily’s bounty and energy have made the island her home, where she now shares her expertise in exploration and culinary prowess with travelers. Experience Sicily through her deft lens in this mini guide for a quick trip to Palermo, Sicily. 

Booking a trip to Sicily? Be sure to check in with Linda for an unparalleled experience of Sicily.

3 DAYS IN PALERMO IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER

DAY 1

Once you arrive in town, settle in for a minute then get ready to hit the town. Head out for a stroll through the historic center passing the Teatro Massimo opera house, Palermo Cathedral, and Quattro Canti. 

Be on time for your sunset reservation for an aperitivo at SEVEN Rooftop Cocktail Bar (do not stay for dinner) and then a meal at Osteria Alivàru (call ahead or ask me to reserve you a table) where you’ll get into the island-paced rhythm and feast on Palermitan specialties like sardine meatballs, the most wonderful caponata, pasta with Sicilian red shrimp and sea urchin or Chef Carlo Napoli’s octopus ragù.

Accommodations recommendations: Palazzo Sovrana, Bastione Spasimo or Palazzo Natoli.

DAY 2

Pickup snacks for your beach day (arancine from Donnafrancalab, sandwiches/sfincione from Prezzemolo & Vitale, or paper-wrapped cone of fresh seasonal fruit like donut peaches, juicy cherries and colorful plums from the market). 

Head 30-minutes out to the soft sand beaches of Mondello for the afternoon. Book your beach beds ahead online and choose your umbrella spot before getting stuck with whatever’s left on the spot. The “prima fila” front row is usually the most expensive but the first to get snatched up.

After heading back into the city, freshen up and take a little nap in the air-con before hitting the town for the night. Start with a cocktail at Botanico Bar before it becomes too crowded, grab a pizza at Fúnnaco, and head to Dal Barone for a bottle of natural wine for your night cap.

DAY 3

Meet me, Linda Sarris, for a private, chef-led, market tour and street food tasting at 10AM. We’ll explore the over 1,000-year-old historic Ballarò market together. Besides the snacks in the market, we’ll stop in a few specialty shops for the my favorite coffee, granita, panelle, and cannoli. There are so many options in town — and you don’t want to waste a single bite on something that’s not the best of the best. Let me be your cicerone. Market tours book up quickly, check out my calendar to scoop up your spot.

Afterwards take some time to explore the city’s indoor sights. A few of my top picks are the Capuchin Catacombs, the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, and the Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini. Maybe do a bit of late afternoon shopping at Crita, INSULA, Ponticello Acquerello, or Edizioni Precarie.

In the evening dine out at Corona Trattoria (call ahead or ask me to reserve you a table). Settle into the local mood, drink what Orazio tells you to drink, eat what his father, Gianni, tells you to eat. This small family-owned seafood trattoria often has daily specials and they are always a big hit. Grab a digestivo over at Enoteca Picone before taking the passeggiata back to your hotel. Perhaps the night continues… you’re in Palermo after all, soak it all in.

Be sure to check out Linda’s incredible Sicilian travel guidebook Moon Sicily for more of her excellent local recommendations. She also offers custom itinerary services to plot your trip anywhere in the island, private weeklong villa rentals for groups, weeklong summer sailing trips with a private chef on-board, and food/wine-focused group tours throughout the year. Join her mailing list to learn more.