This lovely park is located not far from the Cattedrale di Palermo and the Norman Palace along Via…read moreVittorio Emanuele. Paved paths, a fountain at the center and lots of greenery. Many of the trees are palm trees because of course, Palermo is on the Mediterranean Sea and even in January there will be green. In the Summer, I would imagine that this would be quite the spot to hang out and get out of the bright sun. But for us in winter, it was just a pleasant spot to pass through on our way to lunch. [Review 12823 overall, 138 of 2020.]

This is the ultimate beach experience in Carini. It's a small town but the beaches are gorgeous,…read moreand this place really is in the perfect spot. This beach club is at the end of the lungomare in Baglio Antica which is primarily a stone beach and, although beautiful, not comfortable for everyone. Marrakech is your perfect solution. During the day, it's advertised as a 'solarium,' meaning you can come here, rent a beach chair and umbrella for a few euros, and take the sun while lounging on the deck and listening to music. They have a bar for drinks and small bites too so it's a perfect way to spend the day. When you get too hot and need a dip (and you will, because Sicilian summers are no joke), they have a step entrance into the crystal clear waters. It's a tropical paradise, and if you are visiting Palermo, I highly suggest you rent a car and drive 25 minutes to this spot. The locals love it, so it has to be good. At night, it's a bar lounge. Don't wear stilettos though because (a) the walkway to this bar is on pebbles/beach rocks and (b) if it's the weekend, you'll be dancing and on your feet the whole night. I've been here countless times in the evening and it's the perfect place to relax after a day at the beach. With the drinks flowing, music on point, and stunning views of mountain, sea, and city, I'm not sure you could ask for more on a warm Sicilian night. The crowd is a mix of young and old. You'll see teens, families, and an older crowd all blended together and enjoying the same space. If your looking for a more quiet evening but still want to take in the views and have a drink, come here during the week. It will be much more quiet. I've never been there during off-season like fall or winter, but I know they do tons of events for holidays and on weekends, as long as weather permits. Don't miss out on this place.

Summer theatre in Palermo! A most beautiful garden surrounds the open air stage in western part of…read morethe city. Here you can spend some time before and after the performance, having a coffee or a glass of wine. Hard to believe you can find something like it in the rest of the world. As always in Palermo history is connected to present time and often to an idea of the future. Impressing indeed!

Just a short bus ride away from one of the filthiest and hectic sites in the western world there is…read morethis lovely spot, surrounded by cliffs with soft sand, clear blue waters and plenty of cheap gellato. Best time to visit is shortly before or after the summer season, as usually during summer momths most of the beach is occupied by commercial operators that charge an arm n a leg in order to enjoy a piece of sand.

We arrived at Lido Valdesi to our four pre-booked, pre-paid beds and found two of them already…read morecovered with someone else's belongings. Since we had the reservation, we moved the items aside and set up on our beds. The woman whose things they were then showed up and insisted the beds were hers, despite not having a wristband confirming payment. Things escalated quickly, we ended up face to face in a heated argument, and while I went to find staff, she physically lay down on top of my friend, who was already on the bed, and refused to get up. Staff and security got involved but told us they "couldn't touch her because she's a female," leaving us to resolve it ourselves. My friends spent a good chunk of the morning on edge, worried the women would come back. Despite paying in advance and dealing with a situation staff should have handled, we received nothing beyond a verbal apology , no refund, no gesture of goodwill. That said, we didn't let it ruin our day, Mondello itself is gorgeous, and once things settled we had an amazing time. But if you're paying for a reserved spot, know that staff may not step in to actually enforce it.

Sat one early morning, drinking my second cup of coffee, overlooking the English Garden. Prepared…read moremyself for a visit to the Villa Trabia, a few minutes away, having some expectations, as always. Went out, crossed the street, walked up to the gate of the villa. Not so much to expect, so far. No tourists, just a few locals having their morning run. Birds, though, plenty of them, singing and opening their wings in the breeze. Just a few steps and you experience a unique atmosphere. Once this garden had 2700 species. Today only 150 remains. But past and present can´t be separated - it´s all there. The grandeur, the greatness, is still present. Nothing is perfect, the decline can be seen everywhere, but beauty remains and the romantic impression is without sentimentality. The Villa Trabia holds an art library. A sweet lady showed me around. The house filled with students reading, listening to music, watching film videos - studying art, right in the eye of art itself. Sat down on a bench underneath a very big tree, talked to an engaged gardener, telling me the names of the trees. Flowers from one of them covered the ground. Left the Villa Trabia through another gate? Yes, I did. But not really. Still inside.

They have a slide and swings and monkey bars. Tons of green space. Romantic benches. People playing…read moresoccer. Watch out for some broken parts of the playground.

Due to the bad weather in Catania, I wasn't able to visit Mount Etna so sad so was excited to…read morediscover a local hike in Palermo. From the old area it's about an hour walk to the base of this little rocky hill then the hike begins on cobble stoned pedestrian/bike only road up the mountain with amazing views of the city. It's very quiet - i only saw couple of bikers pass and tranquil with birds chirping and later a herd of sheep. The signage is a little confusing as you reach the church at top and I missed the church to take the bus back and ended up at top of the mountain where the huge towers are. Trekked back to the church to catch the bus back to the city as it was getting dark. The hike is only about an hour and fairly easy. The buses do not run frequently - about every 90 minutes but there are a few coffee shops by the church. The town has a pilgrimage walk to the mountain each year so if you happen to be in town during that time, you can join the hundreds of people on the voyage. value 5/5 atmosphere 4/5 service 3/5 quality 3/5 15/20