Palermo is one of the best places to visit in Sicily, be it for its wonderful attractions or just the sights. But can you also go to the beach in Palermo? Kind of. There are a few tiny segments which are beach-like in Palermo, though most of the good stuff is just a bit away from the centre. Don’t fret, it’s not too far and certainly well worth it. What are the best beaches in Palermo? Let’s find out!
Addaura
Adduaura is a seaside village very close to Palermo. Though Addaura is mostly aimed at more… affluent holidaygoers, we can still relax on its wonderful rocky beaches. There are also good clubs, cafes and restaurants here. You can opt for private beaches which are a bit higher quality with all the necessary equipment or, like the rest of us, mortals, dwell on a public one.
Balestrate
As for sandy beaches, there’s the area of Balestrate. Though the beach is wonderful, wide and sandy, it doesn’t have many facilities around it – or, rather, it has none. You’ll have to walk quite a good way for a dinner or drink. This is both a curse and a blessing, though, as it means that the beach is usually not very busy and certainly peaceful.
Capaci
We can also recommend the small town of Capaci. It’s located about a 30-minute-drive away from Palermo. You’ll find several really charming beaches here – the sandy Capaci beach and the Tropical Beach right next to it, as well as some private beaches. It’s easy to get to and easy to park, though it’s usually very crowded.
Capo Gallo
The reserve, located a little north of the famous Mondello, is a place of two things: rocky beaches and not being constrained by the silly concept of clothes. That’s because, well, the beaches are pretty rocky and one of the beaches here, located at the very end of the path, is a nudist beach.
It’s a great place for a walk. You can see the remains of military buildings here but you have to pay a whole €1 to enter the reserve. We stress that this is a nature reserve so you won’t rent anything here or go to a pub. Sunbathe all you want, stick your whatever you wish out, but do behave respectfully within the confines of the reserve.
Cinisi
For those of you with a rented car in Sicily, we also have the town of Cinisi. Sadly, that’s about 25 miles away. The most famous beach in Cinisi is the Magaggiari Beach, located on Via Impastato Peppino. It is also one of the best beaches in the area around Palermo – it has all the equipment you could possibly want around a beach and a good range of restaurants and cafes in the immediate vicinity. As you can imagine, however, this means that it’s very crowded in the high season.
Isola delle Femmine
Another area to the north of Palermo, we have the small resort of Isola delle Femmine, full of various beaches and beach clubs. The largest free beach in the resort is the sandy beach at Viale dei Saraceni with a fairly good infrastructure – though there are no cafés or restaurants. The advantage here is that the beach is huge, so even if the crowds gather, you’ll still find something for yourself. The water is quite shallow at the shore, so you can come here with children. Sadly, another crowded one.
Mondello
Next beach on our list is Mondello Beach located in… Mondello. It’s about 9 miles from the centre of Palermo. It’s one of the most famous beaches in Sicily. Mondello is a sandy beach with sand almost white. The beach is famous for its pier with an Art Nouveau pavilion, very good tourist equipment and the really lovely colour of the water. It is one of the most charming places on the whole island, we really loved it too. You can even get here from Palermo by bus. And, obviously, given that it’s one of the most famous spots, it’s also one of the most crowded.
Sferracavallo
You can find the rocky Sferracavallo about 30 minutes away from Palermo (by car). It’s surrounded by small mountains and it’s generally a very stoney area. It’s not the most picturesque beach ever, but it’s certainly not going to be as crowded as the sandy paradise spots, so you can at least relax in peace.
Terrasini
Just outside Cinisi, there’s a small town, Terasini. You can find a small beach here which is usually not too crowded and has a unique advantage – the cliffs surrounding it actually provide quite a bit of shade, so it’s a good spot for when things get really hot. We wouldn’t say that it’s the tippy top of the beaches in the Palermo area – it’s small, often a bit dirty and generally not as exciting as the rest. Still, it’s an option for if you’re visiting in the high season and the aforementioned sandy beaches are overcrowded.
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