From the many options that Sicily offers, people tend to gravitate towards Palermo and Catania. If you haven’t yet been to either, how do you choose between them? We’ll try to help you with that in today’s article. We’ll divide this article into rounds for specific categories to make it easier for you to see how these cities fare in your favourite category. Where will you find the best beach in Sicily? Which one is more interesting to explore? Let’s find out!
Catania vs Palermo: which has one better beaches?
In our opinion, the better choice, by far, would be Palermo. You’ll find plenty of charming sandy beaches around the city. Catania also has some options, though their main pulling point is the volcanic rocks in the beaches – which, while very cool, don’t exactly provide you with the best beach experience.
Palermo gets the first point of the day.
Catania vs Palermo: which one has more interesting monuments?
Both cities are wonderful, though we’d choose Palermo again (including the town of Monreale nearby). You’ll, of course, find plenty to see around both, including cathedrals, squares and museums, but we do still think that the capital wins this one. You can read more about Palermo’s sites here.
Palermo 2:0 Catania
Catania vs Palermo: which one has better tourist attractions?
If we’re not looking at historical significance, however, we’d argue that Catania has more charm. Mount Etna, the lovely fish market, the botanical garden or the nearby towns all make up a feeling which we can’t say Palermo has had for us. You can read more about attractions in Catania here.
Palermo 2:1 Catania
Catania vs Palermo: which one’s better for holidays with children?
Honestly, we would prefer it if you chose neither. Both are crowded, loud and generally unfriendly for children. We’d advise you to go to a smaller city, such as Trapani, or even smaller towns scattered all over the island.
Catania vs Palermo: which city is better for clubbing?
Catania is, mostly because its clubs are all located in the same general area, very close to the centre. In Palermo, on the other hand, you’d have to move between them a lot, mainly by taxis.
Palermo 2:2 Catania
Catania vs Palermo: which one is better for walking trips?
We have to admit, this one is near impossible for us to decide on. Both have some great options. Naturally, Catania has Mount Etna and its beautiful coastline. On the other hand, Palermo has its magnificent mountains and beaches. You’ll have to look up both and simply listen to what your heart tells you. The draw continues.
Catania vs Palermo: which one did we like better?
If we’re to be purely subjective and go off of the feelings we now have for each place, we must say, we remember Catania more fondly, at least the centre specifically. Palermo, on the other hand, had some great towns around it that made up for the difference. Depending on which side of life you’d prefer, meaning either large cities or small, quiet villages, that should dictate your choice. You can read more about what you can see on Sicily here.
Summary
Formally, we have an unsatisfying tie. Remember, however, that, really, both of these cities are great for most intents and purposes. Either one will be fine and the choice should, really, just be based on what you’re looking for in a trip and which one just kind of feels better to look at. If you really want us to draw such conclusions, though, then we’d say that you should visit Catania first, then Palermo. But who are we to tell you how to live your life?
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