Stories and guides from our Sicily
No postcards: concrete advice from people who live in Palermo. What to eat, where to hike, which day trips are truly worth it, and the stories that explain this city.
How to Find the Sicilian Town Your Family Came From
Not sure which Sicilian town your great-grandfather left? Start with American records: passenger lists, naturalization files, surnames. The four facts you need.
What Survives in Sicilian Archives, and What Doesn't
Are Sicilian town hall and parish records still available? Since when they exist, what they contain, what has been lost, and what a good negative result looks like.
The Day You Go Back: What Actually Happens in Your Family's Town
What happens when you visit your family's town in Sicily: the parish priest, the town hall, the house, the relatives. Real opening hours, what to bring and what not to expect.
Street Art in Palermo: Where to See It and How to Read It
The Palermo neighbourhoods where street art tells the city’s story: Ballarò, Borgo Vecchio, Sperone and the unfinished hill of Pizzo Sella. What to see, how to visit respectfully, and why the walls here talk about the mafia, migration and renewal.
Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples from Palermo: Can You Do It in a Day?
How to visit Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples from Palermo: real distances and travel times, car, bus or organised tour, when to go to beat the heat, and how to add the Scala dei Turchi and Sciacca on the same day.
Palermo at Night: What to Do After Sunset
What to do in Palermo in the evening: where to watch the sunset, where to eat and drink after nine, the streets to stroll, the city’s legends told after dark, and practical tips for getting around at night.
Is Palermo Safe? An Honest Answer from Locals
Is Palermo safe for tourists? An answer from people who live here: the real risks (pickpockets, traffic, unofficial parking attendants), what the mafia really has to do with visitors, areas and times of day, and practical tips for getting around.
Gifting a Trip to Sicily: the Guide for Birthdays, Anniversaries and Special Occasions
Why a trip is the gift that never ends up in a drawer, how to choose it by occasion — birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor parties, graduations — and how to wrap it so the surprise actually works.
Hiking in Palermo: Monte Pellegrino, Monte Gallo and the Trails Above the Sea
The pilgrim climb to the Santa Rosalia sanctuary, the Capo Gallo lighthouse trail, the Sferracavallo sunset loop: the best hikes from central Palermo, with difficulty, seasons and where to swim after.
Hidden Palermo: Secret Terraces, Underground Qanats and the Alleys Guides Skip
The rooftops with the best views over the city, the Arab-era qanat tunnels under the streets, the Capo alleys and the best golden-hour spots — the Palermo you find by looking up (and down).
Day Trips from Palermo: The 5 Worth Your Time (and How to Choose)
Segesta and Erice, Cefalù and the Tiberio Gorges, Agrigento and Scala dei Turchi, Zingaro Reserve, Monreale: honest travel times from Palermo, best seasons, and when a private tour beats a group one.
Understanding the Mafia in Palermo — Without the Hollywood Version
From Falcone and Borsellino to Addiopizzo and the pizzo-free economy: why a mafia tour in Palermo is worth doing — if it tells the story of the people who fought back.
Palermo Street Food: A Local’s Honest Guide
Panelle, arancine, sfincione, pani ca meusa and cannoli: what to actually eat in Palermo, where locals buy it in the Ballarò, Vucciria and Capo markets, what it costs and when to go.
Palermo Off-Season: Why October to April Is the Smart Time to Come
Palermo in autumn and winter: 15°C in January, no queues at the monuments, citrus season, prices cut in half and a seafront you can walk all year. A month-by-month guide for off-season travellers.
Arab-Norman Palermo: A Guide to the UNESCO Route
Cappella Palatina, Martorana, San Cataldo, Zisa, the Cathedral and Monreale: a practical guide to Palermo’s Arab-Norman UNESCO site. Why this fusion is unique in Europe, the right order to visit, tickets and timing.
Sicilian Desserts in Palermo: Cannolo, Cassata and Brioche with Gelato
A guide to the Sicilian desserts worth eating in Palermo: how to spot a serious cannolo (filled to order), real cassata, iris, brioche with gelato and setteveli. Plus the seasonal sweets you only find in certain months.
Palermo's Markets: Ballarò, Capo and Vucciria (An Honest Guide)
What Palermo's three historic markets really are today: Ballarò the living market, Capo for food, Vucciria for nightlife. The right hours, what to buy and taste, and how to photograph without being a nuisance.
Palermo in 3 Days: A Realistic Itinerary
A 3-day Palermo itinerary written by locals: old town and markets, the Arab-Norman route with Monreale, then Mondello beach or a day trip. With honest timings, where to eat cheap and the mistakes most visitors make.
Palermo with Kids: What Actually Works (and What Doesn't)
Sicilian puppet theatre, markets as a sensory adventure park, gelato in a brioche, Mondello's shallow water and the catacombs question: an honest family guide, stroller reality included.
Boat Trips from Palermo & Mondello: What to Expect, See and Bring
The Capo Gallo sea caves, swim stops in the gulf of Mondello, sunset sails: what a half-day boat trip from Palermo really looks like, private vs shared, and why small boats beat big ones every time.
Cefalù from Palermo: an Honest Guide
The train is the smart way in, the Norman cathedral alone justifies the trip, La Rocca is an early-morning climb or nothing, and the August beach is not the brochure: what to know before you go — plus the Gole di Tiberio alternative.
Favignana & the Egadi Islands as a Day Trip from Palermo
Hydrofoils from Trapani, why a bike is the only sensible way around, Cala Rossa and Bue Marino, the Florio tuna fishery and kayaking the coast: the real logistics of doing Favignana in a day from Palermo — and when not to.
Mondello and the Best Beaches Near Palermo
Mondello with its Liberty-style kiosks, the Barcarello rocks under Capo Gallo, Sferracavallo and the locals-only strip at Vergine Maria: how to get there by bus, when they get packed and when the water is actually warm.
Ready to live these stories in person?
Tours and experiences in Palermo and western Sicily, led by locals.