Page 163 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

Despite being one of Sicily’s busiest international beach resorts, Cefalù, just an
hour east of Palermo, has a parallel life as a small-scale fishing port. Not only
does it have a superb beach, an appealing historic centre, and a stupendous
medieval cathedral with some of the best mosaic-work on the whole island, but on

its doorstep are the Monti Madonie, a high mountain range and regional park. It’s
easy to explore the mountains by car – even in just a day-trip from the coast
you’ll be able to circle the high passes between Castelbuono and the twin towns
of Petralia Soprana and Petralia Sottana.

There are plenty of other good day-trips from Cefalù. West, en route to Palermo, lies

the archeological site of Greek Himera, the old spa town of Termini Imerese and the
blustery hill-top stronghold of Caccamo, which features the best-preserved of Sicily’s
Norman castles. To the east (towards Messina), it’s the Tyrrhenian coast that holds
sway, hugged by road, rail and motorway, at its best an eye-catching succession of
cliff and cove, sandy strips and citrus groves, though all too often eclipsed by

monotonous tourist developments. The ceramics town of Santo Stefano di Camastra
is a nice little resort, while from Castel di Tusa you can trace the mammoth sculptures
of the Fiumara d’Arte trail. Another appealing base, the town of Patti has an
untouched historic centre, a lively shingle beachfront, abundant good cheer and a

convent serving some of the best – and cheapest – feasts in the region. The most
beautiful sands along this stretch of the Tyrrhenian, however, lie below the clifftop
sanctuary of Tindari at Marinello – a coastal nature reserve, with natural (and
shifting) salt lakes. Milazzo, treated by most as a departure point for the Aeolian
Islands, also has hidden charms – among them its recently restored Norman castle, and
the coves and beaches of the Capo di Milazzo.