Our tips for your breaks in Arab-Norman Sicily

It is well known that Sicily is at its best when it comes to gastronomy – so why not treat yourself to a little snack during your visit?

Cefalù will not only offer you a holiday by the most beautiful sea in Sicily, but will also give you the opportunity to discover the exceptional treasures of Arab-Norman origins that it holds. Here then is an itinerary to follow to discover the two most beautiful sides of Cefalù – its artistic wonders and its culinary tradition.

Your visit will begin with one of Cefalù’s top ten tourist attractions, the medieval wash house, a trace of the past, a symbol of Sicilian daily life, used by washerwomen to clean their laundry while singing the songs of popular tradition. It certainly won’t hurt to take a quick lunch break, to start your immersion in the local gastronomy without having to put your tour on hold. Da Enzo is the ideal place to try authentic Sicilian street food! A stone’s throw from Cefalù’s promenade, you can enjoy specialities such as sfincione, pizza, pane cunzatu and, of course, arancina! Thanks to the efficient take-away service (but also delivery!) you can keep on enjoying Sicily not only with your eyes, but also with your tastebuds.

After your leisurely lunch break, it will be time for a unique artistic experience: a visit to the Cefalù cathedral, a World Heritage Site since 2015, which houses the most beautiful mosaics still intact in all of Europe. As soon as you enter, you will immediately notice the Christ Pantocreator, a unique mosaic dating back to 1143, created in the Arab-Norman era.

In the atmospheric cathedral you can admire the cathedral while enjoying the queen of Sicilian pastries: her majesty the Sicilian Cassata, another inheritance from the Arab people (cassata from the Arabic ‘quas’at’).

And what if, after this immersion in culture and art, you feel like enjoying an excellent dinner overlooking the sea? The place for you is right on the seafront: it is Bottega Tivitti, the restaurant that has made experimentation with tastes and flavours its flagship. Delicious fish delicacies, but also pizza and burgers: here you can taste real Sicilian products reinterpreted in a modern key, enjoy pleasant aperitifs and savour the Sicilian tradition of being together with taste.