Day 3- Cefalù and Palermo

After a good breakfast, it's time to ride to Cefalù! Cefalù is a beautiful sea town on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily and is one of the major tourist attractions in the region. Despite its size, every year it attracts millions of tourists from all parts of Sicily and also, from all over Italy and Europe, for its incredible beauty and its seaside. I suggest to park your car outside the center of the city and have a little walk through it.

Let's relax before starting your tour, let's enjoy the view of the sea, and then let's go to visit the monuments that interest us!

Let's admire this square before to start your visit to the near and suggestive Duomo, from which the square takes its name "Piazza Duomo"

The Cathedral, begun in 1131, was built in a Norman architecture style, which would be more accurately called Sicilian Romanesque. The exterior is well preserved, and is largely decorated with interlacing pointed arches; the windows also are pointed. On each side of the façade is a massive tower. The round-headed Norman portal is worthy of note. A semi-circular apse is set into the east end wall. Its strengthening counterforts that work like buttresses, are shaped as paired columns to lighten their aspect. The groined vaulting of the roof is visible in the choir and the right transept, while the rest of the church has a wooden roof. Fine cloisters, coeval with the cathedral, adjoin it. The cathedral is one of nine structures comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale. If you want to have a virtual tour of the beauties of Cefalù Cathedral here is a virtual tour for you!

Museo Mandralisca may not rank among Italy’s (or Sicily’s) largest cultural attractions, but visitors say it’s still worth making a stop. That’s because this small, privately owned destination is a Mecca for Greek ceramics, Arab pottery and some incredible Italian Renaissance portraits, such one a very famous Unknown Sailor, painted by Antonello da Messina, which has known as "The second most famous smile in the world after the Mona Lisa", as you can read here. The museum dates back nearly two centuries and houses the personal art collection of Barone Mandralisca.

Let's do a good lunch in this nice restaurant!

Let's enjoy the panoramic view of the city before heading to your next destination!

During the 11th century the area was conquered by the Normans and they probably built this beautiful Castle around 1063. The present building probably dates back to the 12th century. Archaeological evidence tells that it was probably destroyed by fire at the end of the 13th century. The castle was used during the 14th and 15th centuries, underwent extensive rearrangements between the 16th and 17th century and during the 19th century saw the total and definitive abandonment of the complex that, meanwhile, had lost military importance.
The top of Cefalù Rock with the castle now serves as a archaeological city park. It is freely accessible during daytime. Getting to the castle however is quite hard as the only way to get up this 270 meters high mountain is walking up a very long and winding footpath. And although the ruins may not be that impressive, the views from the rock over the surrounding land and sea are beautiful.

Have a shower, take a little bit of relax and then... you can get out for the evening!

Our evening continues in the name of relax, so let's take a walk around this square before going to dinner

It's dinner time, so... let's go! In this place you can taste some great sandwiches! Zangaloro blends the culinary tradition of Palermo with quality ingredients and new interpretations of cuisine!

This is one of the most beautiful squares where you can have a pleasant walk in the evening in Palermo, enjoying the splendid buildings that surround you, such as the magnificent Politeama Theater, built in neoclassical style!

Before returning home, have a piece of cake to the very famous Spinnato cafe! I suggest to taste the cassata siciliana or a ricotta cannolo...or everything else you will decide to taste! After a look at all the displayed cakes, it will be very difficult for you to choose!

Our third day is over! Let's back to the apartment!