The tiny town of Cefalù, Sicily is perfect for a 3-day weekend trip. It is located just an hour outside of Palermo, and being a small town, it is very easy to slip into relaxation and holiday mode while you’re there. The town is set between the waters on the North coast and “La Rocca”, a towering granite mass set above the village.
For a weekend trip, transportation is the most important since you don’t want to waste too much precious time on getting to your destination. Luckily, getting to Cefalù from the UK is simple. From London alone, the quickest way is to fly from London Heathrow to Palermo, a 2 hour 55 minute flight, then to train from Punta Raisi to Palermo Centrale (1 hour 11 minute), then a train from Palermo Centrale to Cefalù (56 minute). Arguably the next most important thing for any trip is accommodation. It is highly suggested and very common to rent one of the many villas in Cefalù available on websites like Wishsicily for example, instead of staying in a hotel. It is surprisingly inexpensive and offers the comforts of a private home for your weekend away.
During your time in Cefalù, you can relax along the beautiful sandy beach and explore around the town. You can visit the Cefalù Cathedral that gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015 (admission is free!), climb the 270 meters to reach the top of La Rocca for gorgeous views, and choose one of the many establishments along the beachfront to relax at. Cefalù is also known for its beautiful sunsets. To understand a bit more of town’s history, you can visit the Museo Mandralisca, which is the town museum. 3 days, for most people, is not so long of a trip where you want to be running around the whole time, but have just enough options so there are things to do and everyone is happy. If you want to venture outside of Cefalù, you can also visit another one (or few!) of Sicily’s beautiful cities.
The food and wine in Sicily is fresh and wonderfully authentic. You can find classic Italian dishes along with those that are particular to Sicily. Cefalù naturally has fresh seafood that is a must to try, ‘pasta con le sarde’ and ‘pasta alla norma’ are unique Sicilian dishes that you will see on many menus, and desserts, such as cannoli, cassata and granita, are a specialty of Sicily. The island is one Italy’s top wine travel destinations and there are local wines produced and available to try during your visit.
The island of Sicily has layers upon layers of cultural history that you can see and feel while you are there. The small towns, such as Cefalù, are unlike any you will see elsewhere (even in other parts of Italy) and offer a special pace of life, food, warmth and culture that is perfect to help slip into a well-deserved holiday. If you only have 3 days, make it count in a town as unique as Cefalù!
