A Day in Cefalù

MARCH 17, 2025: Today we took a day trip to Cefalù, often listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Our day began on foot as we headed to the parking lot to pick up our rental car. On the way, we passed a local ceramic artist’s workshop, where a row of ceramic fish caught our eye. It’s become a tradition for us to bring home a ceramic fish from each trip, a small piece of local art to remind us of where we’ve been. This artist’s fish all had a slight frown—very fitting given our overall feelings about Palermo. We selected one to add to our growing collection.

Getting out of Palermo by car was its own challenge. Once again, Google Maps led us down streets far too narrow for driving and even pointed us the wrong way on one-way roads. Maneuvering through the historic district was stressful, but once we reached the highway, it was an easy drive for about an hour east to Cefalù.

Cefalù is truly stunning—a charming seaside town with cobbled streets, colorful facades, and interesting stores. However, as with every stop on our travels, our first destination was to seek out traces of the town’s Jewish past. Like many Sicilian towns, Cefalù once had a small Jewish community that was forced to leave after the expulsion of 1492. Today, the only remnants are the Porta Giudecca (Jewish Gate) and Via Giudecca (Jewish Street). Both appear on municipal tourist maps posted throughout the town, but finding the two sites wasn’t so straightforward.

We walked through the town towards area of the former Jewish Quarter.

While most sites on the city map were clearly marked with signs at their exact locations, the Jewish Gate had no signage nearby, making it difficult to identify. We knew it was one of the arched openings in the old city wall, but with several to choose from, we weren’t sure which one it was – until we spotted a small explanatory plaque on the main road and assumed the closest arch was the Jewish Gate.

As for Via Giudecca, there were no street signs at all at our end. Only after Mark walked the full length of the long street did he find a sign confirming we were in the right place.

With our “Wandering Jew” quest complete, we strolled through the lovely town and headed toward the beach.

The sun was shining, and Cefalù quickly became one of our favorite spots in Sicily. Fun fact: while the hotel scenes in White Lotus Season 2 were filmed in Taormina, the beautiful beach scenes were shot here in Cefalù.

It was hot, so I treated myself to a strawberry granita—a classic Sicilian frozen dessert made from water, sugar, and natural flavoring, somewhere between a sorbet and a slushie. Cold, sweet, and perfect for a sunny afternoon.

Towering above Cefalù is La Rocca, the Rock of Cefalù, a 270 m high promontory overlooking over the town. We hiked part of the way up and were rewarded with stunning panoramic views.

Climbing La Rocca was a memorable way to end our visit in Cefalù and afterwards we headed back to Palermo.

Once we were back in Palermo, we had the same challenges as in the morning – navigating narrow streets and following inaccurate Google Maps directions. Somehow, we ended up right in front of our apartment building, where a single, very narrow parking spot was miraculously available. Mark parked, but the space was so tight I had to exit the car before he pulled in. Mark then had to climb out the car window. We then realized the window wouldn’t close – and he couldn’t get back inside. Solution? He popped the trunk, climbed through it and over the car seats, shut the window from inside, and exited the same way. Definitely not an easy parking job, but still preferable than to continue driving trying to reach the parking garage.

Tomorrow we leave Palermo. We originally planned an extra day here, but we went to Catania to hear the Purim Megillah instead. If we had had more time, I would have liked to tour the inside of the Palermo Cathedral and visit its rooftop for the panoramic views and also stroll down Via della Libertà, Palermo’s elegant, upscale boulevard—the city’s answer to the Champs-Élysées. Something to look forward to for next time.