Want to know the best things to do in Cefalù? If you’re visiting Sicily, Cefalù should definitely be part of your Sicily itinerary.
Cefalù is a beautiful coastal town on the north coast of Sicily. It’s famed for its golden beaches, a medieval old town with narrow winding streets, and breathtaking views from the top of La Rocca, a huge limestone cliff which overlooks the town.
We visited Cefalù as part of our three week road trip around Sicily in our campervan. We spent two days in the town, and it is definitely one of the places in Sicily we would love to come back to. Even though we got a parking fine here (more on that later!)
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Purchasing through these links supports our work and allows us to continue bringing you travel guides, like this, for free. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission from qualifying sales. Thank you for your support.
Best things to do in Cefalù
Whether you’re visiting Cefalù in the summer or winter, there is plenty of things to see and do in this beautiful town.
Hike La Rocca di Cefalù
La Rocca (or the Rock of Cefalù) stand 270m above the town, dominating the landscape.
You can hike up La Rocca for the best views of the town and all the way along the Tyrrhenian Coast. This is a moderately challenging hike, but well worth it for the ruins at the top and of course those views.
The path begins with well formed steps (built in the 1980s) which take you up to the old city walls. You’ll then follow a rough path up the side of the hill to the old fortress at the top.
If you’re not feeling up to walking all the way and you still want to enjoy the best views of the town, follow the signs to the archeological site. Just after the Temple of Diana you’ll come to a lookout. From here you can see out over the orange roofs of the old town and the imposing cathedral.
The Rock of Cefalù is located within a Nature Reserve with a €5 entry fee. There is a machine at the entry to pay your entrance fee, and a lady there helped us. You can pay by cash or card.
The nature reserve is open from 9am to 7pm from April to October, and 9am to 5pm from November to March. We visited in January and returned after the park had closed. There was a padlock on the gate but we were able to climb over the fence to get out.
La Rocca di Cefalù was one of our favourite hikes in Sicily.
Cathedral of Cefalù
The most famous attraction in the town is the Norman-style Cefalù Cathedral, a UNESCO-listed site. The actual listing is “Arab-Norman architecture in Palermo and the Cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù”. Wow, that’s a mouthful!
The cathedral features two large towers at the front. The interior is decorated with stunning golden Byzantine mosaics above the altar. These feature an enormous Christ Pantocrator, (Ruler of the Universe). Underneath Christ is the Virgin Mary, four Archangels and twelve apostles and evangelists.
The cathedral is free to enter and you can pay to get closer to the mosaics or to visit the towers. We were unable to find any ticket booth when we were there.
Porta Pescara
The Porta Pescara is the only remaining of the four original gates in the city walls. This arched walkway leads you through to the beach and harbour area.
Beaches of Cefalù
Cefalù has some of the best beaches in Sicily. There are two main beach areas, the Molo 19 area, which you access through the Porta Pescara, and the Lungomare. The Lungomare (Seafront) is a long stretch of sand, with both public and private beaches.
You can expect to pay around €30 for a beach lounge and umbrella during the summer months, but in winter, when we visited, there was barely anyone on the beaches.
Molo di Cefalù
The Cefalù Wharf is one of the most popular photo spots in Cefalù. From here you get beautiful views of the town in front of La Rocca.
Sea Antenna
If you look closely, you’ll see the “Sea Antenna” on the wall to the right as you come out of the Porta Pescara. This long pole is used for an exciting competition during the Festival of San Salvatore, during the first week in August.
The pole is hung out over the pier, greased up with tallow, and men try to walk out along it to retrieve a flag hung at the end. You can see a video of this (in Italian) here.
Lavatoio Medievale (Medieval Wash house)
The medieval wash house is an old public laundry, dating back to the early 16th century. The wash house is located four metres below street level and is accessed by a winding staircase made of limestone.
Once inside, you can see the original stone basins used to wash clothes, and the original cast iron spigots (several with lion’s heads) used to bring the fresh water into the wash house.
It’s free to enter the wash house, but please note, any form of bathing or washing your person here is forbidden.
Museo Mandralisca
This small museum has art and history exhibits. It was the 19th century private collection of the Baron of Mandralisca and is housed in his former home. The most famous piece in here is the enigmatic “Portrait of a Man” by Antonello da Messina – which has been called the male Mona Lisa.
The Mandralisca Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and costs €8. Sadly we were there on a Monday and it was closed.
Wander the old town
The streets of the old town of Cefalù are perfect for wandering – these narrow cobbled streets are lined with shops and restaurants. As you walk further away from the sea, you will see locals going about their daily lives, hanging out their laundry, and chatting with one another over their balconies.
Throughout the city we notices small shrines, especially to SS Salvatore, the patron saint of Cefalù.
Cefalù Travel Guide – Essential information
How to get to Cefalù
By Air
The closest airport is Palermo, from here you can hire a car and drive to Cefalù, or take the train.
By Car
To get to Cefalù from Palermo take A19 motorway in the direction of Messina/Catania and then turn off onto the A20 which continues eastwards following the coast. Cefalù is 70km (40 miles) from Palermo and the journey should take you around an hour.
When we drove this route, the condition of the A19 leaving Palermo wasn’t great, there were rough patches and potholes – so take your time here!
If you’re driving to Cefalù from Messina you can take the A20 westward all the way along the coast. From Catania to Messina, take the A19 until you reach the coast and then turn right (eastwards) on the A20 along the coast
By Train
You can take a train from Palermo to Cefalù. Trains leave several times a day, and the journey will take between 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the number of stops). A second class ticket costs €8 for an adult.
For more information about trains to buy a ticket check out the Italy Rail website (in English).
Where to Park in Cefalù
There are several parking lots near the Railway Station, and a couple of others along the seafront. There is street parking along the seafront that is free during the winter, but this is for cars only! We parked here and got a ticket.
If you’re visiting Cefalù with a campervan or motorhome, be aware that there is not a lot of parking, especially in the off-season. After getting a parking fine, we parked the next day in the train station carpark which costs €1 per hour.
Where to stay in Cefalù
We visited Cefalù in January 2025, and found it difficult to find somewhere to stay in our campervan. The Camper Sostas that we found on Park4Night were all closed for the winter. There are a couple of campsites to the west, near the town of Mazzaforno – we would probably check them out if we were returning.
If you’ve hired a car and need a room, check out booking.com for availability and pricing. Remember, if you’re staying in the old town, the streets are cobbled, which could make dragging a wheeled suitcase difficult!
FAQs
Is Cefalù worth visiting?
Cefalù is one of over 300 “I Borghi più belli d’Italia” or most beautiful villages in Italy. We would rate it based on the beaches (ok, they’re not Australian standard, but probably the best beaches we saw in Sicily), the quaint old town, friendly locals, amazing cathedral, and excellent hiking trail.
How many days in Cefalù?
While you can certainly do a day trip to Cefalù from Palermo (it’s less than an hour on the train), we believe it’s worth spending a couple of days there. Hike up La Rocca on the first day (and relax on the beach in the afternoon – you’ve earned it!). Then explore the town the next day.
When is the best time to visit Cefalù?
As with all of Sicily, the peak tourist season is in the summer. It’s particularly busy here in August when the Italians take their summer holidays. Expect the beaches to be very busy, and you’ll be paying higher prices for accommodation.
We visited Cefalù in January – we felt it was perfect weather for hiking La Rocca, but a lot of the restaurants and shops were closed. Of course it wasn’t beach weather then!
Spring or Autumn would be beautiful here – you’d miss the oppressive heat (and crowds) of summer, yet it would still be warm enough for the beach.
Where to Next?
Continue your Sicily Road Trip with a visit to the capital Palermo to enjoy the amazing street food. Or, head to Mt Etna for some more epic hiking.
Got questions about travelling in Sicily? Send us a message and we’ll be in touch.