An Introduction to Cefalu...

Cefalu holidays are centred around the small, enchanting north coast town of Cefalu with its narrow lanes and picturesque houses. 

The town’s Moorish harbour is host to restaurants, pizzerias and bars perched on wooden balconies overlooking the sea.  There is a fine beach of golden sand. 

The best hotels in Cefalu are the 3 stars Hotel Le Calette and the 4 stars Hotel Alberi del Paradiso. Our Cefalu holiday flights operate from London Gatwick, London Stansted and Manchester to Palermo and Catania airports. The transfer time  to your hotel from Palermo airport is around 60 minutes and 110 minutes from Catania airport.  So book your Cefalu package holiday, Cefalu hotel or Cefalu flight with Holiday Options and don’t forget our Cefalu late deals and holiday offers at very special prices.

Cefalu is a small, enchanting town on the north coast. A fine beach of golden sand is well- complemented by a spectacular and intriguing old town with a labyrinth of narrow lanes and picturesque houses.

There is a pretty Moorish harbour front with restaurants, pizzerias and bars perched on wooden balconies overlooking the sea. Others are deep in the maze of the town or in the piazza by the beautiful, medieval Duomo.

Cefalu is an artist’s palette of colours centred around a picturesque and historic old town, and is one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets. Car hire recommended.

Diversity is all apparent on this big and beautiful island. Pick any nation from the ancient and medieval worlds and the odds are that its army landed here – Greeks and Romans, Byzantines and Bourbons, Arabs, Angevins and Aragonese. All left their mark on Sicily’s landscape and culture, providing a window on centuries past that will enthrall the history buffs. Temples and amphitheatres are set amid beautiful hillsides. Picturesque Taormina, perched on its cliff top, places equal focus on its castle, cathedral and cluster of chic shops and cafés. Cefalu is an atmospheric Moorish port. This is the magic of holidays in Sicily – that while its archaeological relics are gloriously preserved, the contemporary life of the island goes on around them, incorporates the past with the present, and creates a place where you delve into history almost by accident.

The island’s variety doesn’t stop at its architecture, for the scenery is just as splendid. Menacing it may be, but Mt. Etna’s past eruptions have delivered fantastically fertile soil for the citrus groves and arable farms, providing the fresh ingredients for a medley of Mediterranean menus. The island’s economy is firmly based on its home-grown produce and well-stocked fishing grounds. A drive in the country will bring you to citrus orchards, olive and almond groves, and field upon field of wheat, beans and salad vegetables, while a meal at the water’s edge could include the day’s catch of anything from sardines to swordfish.

A popular place for today’s Romans to visit in high summer, Sicily holidays have not been spoiled by tourism in great numbers, and there’s plenty of room here to find a hidden cove or tranquil village. Eat where the local people eat and really experience the atmosphere.

The island is renowned for its fabulous fresh food and for the variety of traditional dishes – which blend an Italian menu with more than a hint of Sicily’s Greek, Spanish and north African former inhabitants. Try pesce spada (swordfish) stuffed with a mix of mozzarella, herbs and brandy, pasta con le sarde (fresh sardines), caponata (a speciality of anchovies, olives and aubergines), or triglie alla Siciliana  - red mullet in an orange peel and white wine sauce. Candied fruits, bitter chocolate and a feast of ice creams will finish the meal superbly for those with a sweet tooth, and locally grown strawberries, grapes and apricots are seasonally on the menu. Wines to look out for include Settesoli, Donnafugata, Zucco, Etna, Montavagno and the aromatic whites and reds of Corvo di Salaparuta.

Sunbeds and parasols are available on all this island’s major shores. There’s a gorgeous beach of fine golden sand at Cefalu. From the heights of Taormina, a cable car takes you effortlessly to Mazzaro beach below, while the long and gently-shelving beach of Giardini Naxos is perfect for water’s edge walks.

The crystal clear waters around the Aeolian Islands are excellent for scuba diving and there are also dive centres at Cefalu and Taormina. Diving, windsurfing and pedaloes are available from Taormina’s Villa Sant’Andrea beach, and there’s a wide range of watersports from the beach at Giardini Naxos.

Many of the larger hotels offer entertainment in the evenings, and there are lively bars and nightspots in the Giardini Naxos and Taormina areas. However, the island’s general evening ambience is in typical Mediterranean style, promenading in the streets and squares, choosing a water’s edge table or atmospheric old-world restaurant for a meal that lasts most of the evening, and perhaps going on to a café / bar for a spot of people-watching from a pavement table.

A good road completely circles the island and there are several more criss-crossing its interior. To find the timeless villages untouched by tourism, take off at a tangent here and there on the minor roads through the mountains. Boat trips are excellent for exploring the coastline from a marine vantage point. Local bus services are generally reliable and well frequented by tourists. Taxis are readily available and inexpensive.