“Palermo is a working capital rather than a resort: Norman, Arab and Baroque stacked on a few streets, the best markets in Sicily, and the island’s most straightforward embarkation.”
In short. Palermo is Sicily’s capital and the gateway to the north and west coasts. It has proper marina capacity, which most Sicilian ports do not, and the airport is about 35 minutes from the berths. The Aeolians are roughly 100 nautical miles east. A crewed week in Italy starts near €80,000.
The city is loud and layered and much more interesting for it. Twelfth-century Byzantine mosaics sit under an Arab wooden ceiling in the Cappella Palatina, the markets at Ballarò and Capo are working food markets rather than attractions, and the whole thing is walkable in a day.
For charter purposes it is mainly a base port with a very good day attached. A Sicily week starting here can run west to the Egadi Islands or east along the north coast towards the Aeolians, which gives it more routing flexibility than any other Sicilian base.
Must-dos in Palermo
- The Cappella Palatina, the single most impressive interior in Sicily
- Monreale, twenty minutes up the hill, the larger version of the same idea
- Ballarò and Capo markets, where the crews provision; go with the chef if offered
- Mondello, the city beach with an anchorage in front of it
- San Vito lo Capo and the Zingaro reserve, the clearest water on this side of the island
On this page: the city · the markets · Mondello and the west · where yachts tie up · what it costs · distances · when to go
The Cappella Palatina, Monreale and the old city
The Cappella Palatina inside the Norman Palace is the one to see: a twelfth-century chapel where Byzantine mosaics sit under an Arab muqarnas ceiling, built for a Norman king. Nothing else in Sicily puts the island’s three cultures in one room so completely.
The cathedral at Monreale, twenty minutes up the hill, is the larger version of the same idea, with the mosaics covering the whole nave. If there is time for one excursion out of the city, this is it.
In the city itself the cathedral, the Quattro Canti and the Teatro Massimo are within a few streets of each other, and the Baroque churches between them are better than their exteriors suggest. It is a half day on foot without hurrying.
Ballarò, Capo and the markets
The street markets are the other reason to spend a day here. Ballarò and Capo are working food markets rather than tourist attractions, loud and crowded and genuinely Sicilian, and they are where crews provision.
If your chef offers to take guests along, say yes. It is the best hour of a Palermo day: swordfish and tuna, caciocavallo, capers, blood oranges in season, and the fried street food the city is known for.
Mondello, Cefalù and the coast either side
West of the city, Mondello is the local beach with an anchorage in front of it: a long crescent of pale sand under Monte Pellegrino, with an Art Nouveau bathing house out on piles. It is twenty minutes from the marinas by tender or car and the usual first swim of a week that starts here.
Further round, San Vito lo Capo and the Zingaro reserve give you the clearest water on this side of the island, and beyond them lie the Egadi Islands off Trapani, which are quiet and underrated and the strongest route west out of Palermo.
The north coast between Palermo and Milazzo is exposed to the north and has few genuinely sheltered anchorages, with Cefalù the main exception. It is a coast to transit on a settled forecast rather than to linger on, which matters when planning a week that starts here and finishes in the islands.
Where yachts actually tie up at Palermo
- Marina Villa Igiea and Marina Yachting Palermo both take large yachts and sit close to the city. This is the most straightforward embarkation on the island.
- The commercial port handles anything bigger.
- At anchor off Mondello for a swim before or after the city day, twenty minutes west.
Palermo Falcone Borsellino airport is about 35 minutes from the marinas with direct flights from most of western Europe through the summer. For guests coming from further afield, connecting through Rome or Milan is usually cleaner than routing via Catania. Our guide to where to start an Italy charter compares the bases.
What a week out of Palermo costs
A crewed week in Italy starts around €80,000 for a motor yacht, with most weeks between €150,000 and €300,000 and the top of the market at €300,000 to €500,000 and above. On top come an advance provisioning allowance of roughly 25 to 35 per cent, Italian VAT at 22 per cent and a gratuity of usually 5 to 15 per cent. See our Italy charter cost guide, APA and VAT.
Sicily is better value than Sardinia at the same calibre of yacht, and Palermo is the cheapest comfortable embarkation on the island. Berths here cost a fraction of Porto Cervo or Capri in August and the provisioning is better and cheaper than anywhere else in the region.
Fitting Palermo into the week
Palermo works best as an embarkation or disembarkation point rather than a mid-week stop.
| From | Distance | At 12 knots |
| Mondello | 5 nm | 25 min |
| Cefalù | 31 nm | 2 h 35 |
| Alicudi (first Aeolian) | 52 nm | 4 h 20 |
| Lipari | 77 nm | 6 h 25 |
| Milazzo | 88 nm | 7 h 20 |
| Taormina | 93 nm | 7 h 45 |
The two strong routes out of Palermo are west to the Egadi Islands off Trapani and east along the coast to Cefalù and on to the Aeolians. That eastward run is roughly 100 miles to Vulcano, so it is a full day or an overnight, and it is the main thing to plan around. See how long the week should be.
When to go
- May, June and September are the best here. The city is hot in high summer and the north coast is more settled either side of it.
- July and August work if the week is heading west or out to the islands early; the city itself is heavy going at midday.
- April and October suit a Palermo day better than most Italian stops, because the city, the markets and Monreale do not need the sun.
Our month-by-month view is in the best time for an Italy charter.
People also ask about Palermo
Can you start a yacht charter in Palermo?
Yes, and it is the most straightforward embarkation in Sicily. Marina Villa Igiea and Marina Yachting Palermo both take large yachts close to the city, the commercial port handles anything bigger, and the airport is about 35 minutes away with direct summer flights from most of western Europe.
Where do yachts berth in Palermo?
Marina Villa Igiea and Marina Yachting Palermo, both near the city, with the commercial port for larger vessels. This is unusual for Sicily, where marina capacity is limited almost everywhere else.
How far is Palermo from the Aeolian Islands?
Roughly 100 nautical miles to Vulcano, which is a full day or an overnight passage. Alicudi, the westernmost of the chain, is closer at about 52. A week starting in Palermo usually goes west to the Egadi Islands instead.
Is Palermo worth a day on a charter?
Yes. The Cappella Palatina is the most impressive interior in Sicily, Monreale is twenty minutes up the hill, and the Ballarò and Capo markets are the best provisioning on the island. It is a working city rather than a resort, which is the appeal.
What is the sailing like on Sicily's north coast?
Exposed to the north with few genuinely sheltered anchorages, Cefalù being the main exception. It is a coast to transit on a settled forecast rather than to linger on, and that shapes any week running from Palermo to the islands.
Palermo or Catania to start a Sicily charter?
Palermo for routing flexibility: west to the Egadi Islands or east along the north coast. Catania suits an east-coast week with Taormina and Etna. For the Aeolians alone, Portorosa or Milazzo are closer than either.
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