EXPATS LIVING
IN PALERMO
BLOG
LIVING IN PALERMO: 10 REASONS WHY
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO YOUR NEXT DESTINATION
1. WEATHER
Winter in Palermo is generally sunny, with a few days of rain, mostly in January and February. The temperature stays around +14-15°, rarely falling down to +10°. Summers are warm, but thanks to proximity to the sea and the sea breeze, it doesn’t get too hot. August is the hottest month in Palermo with an average temperature of +27° (+80°F), the coldest is January at +13°C (+55°F). In august the average sea temperature reaches +26°C (+79°F).
2. PALERMO IS NOT EXPENSIVE AT ALL
Palermo is one of the cheapest cities in European Union if you live like a local!
Accommodations in the City Center can be very affordable. You can easily find a comfortable room for €250 a month all utilities included. Here’s one resource to find inexpensive places to live:
https://www.expatslivinginpalermo.com/accommodation/
Inexpensive street food is very popular. Between arancine, pane e panelle and local beer and wine, you can stretch your dollar (or euro) a long way. In La Vucciria, for instance, you can have a blast drinking beer for only €1,70 and wine for €1 a glass.
If you live in the Center, you can walk everywhere saving money on public transportation. In addition, several main streets in the city have been made pedestrian zones, which makes your walking experience more enjoyable.
The markets of Ballarò, Capo and Vucciria offer a wide range of inexpensive local foods such as freshly caught fish, vegetables, cheese and variety of meat and meat products.
3. FOOD IS AMAZING
Enjoying Palermo's street food is a unique experience. It allows you to dive into the local culture and the city's tumultuous history.
Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs and Africans have all had their share in creating a wonderful and colorful fare we now know as traditional Palermo food. The sea rich with fish and the fertile volcanic soil provide the freshest ingredients necessary for creating these simple masterpieces.
Arancine, pane e panelle, baby squid sandwiches, mussels and many other tasty morsels are often cooked right before your eyes by the street merchants. It is as much fun to eat the food as to watch it being prepared!
Prices are cheap and you will definitely get really good deals in the old markets of the city.
4. PALERMO IS FULL OF BEAUTIFUL MONUMENTS AND UNESCO HERITAGES
Palermo is among the cities with the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. It is a mystical city with a rich culturale heritage, its architecture is an amazing mixture of Arab-Norman and Baroque styles, characteristic of Sicily. Hidden in the narrow streets are magnificent oratories and churches with rich mosaics, frescoes and reliefs. Cattedrale di Palermo, Arab-Norman Palace and Zisa Castle are all great places to begin your discovery of the city, Teatro Massimo is one of the most known and most beautiful theaters in the world.
5. PALERMO IS MULTI-CULTURAL AND PEOPLE ARE READY TO HELP AND GET TO KNOW YOU
Palermitani are hospitable and friendly. They welcome everyone with open arms, eager to share their love for their city and for the entire island. Even with the language barrier (not too many speak English), they do their best to try and help you in any way they can, even with body-language and gestures.
Should you find yourself invited to a Sicilian home, you will literally be drowned in hospitality, generosity and love :)
6. SICILY IS A BIG WONDERFUL ISLAND
Besides Palermo and Catania, the two largest cities, there are many smaller towns and villages with history just as rich and fascinating. Within easy reach from Palermo there are Cefalù, Monreale and Trapani. A bit further away you’ve got Siracusa, Taormina, Ragusa, Agrigento, just to name a few. Mount Etna, visible from all the way across the island, sets the scene around Catania and Taormina, being an ever-present force of nature and an amazing place to visit.
Series of small islands around Sicily have some of the best beaches you can find in the world! Aeolian islands with its natural volcanoes, Egadi Islands, Lampedusa, Pantelleria are all within reach via ferry boats from several Sicilian ports.
7. PALERMO NIGHTLIFE IS AFFORDABLE AND THERE IS A GOOD MUSIC OFFER
Palermo is home to several major theaters where world-famous opera, classical music concerts and theater productions take place. Teatro Massimo and Teatro Politeama are held in high regard in the European theatrical scene.
For a less formal fare, you will find numerous jazz and blues clubs, where some pretty fantastic local bands perform almost every night. To add to that, there are often free concerts and various events all over the city.
Palermo is known as a city that never sleeps, so be sure to immerse yourself in its rich, cheap and quirky party life, especially in the city-center area (Vucciria, Piazza Sant'Anna and Piazza Magione).
In this area you can easily find cocktails between 3 and 5 € and beer between 2 and 3 €.
8. PALERMO IS WELL CONNECTED WITH THE REST OF EUROPE WITH CHEAP FLIGHTS
From Palermo you have a lot of combination to go almost everywhere in Europe, in fact there are several cheap flights and companies.
Main companies flying from Palermo are Ryanair, Volotea and Easy-Jet. Domestic flights are pretty cheap if you book in advance, there are 3 daily flights to Milano Bergamo and 4 to Roma Fiumicino and direct connections to Venice, Bologna, Pisa, Torino, Naples, Verona and Bari.
INTERNATIONAL DIRECT FLIGHTS:
Germany, Belgium, France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Toulouse), England (London and Manchester), Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Nurimberg), Greece (Athens), Ireland (Dublin), Hungary (Budapest), Malta, Poland (Krakow, Wroclaw), Romania (Bucharest), Spain (Valencia and Madrid).
9. SEA-SIDE IS WONDERFUL
In a big island such as Sicily you will find a huge number of wonderful natural beaches
Palermo area: Mondello, Addaura, Capo Gallo, Cefalù, Campofelice di Roccella, Balestrate, Isola delle Femmine, Lascari, Pollina
Agrigento area: San Leone, Scala dei Turchi (near Realmonte and Montallegro), Siculiana Marea, Gelonardo (east of Siculiana), Torre Salsa, Licata, Sciacca, Selinunte, Menfi
Trapani area: Alcamo Marina, Castellamare del golfo, Scopello, San Vito lo capo, Zingaro reserve, Mazara del vallo
Siracusa area: Augusta, Agnone Bagni, Arenella, Avola Marina, Brucoli, Fontane Bianche, Pachino, Porto Palo
Messina area: Brolo, Capo Calavà, Capo d'Orlando, Gioiosa Marea
Catania area: La Playa, Marina di Cottone (Fiumefreddo), Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Letojanni, Fondachello, Mazzarò
Aeolian Islands: These islands have numerous beaches. Spiaggia di Sabbia Nera (Black Sand Beach) on Vulcano is unique. Salina offers Pollara Beach. On the larger island of Lipari is Spiaggia Bianca (White Beach) and Ponente (Marina Lunga).
Other islands: Lampedusa (with the very famous Spiaggia dei Conigli), Pantelleria, Favignana, Marettimo, Linosa.
10. WE WILL HELP YOU TO MEET NEW FRIENDS AND HAVE AN AMAZING TIME IN PALERMO
You will find a family here ready to help you, to make new friends and to build a wonderful life here without stress, exploring other towns, discovering the best places where local people go and having a lot of fun.
Join our group and fan page and follow our social events.
Click to join us! ⬇