14 Best Sights in Palermo and Western Sicily, Sicily

Housed, perhaps appropriately, in an ex-orphanage in the center of Corleone, the Centro Internazionale di Documentazione sulla Mafia e del Movimento Antimafia, or C.I.D.M.A., chronicles the dark history of the criminal organization that has been identified with Sicily for much of the 20th century. Most of the story is told through a moving exhibition of black-and-white photographs, almost all taken by Letizia Battaglia, who bravely made it her life's work to record the Mafia's activities in Sicily, in particular the arrests of Mafia operatives and the deaths of their victims. One room holds the vast collection of files used in the Maxi-Trial of Mafia suspects that took place between 1986 and 1992, which directly led to the murders of the judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who are also remembered here. There is space given to the pentito (informant) Tomasso Buscetta, whose testimony resulted in a slew of arrests, but whose entire family was wiped out by vengeful hitmen. It's a sad and sobering experience to hear about such atrocities, and a visit to the center is best undertaken with a guide, without whose explanations you would miss much essential information. Call ahead to book a guided tour (available in English).

Joseph Whitaker's former home now holds the Museo Whitaker, displaying a good selection of the finds excavated from Mozia Island. As you enter you'll see useful aerial photographs and models showing the island now and as it might have looked under Carthaginian rule. Most of the exhibits consist of steles, pottery, painted vases, and a scattering of spearheads and jewelry, but the centerpiece is the so-called youth of Motya, an elegantly sinuous life-size statue of a poised young man, one hand resting on his hip, exuding a powerful air of self-assurance. The statue is also known as the "charioteer,"  though there is no evidence that this was his role.

Outside the museum, walk in any direction to take in the dispersed archaeological site. You can't go wrong tracing the perimeter of the island, which will bring you to the Tophet (shrine and burial ground) on the northern shore, and the Cappiddazzu sanctuary, close to where the youth of Mozia was unearthed. There is little above thigh-height until you come to such imposing structures as the north gate, the city's main entrance that stood at the end of a causeway (now submerged) that formerly linked it to the Sicilian mainland; the eastern tower; and the remains of the sturdy Carthaginian city walls. There are panels and charts throughout, providing explanations and background on what you're seeing.

Allow at least three hours for a thorough exploration of the museum and island, or longer if you want to bring a picnic lunch or pick up a snack at the café. Sunhats are strongly recommended.

Extending for 7 km (4½ miles) along the western edge of the Golfo di Castellammare, the Riserva dello Zingaro nature reserve is one of the few stretches of coastline in western Sicily that is not built up. It's only accessible on foot, using a good choice of paths, and offers exhilarating views and some fabulous small beaches. The best time to visit is late spring when both wildflowers and birds are plentiful.

The reserve's two entrances are roughly 1 km (0.6 miles) north of Scopello and, at its northern end, 12 km (7½ miles) east of San Vito Lo Capo. Entry costs €5 per person. The reserve is open daily (until 6) all year, and in winter (Oct.–May) it is possible to stay overnight in very rudimentary shelters for up to two nights. The shelters, which lack electricity, gas, heating, beds, toilets, and drinking water, can be booked for €10 per person per night via the reserve's website.

Route maps can be picked up from either of the entrances. There are three main routes, color-coded green (for the coastal trail), yellow (for the central trail), and orange (for the high trail). A few trails connect the routes, but these are not always where you might want them. The coastal trail is the easiest, while the high trail is the hardest.

The terrain is mostly rock and scrub, with little shade. Along with the variety of vegetation, there is plenty of unusual wildlife to look out for, including buzzards, kestrels, hoopoes, owls, and the rare Bonelli's eagle. Bees, grasshoppers, and lizards are ubiquitous, and snakes (mostly harmless) are also common. You can pick up illustrated guides to the reserve's flora and fauna at the two entrances.

The only food and refreshments you'll find are also at the two entrances, where you can fill up your water flasks. Be sure to carry plenty of water, and you should also come equipped with sun protection and sturdy footwear (sandals are definitely not recommended).

There are numerous small, niche swimming spots in the Capo San Vito area, but the grandest and by far the most popular beach of all—and the centerpiece of the whole town—is San Vito Lo Capo's beach, a blissful arc of silky, white sand at the foot of Monte Monaco. Most of its length of nearly 3 km (1.8 miles) is public and free to use, but sections have been roped off as private lidos, where you'll pay €15–€20 for a full day's use of sunbeds and a parasol, plus access to bars and bathroom facilities. Needless to say, both public and private beaches get intensely crowded in July and August, which is the perfect time to seek out all those other lesser-known beaches in the vicinity. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: families; swimming; watersports; walking.

Probably the most intriguing of all Bagheria's villas is the Villa Palagonia, which can either be viewed as a delightful flight of whimsy or the product of a disturbed mind. The villa was erected in 1705 by Francesco, Prince of Palagonia, and his architect, Tommaso Napoli, but what makes it stand out today is the work of Francesco's grandson, Ferdinando, a hunchback who commissioned a weird assembly of sculptures depicting monsters and bizarre figures said to be caricatures of his wife's lovers. Visitors will see a parade of them on either side of the front and back entrances as well as atop the walls of the surrounding garden, a grotesque gallery of monsters, gnomes, and gargoyles. Only 64 of the original statues remain—they are once said to number 200—and these are in a poor state of repair.

You'll find the same air of dereliction when you climb the once-grand double staircase to enter the palace itself, where only five rooms are currently open to the public. Most striking of these is the Salone degli Specchi, a large hall whose domed ceiling is covered in mirrors, now cracked and fogged. Along the marbled walls here and in other rooms are arrayed flamboyant busts, faded frescoes, and trompe l'oeil effects that recall the grandeur that the villa must once have embodied, though you'll come away with a sense of wistful regret that more care has not been taken to restore and maintain this peculiar place.

The entrepreneur Ignazio Florio played a leading part in the regeneration of Favignana's tuna fisheries in the 19th century, a tale told in his company's former fishery, a huge complex located on the outskirts of Favignana town, now converted into a museum. Hour-long guided tours take you through the fascinating history and gruesome methods of bluefin tuna fishing, including the ritualistic and bloody culmination of the fishing process, La Mattanza, or "The Killing." These traditional methods died out with the growth of modern industrial practices and overfishing. Tours must be booked a least a day in advance. There's also a separate section focusing on the Battle of Egadi (241 BC), which saw the defeat of the Carthaginians by a Roman fleet and their subsequent expulsion from Sicily.

Located on Levanzo's rugged northwestern coast, Italy's most important example of cave art, the Grotta del Genovese, displays a stunning set of paintings and incised drawings dating from the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic eras. The guide explains in fascinating detail how the small red and black figures of animals, fish, and insect-like humans were created here between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, and how they were discovered by a holidaymaker in 1949.

Transport to the grotto, which is privately owned, is included in the price of the ticket. Arriving by sea, a 20-minute ride, allows you to experience Levanzo's beautiful coast, but is not possible when the sea is at all rough as the boat must negotiate a narrow inlet in order to disembark passengers. The alternative is overland via Jeep, though this involves a downhill walk along a track for the last half mile. The whole excursion by boat or Jeep takes around 90 minutes. You can also make your own way here on foot along inland paths from Levanzo town, a walk of around one hour each way.

Visits to the site must be booked online, by email, or by phone at least 48 hours in advance, but ideally several days ahead during the busy summer months. Note that neither touching the engravings nor photographing them is allowed, and sturdy shoes are advised.

The town's beach is a 2-km (1-mile) stretch of sand, unusually clean for its proximity to the city. You can choose between public areas or private lidos where you can rent sun-loungers and a parasol and gain access to washing facilities with hot showers and changing rooms (expect to pay €15–€20 for an entire day, though afternoon rates may be reduced). The private beaches are also noticeably tidier and are patrolled by lifeguards. All the beaches get very busy on weekends but you should always be able to find space. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; washing facilities. Best for: water sports; swimming; walking.

A former Benedictine monastery off Piazza Repubblica is now the home of the Complesso Monumentale di San Pietro, a series of exhibition and conference rooms that include a collection of items relating to Giuseppe Garibaldi, the flamboyant hero of Italy's 19th-century war of independence. The resistance leader's name is ubiquitous in Marsala, for it was here that he disembarked his army of one thousand "red shirts" to battle against the Bourbons, a struggle that eventually led to a unified and independent Italy. Two rooms—including the monastery's former refectory—display guns, swords, busts, paintings, photographs, and uniforms from the campaign, including examples of the famous red shirts worn by Garibaldi's fiercely loyal followers. A box in the center of the room holds the guerrilla general's own pistol.

Other parts of the museum complex hold archaeological fragments from Roman hypogea and necropolis in the area as well as traditional masks and costumes worn in Marsala's Easter Thursday procession. The wide central courtyard is the venue for concerts and open-air movies in the summer.

One of Bagheria's most impressive palaces, Villa Cattolica has been meticulously renovated and converted into a gallery devoted to the artist Renato Guttuso (1911–87), who was born in the town. Guttuso's fierce, expressionist style and vivid sense of color made him one of Sicily's most renowned modern artists, and the gallery traces his career from his earliest sketches in the 1920s and 1930s to his later bold canvases, including his last work, a huge collective portrait of his mistresses and muses. Guttuso started his career painting carretti (farmer's carts) in the traditional style and the first rooms feature a collection of painted carts. The gallery also hosts work by Guttuso's peers and contemporaries, and a separate building holds an exhibition of Italian film posters, including one for the film Kaos, designed by Guttuso. The artist's tomb lies in the villa's garden.

Despite its grand facade and airy interior, the church of San Domenico itself holds little interest for anyone who isn’t excited by the tombs of Sicilian notables, but the eponymous oratory, located behind the church, constitutes one of Palermo’s great unsung treasures. The private chapel is generously adorned with sumptuous, creamy white stuccos, exquisitely crafted by Giacomo Serpotta (1656­­–1732) and depicting figures representing Patience, Obedience, Humility, Liberty, Justice, and more. Unusually, these allegorical figures take the form of elegant society ladies—something which would never have been possible in a public place of worship like a church. A QR code shown at the ticket office will allow you to download an app that provides background information on what you're looking at, such as the numerous symbols incorporated into each of the sculptures, including the gold-colored lizard on Fortitude’s column, a puny reference to the artist himself, whose name resembles the Sicilian dialect word for “lizard.” Around the allegorical figures cavort a host of playful putti (cherubs), some of them playing musical instruments, while the 1628 painting above the altarpiece, Madonna and Saints, is the work of Anthony van Dyck.

Hidden behind high walls and accessed through a courtyard, the oratory—or private chapel—of Saint Cita boasts one of the finest collections of the graceful white stuccos for which their creator, Giacomo Serpotta (1656–1732), is famous. The centerpiece is an amazingly elaborate rendering of the Battle of Lepanto, at which the Ottoman Turkish fleet was defeated by combined Christian forces in 1571. The walls are inset with a series of Biblical scenes from the life of Jesus. To leaven the solemnity of such scenes, however, Serpotta has introduced some of his most fetching portrayals of the ordinary people of Palermo, from street urchins to wizened old men and sophisticated ladies, while an army of mischievous putti (cherubs) interweaves among them.

Dedicated to Thomas à Becket, the English saint famously martyred after provoking the fury of Henry II, Marsala's imposing Duomo is located in the heart of the old town, dominating a stately piazza that is also flanked by the 18th-century town hall. The church's grand Baroque facade is matched by its spacious and airy interior. The chapels on either side of the nave contain much work by Sicily's prolific Gagini family of sculptors.

This sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary and local saints is one of Sicily's most revered religious sites, visited by devout pilgrims from all over the country. The complex was originally built for the Carmelite religious order in 1332, and its most treasured object is the life-size statue of the Madonna di Trapani, serenely smiling and holding the infant Jesus, thought to be the work of Nino Pisano or his studio. The importance of the sanctuary to the local fishing community is shown in the chapel dedicated to sailors, displaying scallop-shell motifs over every window as well as over the altar itself, and in one chapel dedicated to fishermen, dating from the 16th century. A separate room holds numerous ex-voto paintings of sailing vessels beset by stormy waters.