Sat on the gorgeous northern coast of Sicily, Palermo is a jewel of a town. From here you can venture into the city itself and discover its hidden secrets, head out on a coastal drive east or west, or perhaps head inland to see the rugged and beautiful interior of Sicily.

Driving in this part of the world holds many pleasures, but it’s a good idea to be aware of local driving laws. Speed limits are signposted throughout the island, and are 50kph in built-up areas, 90kph on open roads outside of these, 110kph on highways and 130kph on the freeways known as ‘Autostrada’. Seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and all passengers, and using a cell phone while driving is illegal.

Most roads in Sicily are toll free, but there are tolls on the A18 from Messina to Catania and the A20 from Palermo to Messina. You can pay by cash or card. Access to the airport from Palermo – and vice versa – is along the E90. Like many roads in Europe, this road has both local and European names. When you see an ‘E’, it’s part of a wider European network.

It can be difficult to find parking spots in the heart of Palermo, so we’d advise using parking lots, garages or the facilities provided by your hotel. The E90 cuts through the city center, while the coastal route here is the SS113.

A drive east on the A90 will take you to Cefalu, a lovely coastal town of cobbled streets with an enticing crescent of golden sand. Continue east for more resorts and the city of Messina on the north-east of the island, close to mainland Italy. West will take you to Castellammare del Golfo before the E90 dips south and then west again. To explore Sicily’s middle and south-east, take the E90 east and then join the A19 south – you’ll pass pretty olive groves and agriturismos on lush hills as you go towards Catania.

The perfect place to combine a cultural city tour with some bronzing on the beach, Palermo’s vibrancy can’t fail to charm you. See the sights, sample the impeccable local food and watch the sun set over the fascinatingly mixed skyline.

A palace of gold

 If you encounter crowds anywhere in Palermo – except at soccer games, obviously – they’re likely to be at the Cappella Palatina. One of Europe’s most beguiling and original chapels, it was built by Roger II of Sicily as a place of worship for the Norman kings. Commissioned in 1132, it was finished by 1140 and has a truly breath-taking Byzantine interior. The Arabic influences on the ceiling hark back to that mixture of cultures, while the mosaics of gold are remarkably well preserved. Please note that there is a dress code, and shorts and revealing clothes may see you refused entrance. You’ll find a similar marriage of styles at Palermo Cathedral, built in 1185 and renovated in both the 17^th and 19^th centuries. There are plenty of churches hidden away in this devout city, but make time for San Domenico, known as the Pantheon of Illustrious Sicilians.

The markets and more

For a sense of the true Palermo, just wander around its ancient streets. You’ll find impressive, lively street markets, some showing the Arabic influence on Sicily as they’re almost like souks. The markets at Vucciria and Ballaro are fantastic, but the Mercato di Capo may just be finest of them all. You’ll find fish, meat, spices, pungent local cheeses and tubs of olives laid out for you to sample. Fresh fruit, bread, even art stalls pepper the winding way, along with pastry shops that tempt you in for a coffee and cannoli.

Pause for a culture fix at the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy, and second largest in Europe. The art nouveau concoction opened with a performance of Verdi’s Falstaff in 1897 and after renovations that ran from 1974 for 23 years, re-opened in 1997.

The inquisition for the inquisitive 

You can learn about a darker period of Sicilian life at the Museo dell’Inquisizione. Based in a 14^th century building, Palazzo Chiaramonte, it’s a network of cells where those deemed heretics were imprisoned during the long, dark years of the Inquisition. You’ll see sketches and graffiti made by the 17^th and 18^th century inmates as part of an English-language guided tour.

Another memorably macabre attraction is the Catacombe dei Cappuccini – the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo. Not for the easily frightened, these house the largest collections of mummies in the world. Opened in 1599 to bury the corpses of deceased Capuchin friars, it eventually opened to laypeople in the late 18^th century, and then closed in 1880, only allowing the mummification of two bodies since then, one of them known as the ‘Sleeping Beauty of Palermo’.

A city of contrasts betwixt Europe and Africa, Palermo is a decidedly different Italian vacation destination. Take advantage of car rental in Palermo to see all that it has to offer, before setting out into sizzling Sicily.