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PALERMO PORT
Full Day Tour
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Medieval Sicily now a resort
Spend a day at the medieval seaside village of Cefalù: visit its imposing Norman Cathedral, old Washhouse and port, and enjoy a typical Sicilian lunch.
Pick up at 9:00 AM at the Palermo pier where your ship will dock.
Your guide will have a sign with your name on it and a smile to welcome you.
Visit:
Cefalù’s Norman Cathedral
Medieval Washhouse
Old port of town
This tour will take you to the quiet seaside fishing village of Cefalù which was redesigned during the 12th century as the Norman kings’ defence fortress.
We will leave the city of Palermo and drive eastwards along the picturesque northern coastline of Sicily towards Cefalù.After a little over an hour’s drive, we will reach this lovely medieval seaside town towered by a huge promontory known as “La Rocca”, which was fortified with walls and a castle as part of the town’s defence system during the Middle Ages.
Upon arrival, we will go for a short walk towards the town’s center where we will be greeted by the site of the imposing Cathedral of Cefalù. This building was built during the early 12th century by the Norman King of Sicily Roger II who ruled the island and all of Southern Italy with wisdom and tolerance, creating a multi-ethnic kingdom where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived in harmony for over a hundred years. This multi-ethnicity can still be seen in the Cathedrals architecture: the exterior looks like a Norman church except for the arches which are definitely Arab in style. The inside has an apse which is entirely decorated with Byzantine-style mosaics done in 24-karat gold leaf, glass, and colored glass paste.
After a short break at the lovely Piazza Duomo in front of the Cathedral, we will go for a walk down the medieval streets of Cefalù in order to visit the Medieval Washhouse, which used to be an Arab-style Bathhouse. Here the water still comes through flowing down from an underground streamlet beneath “La Rocca”. An ancient Greek myth says that the water is actually the tears of a river nymph who is still crying for the death of her beloved husband, a bagpipe player who invented bucolic poetry.
We will continue our walk and reach the old port, called “La Vecchia Marina”, from where you can still see the town’s medieval walls. Here on a sunny day you can see the town as it reflects itself on the clear waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. We will walk back to Piazza Duomo where you can spend some free time shopping or just strolling around before a typical Sicilian lunch at a local restaurant.
After a delicious lunch, it’s time for another scenic drive back to Palermo and back to your ship.
Return to the ship by 4:00 PM
Included: Insurance Coverage of NCC (Registered Certified vehicles with driver) for all passengers.
Certified Transportation, taxes, passes, Certified Tour Guide services, reservations for monuments and museum, entrance fees, lunch and happiness!
Not Included: Incidentals and gratuities
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COSTS (Actual Tour cost per vehicle):
SEDAN (holds 1-3 people) – EURO 772,00 + 10% TAX
VAN (holds up to 7 people) – EURO 1.020,00 + 10% TAX
