PalermoByHeart

PalermoByHeart

Sferracavallo

Photo: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0

A fishing village around a small harbour below Capo Gallo, grown around the church of SS. Cosma and Damiano. Known for its seafood restaurants and the nearby nature reserve. It is recommended mainly for a lunch or dinner at a restaurant and a short stroll, not for swimming.

What to see

  • Porticciolo e borgo marinaro: The small fishermen's harbour, the heart of the village.
  • Chiesa dei SS. Cosma e Damiano: A 19th-century church rebuilt on a chapel from 1696, dedicated to the fishermen's patron saints; festival in September.
  • Torri costiere: Two 15th and 16th-century towers built against pirates.
  • Grotte preistoriche: Grotta dell'Impiccato yielded hippopotamus and elephant remains; Grotta del Pecoraro yielded Thapsos-culture pottery (about 1500 BC).
  • Spiaggia di Barcarello: A cove with clear sea near the village, towards Capo Gallo.

Getting there

Better by car

For this place a car is the better choice (editors' note). AMAT lists line 88 (summer shuttle Punta Barcarello - Punta Matese, Sferracavallo area) running from 16 May 2026; according to an AMAT notice line 616 serves Barcarello. Timetables and frequencies not verified: check AMAT.

By car

Reachable by car from Palermo; the Capo Gallo reserve lies between Sferracavallo and Mondello.

When to go

Swimming and summer services (shuttle 88) apply June to September; the SS. Cosma and Damiano festival is in September.

Tips

  • For the Capo Gallo Reserve check hours and access on the reserve's official site.

Where a detail could not be found on an official source we do not include it: always check times and fares on the official site before you go.

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