Experience the best of Cefalù

Cefalù lies on a curve of coast east of Palermo, with a huge rock, La Rocca, towering behind the old town. The cathedral, begun in 1131 by the Norman king Roger II, has two square towers and a vast gold mosaic of Christ in the apse; it is part of the Arab-Norman World Heritage listing. Medieval lanes of stone houses lead down to the little harbour and a beach of fine sand.

Steps climb La Rocca to the ruins of an ancient temple known as the Temple of Diana and a medieval fortress, with views over the town. The Mandralisca Museum holds Antonello da Messina's Portrait of an Unknown Man, with its famous half-smile. A medieval wash-house with running water lies near the sea. Behind the town the Madonie mountains form a regional park, with hill towns such as Castelbuono and Petralia.

Granita with brioche, almond sweets and cannoli are breakfast and dessert here, while pasta with sardines and fresh swordfish appear on seaside menus, and manna, the dried sap of the Madonie's ash trees, is a local sweetener. Summer is the beach season, and spring and early autumn are mild and calmer.