Greeks called Palermo, Panormos, “all port” and if you want to discover firsthand why, the best way to do it is to walk along its promenade by the sea.
We stroll from one point to the other of the city, from the port of La Cala to the small port of Sant Erasmo, to enjoy as a vero palermitano a space that is being recovered for the city and the enjoyment of locals an foreigners.
La Cala
La Cala is the old port of Palermo, it has the shape of a “U” and it is nowadays a classic tourist harbor with fishing and sailing boats.
Walking along the pedestrian area you can admire the big mural that remembers Falcone and Borsellino and practically always you will find the sailors repairing their boats or ready to sail, fish vendors or other Palermitans trying to fish, to whom you can quietly watch if they have caught something sitting without any responsibility in one of the nearby bars.
Foro Italico
This part of the promenade is one of the most frequented by Palermitans for jogging or cycling, and when the sun goes down, you can find any kind of sport, from yoga to African dance and even cricket matches if you’re lucky!
If you are a calmer type, you also have your place. In the gardens next to the promenade, you can have an improvised picnic or take a nap under the palm trees. If the day is particularly windy, don’t miss the opportunity to fly kites.
If at any moment you are hungry or thirsty, a few meters away the drinks cart (try a refreshing orzata!) and the paninaro, the sandwich vendor, awaits you.
Sant’Erasmo
The days when Palermo turned its back on the sea seem to have come to an end with the rehabilitation of this part of the city.
The small Port of Sant’Erasmo has come back to life a couple of years ago. To celebrate it maybe the best thing to do is to toast with a good Sicilian wine in one of the nice restaurants around while enjoying the view of the sea; that sea that Palermitans could not enjoy for so many years.