B&B Il Golfo

There are numerous fish restaurants and pizzerias, many of them of very good quality. During summertime (till the end of September) there are many small terraces looking over the little harbour, which give Sferrocavallo a pleasant look. After that time it is somewhat boring.
From Palermo train station you can reach Sferrocavallo by busses 101 and 628. At Palermo train station you take bus 101 to Piazza Papa Giovanni Paolo II and switch to bus 628. The traffic situation in Palermo is horrible, so your trip lasts about one hour. Due to reconstruction work there was no metro to Sferracavallo available at that time. If you fly to Palermo, the B & B offers the opportunity to pick you up from the airport at a rate of 25 euros, which is highly recommended.

The total service in this B&B is absolutely terrific, including free internet. The owners, Fabio and his wife Marta, are extremely kind and helpful: e-mails were answered within hours by Marta, whereas Fabio gives every detailed information you wish, for instance the departing time of trains. On arrival we got a big bottle of water and two smaller ones for travel.

Breakfast is typical Italian style: a croissant filled with jam or chocolate, some slices of white bread and toast with several kinds of jam (no meat or cheese products, no yogurt, milk and cereals, no fruit).

The B&B (opened two years ago) itself is situated in a quiet street, which rooms you enter through two short staircases. So it is difficult of access for handicapped people. It offers a free private parking and has a charming roof garden. We occupied a large double room on the first floor, which has a large double bed with very good mattresses. There is a perfectly working air-conditioner, a linen cupboard, a working table and a fridge. The TV has a lot of channels, all in Italian language. The windows are not soundproof, but by batten down the hatches traffic noise is reduced to a great extend. There is a rather small bathroom with a narrow shower cubicle and a separate wash-stand (no bath tub). The shower functions very well with sufficient water pressure. Liquid soap is available as are three towels per person (which are changed after every second night) and a bath mat to prevent slipping. Room and bathroom are impeccable clean and are tidied up every day, which is not common in every B&B.

The B&B is very recommendable and with a price of 60 euro a night it has a good price/quality ratio.
Tip 1: Sferracavallo has only a rocky beach, but Mondello has a beautiful sandy beach. Take bus 936 and ask the driver to stop as close to the beach as possible. On your way back take bus 677. However, you have to realize that public transport is a disaster: on the way to the beach we had to wait 1.5 hours and on the way back we waited for 2 hours. Bus stops do not have time tables.
Tip 2: A visit to Cefalù is highly recommended. Although Sferracavallo is more authentic, Cefalù is cozier and a nice place to stay, even in October. From the old city centre you can walk into the Gulf of Palermo. Cefalù is about 50 min. from Palermo by train.
Tip 3: A visit to Monreale is an experience in itself. In particular, the Duomo Santa Maria la Nuova and the associated Cloister of the former monastery with its beautiful mosaics. Seven times a day there is a bus from Palermo railway station to Monreale.