Mondello Beach
Mondello, located just under ten miles from the city, is the most famous beach in Palermo. Of course, it wasn’t always a beach, but then again, don’t people treasure more the things they have created themselves? This is certainly true of the golden sands of Mondello Lido.
This Palermo beach actually stared out as a swampland and lowly fishing village. However, at the beginning of the 1900’s some industrious local engineers drained the swampland on behalf of several wealth aristocrats who wanted a beach retreat. Once the swamp was drained and the area resculpted, Liberty Style villas and Art Deco mansions quickly lined the shores.
Fortunately for the general public, no one could keep a lid on Mondello beach. Palermo locals quickly started claiming bits of sand on the “private†beach and a lively village sprung up to service vacationers, picnickers, and roamers. Eventually, it was declared a public beach and the promenade zone became more established.
Now, this Palermo beach is a top weekend and weekday destination. As soon as the weather turns nice in the spring, high school students start cutting class to lay on the sand and windsurf. Boating and other water sports keep people in the water until the last possible trace of fall has given way to winter.
In 2004, some additional preservation of the area was instituted in the form of the Mondello Nature Park, a marine and greenery reserve governed by the Sicilian regional administrative district. This has mainly served to establish firmer parameters around picnic sites and provide funding for study of the underwater area.
If you do make the journey out to the beach, plan to spend the day in the area. While it isn’t far from the main town area, by the time you arrive, settle onto the sand, and find something to eat or drink, and back and forth trip would be a wasteful use of valuable vacation time. Eating at the beach is quite convenient, and the fresh seafood dishes are made with fish that are still caught in the waters off the bay.
In the evenings, the promenade area offers dancing and seasonal nightclubs, which cater to those renting or living in the villas that surround the created bay.
If you happen to be in the area in May, you will want to watch the World Windsurfing Festival. Each year since 1985, the Merit Cup championship judging has taken place at Mondello beach. Palermo also encourages several days of exhibitions surrounding the festival, allowing you to take in some of the world’s finest tricksters on the waves.