On our third day in Palermo, we decided to hike up Monte Pellegrino in order to both catch the stunning views but also gain a sense of historical context of this staggeringly beautiful mountain which you see from almost all main streets of the city. Since the bus seemed to have a bad rep (and we were also looking forward to a hike), we decided to walk instead of taking the bus/catching a cab. In the morning of our climb, we received a MeteoAlarm that Sicily was about to reach extreme temperatures so we brought some extra water. We climbed the mountain’s cobble stone path in 1 hour and 45 minutes (while seeking refugee in each strand of shade). We only saw one other company during our entire ascension. Near the top, we were meet with a small square with various cafees and the Rosalia chapel. When we continued onwards on asphalt roads (for an additional kilometre), we finally reached the end of the road which offered a beautiful 360 degrees view of the bay of Palermo and the surrounding beach/coastal towns. On our way down, we grabbed a Granite and caught a bus down to the city centre again
We are quite fit and it was a great workout but we do advice anyone climbing in the July heat to bring some sun protection and an extra bottle of water! You will be rewarded with beautiful views, cacti and some cute lizards on the way up.