The Kingdom of the Sun: Why CELTA in Palermo?

Whether you are exploring the catacombs, visiting the breathtaking cathedrals or enjoying the local food, Palermo is a fantastic destination where you can live La Dolce Vita in your CELTA downtime.

This month, we look at the Sicilian capital and share our top recommendation on what to when you need to get away from your writing assignments or the perfect ways to celebrate once you have completed your CELTA (other than sleeping, of course…).

Why take the CELTA in Palermo

1. Tuck into Sicilian street food!

There is one thing you have to give Italians – they know how to eat! So get stuck in with a street food tour in Palermo (although you may have a hard time completing the whole tour, but apparently Rick Stein managed it!). You can find the main food markets located in Capo, Vucciria and Ballarò, offering a range of mouth-watering traditional dishes, such as Arancine or the Sicilian dessert gelato con brioche!

Definitely a recommendation when you are on your lunch and want to quickly grab something after a long, hard day of CELTA-ing.

2. The Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

A little on the eery side, the catacombs at Capuchin Monastery is a must-see if you have the stomach for it! Around 8000 corpses are said be in in the catacombs as the dry atmosphere allows for natural mummification of the bodies. The catacombs store the bodies of prominent locals and they are separated by ages, gender, occupation and social status. One of the more macabre areas is the one that houses the virgins, who are all shrouded in disheveled white dresses. Not for the light hearted!

3. Visit Cappella Palatina

This chapel is one of Palermo’s top tourist destinations! An extraordinary sight, this Byazantine Greek chapel is laid with precious stones, golden mosaics and marble floors. It’s not to be missed!

4. Bike tour around the old town

If you can ever explore a city, going by bike is a great way to cram lots of stops in a short amount of time. We recommend a bike tour around Palermo’s old town, so you can take in the charming back streets and squares and also see some of the stunning aristocratic buildings.

5. See the Fontana Pretoria

Built in 1554 by a Florentine architect, Fontania Pretoria (also known as The Fountain of Shame) sits in Piazza Pretoria. The fountain has 12 statues that depict Greek Gods, such as Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo and Ares. There are  statues depict grotesque animals and also rivers of Palermo. The fountain is regarded as one of the wonders of Sicily and a magnificent spectacle, so even if you are passing, it’s one to place on your to-do list.

6. Mondello Beach

15 minutes out of Palermo lies the beautiful Mondello Beach, perfect if you are looking to chill out and relax after you have completed your CELTA. At the centre of the beach is an Art Nouveau pier, which contains a restaurant and a bar. A beach day is a must, after all, you will definitely deserve it after the four weeks of your CELTA!

Take the CELTA in Palermo!

The centre in Palermo has been around since 1975, offering high-quality teacher training and professional development opportunities. The CELTA Tutors are qualified EFL experts who regularly attend conferences, delivering talks on teaching English as a foreign language to adults.

If you are thinking about taking the CELTA in Palermo and want to be prepared for the course, take a look at our pre-CELTA preparation course, which will introduce you to the core ELT methodologies and refresh your grammar and language awareness.

Learn more about taking the CELTA in Palermo here.

Want to get to know what else there is to do in Palermo, Sicily? Take a look here.