Things To Do in Cefalu

This festival's about all things ice-cream. The name – Sherbeth – is a nod to the iced sorbets dished out in Sicily’s Arabic past. Gelato's come a long way since then, though, so at this four-day fest you can expect international artisans tempting you with quirky flavours, like cheese and smoked fish ice-cream. Chocolate flakes not included.

Settle into one of the lidos along Lungomare Beach, and you're in for a sunbathing treat. As well as loungers, some of these spots have children’s play areas, plus canoes and pedalos for hire. There are plenty of bars close by for snacks and chilled drinks, too. The lidos tend to get cheaper the further you venture from the centre of town, so it’s worth a wander before you pitch camp.

Cefalu’s main street – Corso Ruggero – is the old town's answer to retail therapy. It's full of little shops selling everything from ceramics to shoes. And the roads that criss-cross it are good spots to hunt for locally made biscuits, cheese and wine. For more food, you can root around Saturday’s market – on from 8am to 1pm, it’s usually held by the port but the location can sometimes change.

Standing head and shoulders over Cefalu old town is the Norman cathedral, which was built in 1131. Its twin towers look more like a fortress than a place of worship. Inside the cathedral doors you'll clap eyes on a huge 12^th-century mosaic of Jesus Pantocrator, made by master craftsmen from Constantinople. Visit early, and you’ll see it bathed in bright shafts of sunlight.

San Salvatore, the patron saint of Cefalu, has his own festival that packs in concerts, parades and a fireworks display. And on the final day, crowds pile into the harbour to watch the ‘ntinna a mari, or sea antenna, where locals tiptoe down a wooden beam and try to grab a flag hanging at the end. There’s just one catch – the beam hangs off the edge of the pier, so put a foot wrong and you’ll get a soaking.

For authentic Sicilian cooking the way mama makes it, skip the restaurants on the seafront and try the family-run places smuggled into the backstreets. You’ll find time-worn trattorias serving Sicilian starters like caponata – an aubergine and tomato dish – and ragu-filled rice balls known as arancini. And for mains, seafood pasta and swordfish steak are just some of the treats on offer. Don’t forget to sample the local wines like Nero d’Avola, and, after your meal, seek out the nearest gelateria for a scoop of your favourite ice-cream.