Cefalù is a medieval town squeezed between a 270m rock fortress and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Norman Cathedral (1131) — built by Roger II to thank God for surviving a shipwreck — contains a golden mosaic of Christ Pantocrator so powerful it stops you mid-step. And directly behind the cathedral: a 1km sandy beach. So you spend the morning staring at 900-year-old gold mosaics and the afternoon swimming in transparent Mediterranean water. This combination — sacred art + beach town — doesn't exist anywhere else in Sicily.
The Cathedral (Duomo). Roger II, 1131-1240. The Christ Pantocrator mosaic in the apse is one of the great works of Byzantine art — Christ's face in gold, gentle but all-seeing, dominating the space from 20m above. Free entry. La Rocca hike. 270m cliff behind the town — 20 min steep climb to the Temple of Diana (5th c. BC) and the summit fortress. Panorama: Cefalù below, the coastline extending to Palermo, the Madonie mountains behind. Best at sunset. Free. Lavatoio Medievale: A medieval public washhouse below street level — fed by a natural spring, stone basins where women washed clothes until the 1940s. Atmospheric, free, 5 min visit. Corso Ruggero: The main street — Norman architecture, ceramic shops, granita bars.
Sfincione (Palermo-style thick pizza with tomato, onion, anchovy, breadcrumbs — €3/slice). Arancini (€2-3). Pesce spada (swordfish — grilled or involtini). Granita + brioche at Bar del Molo (€4, on the harbor). Where: Lo Scoglio Ubriaco (Via Carlo Ortolani di Bordonaro 2 — cliff-edge terrace, fish, €25-35). Ostaria del Duomo (Piazza del Duomo — cathedral view dining, €20-30).
Train: Palermo→Cefalù 1h (€6). Day trip from Palermo works perfectly. Car: A20 autostrada, Cefalù exit. Combine: Cefalù + Madonie mountains (mountain villages, hiking, 30 min inland) + Palermo = the perfect north Sicily trio.