Palermo Airport

About Palermo Airport

Palermo Airport, also called Falcone Borsellino Airport, is the main airport for the Italian island of Sicily. The airport, although it is called Palermo Airport, is located on the far north-west of the island, thirty-two kilometers from the city and closer to the town of Cinisi.

The airport's alternative name honors two Sicilian anti-mafia judges who were killed by members of a mafia gang, the Cosa Nostra, at the beginning of the 1990s. A memorial to the judges and a mosaic sculpture of Sicily can be seen outside the entrance to the departure lounge.

Palermo is relatively small for an international airport, but still manages to handle the six million-plus passengers per year that pass through its single terminal. There's water at both ends of the airport's two runways so take-offs and landings are not only tricky for pilots, but give passengers with a window seat amazing views of Sicily's northern coastline.

Palermo Airport is possibly one of the few where getting a flight delay is a bonus and not boring as there are some excellent beaches close by as well as a couple of interesting historical monuments that are easy to get to. If you're on a long layover there's also a zoological garden and prehistoric park in the vicinity.

Things to do at Palermo Airport

Palermo Airport is a busy one during the main tourist season from late March through to the end of October. Take-off times can be delayed although not always, but it's good to be prepared and know just what things there are to do near Palermo Airport should the worst occur. Keep some tanning lotion to hand so you can head to the nearest beach for some last-minute rays. If that doesn't appeal, then go last-minute shopping at a nearby commercial center or take photos of some interesting coastal fortifications.

• Unpack your beach towel, drop your bags in a luggage locker at Palermo Airport, and head for Magaggiari Beach. The beach fronts the resort of Terrasini, which is just a ten-minute taxi ride from the airport. It's a lengthy stretch of golden sand lined with beach bars and restaurants. 
• Head east of the airport to the village of Pozillo and you'll be able to paddle in the sea while taking photos of the Torre Pozillo. The stone tower has stood guard over this part of the Sicilian coastline since the 17th century and makes a super photographic subject with the sea and mountains as a backdrop
• You'll need a few hours to spare if you want to see all there is to see at the Bioparco di Sicilia. The park, which is ten minutes drive from the airport, covers an immense sixty thousand acres with dense botanical gardens dotted with enormous dinosaur statues and a zoo housing animals from sixty different species as varied as Sicilian donkeys and meerkats.
• Get in some retail therapy at the Centro Commerciale Poseidon. The huge mall is ten minutes along the coast from the airport and stacked to the hilt with big-name shops, a hypermarket, and more restaurants than you could eat at in a month.  
• Go cultural and pay a visit to the Palazzo d'Aumale, a contemporary art museum housed in a magnificent 19th-century building on the seafront in Terrasini.

Transit options at Palermo Airport

• The Punta Raisi Train Station is at Palermo Airport. There is a frequent rail service from there into the capital city.
• There is a small bus station right outside Palermo Airport terminal building and from there you can catch a bus into the city where you can connect with other services.
• There are two taxi companies operating from Palermo Airport. The taxi rank is located outside of the arrivals hall. It's a good idea to agree to the price of the journey before getting in the cab.

Luggage storage at Palermo Airport

There are some fantastic things to do near Palermo Airport and they're ones you won't want to miss out on. However, when you've got a suitcase or two with you, that can put a dampener on your plans. The best solution to your baggage problem is to leave your cases in a Bounce luggage locker at Palermo Airport. They'll be safe and in the right place to be easily collected when you go back to catch your flight.  

Attractions and activities near Palermo Airport

Palermo: Palermo is the capital of Sicily and a delight to explore on foot above and below ground. Its historic center is an atmospheric blend of winding streets lined with baroque churches, ornate palaces, tiny boutiques, and cafeterias that come to life with bustling daytime markets and live music in the evenings. Head into the Catacombs of the Capuchins for an unforgettable experience among the eight thousand dead bodies entombed there. It's totally surreal, so follow that with an hour or two on Mondello beach where the sea air will blow away the catacomb cobwebs.

Tommasso Natale: From the village of Tommasso Natale it's possible to access the Capo Gallo Nature Reserve. Wear a comfortable pair of hiking shoes and you'll have no trouble trekking along the trails winding over the rocky karst landscape or entering the many caves to explore the reserve’s subterranean world. The highest peak in the reserve is the Monte Gallo and it's around there that the area's resident raptors like buzzards and falcons tend to soar on the air currents. There's no beach as such at Capo Gallo, but there are places where you can swim from the rocks.

Partinicio: Go inland from the airport to the rural town of Partinicio for a freakish experience in the Sicilian Puppet Museum. There's an extensive collection of marionettes there which numbers more than four thousand and honors the tradition of the Sicilian puppet theater. South of Partinicio is the stunning Lago Poma. The scenic reservoir is popular for watersports like paddleboarding, kayaking, and jet skiing, as well as bird spotting.