The Ballarò street market in Palermo, Sicily is one of the most entertaining of its kind in the whole of Europe. This market combines two Italian greats, food and clothes. Primarily a food market, the Ballarò market is a street eaters delight. It is also home to large numbers of discount clothes sellers, making vintage clothes shopping easy and finding Italian fashions cheaply possible. Look for its vendors in the streets around the Piazza Carmine.

Search around for good finds while having your eyes on their street food. We tried the typical Palermitan sandwich with pannelle, chickpea fritters – with a bit of lemon they are delicious! Bustling and crowded with treasures, a day at the market is a way to integrate with the locals on Mondays through Saturdays opened mostly from around 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can find yourself haggling back and forth with some vendors, which makes it all the more fun when trying to express in a foreign language.

The market extends from Piazza Ballarò in the Albergheria district (near the church of San Nicolò) along Via Ballarò past Piazza Carmine toward Corso Tukory, roughly parallel to Via Maqueda toward the main train station. If you happen to be near the area, the scent of the food just might take you there.

It helps that the weather tends to be pleasant year-round in Palermo, where it hardly ever gets cold. This street market is a cacophony of sights and sounds, as the street vendors have some of the best local delicacies. Colourful assortment of fruits, vegetables, fish and meat are displayed out for anyone to pick. We found a vast amount of tarocchi (blood oranges), chicory, herbs, cuttlefish, prawns and other great eats to be organic and hand-picked from locals themselves.

Palermo's Ballarò market is a place of the senses. Such a gratifying experience, so full of life and admirable individuals makes this market one of our favourite experiences in Sicily. If you need a genuine tour of the markets in Palermo, contact Don Saro from Personal Guide Sicily and mention us. You will be glad you contacted Don!