Is Palermo safe?
Palermo is located on the Italian island of Sicily and is the capital of the region. It is also a popular tourist destination due to its rich history, cultural attractions, and beautiful beaches. First time travellers often wonder if it is safe to go to Palermo.
Palermo is generally safe for tourists, but petty crimes and certain unsafe neighborhoods should be noted. To stay safe, keep valuables out of sight, do not carry large amounts of cash, be mindful of surroundings, and protect vehicles. It is not safe for women to be alone at night.
Palermo is a shocking and exciting city, in terms of, culture, looks, people and every time I talk to people about my experience in this city, I get the following question: Is Palermo safe to travel? or Is Palermo, Sicily dangerous?
Most people are afraid and get perplexed about the fact that Palermo is actually a safe touristic place. This is because of all the Hollywood Mafia stories (the famous/infamous, “The Godfather”), kidnappings, poverty, thieving and other endless fantasies just like mermaids.
People think that if you refuse purchasing goods in a street kiosk or look to someone in the eye and what not, you will be chased back to your hotel and it will be the end of you! I am not even joking, I do get these kind of comments constantly!
Let me debunk this horrible myth for you. I can give you my word that you can calmly visit Palermo, enjoy the incredible food, mingle with the locals with no issues and come back to your accomodation to sleep well at night! Although I had also some prejudices when planning my trip to Palermo, I must say that, after spending substantial amount of time travelling Palermo and its surroundings, I can confidently state that Palermo is not a dangerous city for tourists. It is safe to travel to Palermo. Now, let me clarify in details what this means.
As mentioned above, no matter how many times the topic of visiting Palermo comes in conversation, everyone thinks that you will be shot right immediately after putting a foot in the city. The truth is that Palermo is not more dangerous or unsafer than other bigger, more popular cities like Madrid, Paris, Rome and so on.
When it comes to explain the safety in Palermo, I am going to cover two things: one is “The Mafia issue” and second, is the day to day potential city dangers, such as, pickpocketing, snatching, etc.
When it comes to explain the safety in Palermo, I am going to cover two things: one is “The Mafia issue” and second, is the day to day potential city dangers, such as, pickpocketing, snatching, etc.
Whilst the Sicilian Mafia is still active and operative in Palermo (and other parts of Sicily), tourists are completely safe and out of risks in this regards. This organisation are about politics, money, power and other things along those lines. They have no interest in harming tourists and statistics subscribe this, especially, in the last decade. Actually, talking to the locals, most of them seem to agree that they have never met any mafiosi or know someone who has. So long you don’t go to the sensitive and problematic neighbourhoods, where mafia clans reside (later in this post I will walk you through all of them) then, you are fine! Also there is no need for you to go to those areas, as there is nothing of interest there as a visitor.
I am next going to describe the safety concerns of your day to day if you travel to Palermo. Obviously, and just like in any other city, you must and have to keep an eye on your belongings. As simple as that. There can be some petty crime stories out there, but honestly, after spending meaningful time in Palermo, I can assure you, that not once, I have felt unsafe or thought that someone was looking at me in a sketchy way to snatch my bag.
Quite the opposite, people are focused on their own thing and they are quite friendly when prompted.
I was told that people would pretend to bump on to you to steal your purse, phone, handbags and that motorbikes would drive pass you fast to pull off your bag.
This is far from reality. I have walked extensively the streets of Palermo and travelled to near by cities using public transportation pretty much at all times and I personally, have experienced nothing like this.
There could be some occasional tales of this kind, but around the historical center and avoiding the problematic areas, you can relax and enjoy your trip.
Also it must be noted, and this caught my attention powerfully, Palermo is patrolled constantly by Polizia, Carabinieri and Polizia de Finanza everywhere through the day to ensure peace and harmony are on the streets.
In fact, having a closer look at the statistics published by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, turns out, Palermo is actually one of the cities in Italy with lower crime rates compared to Turin or Bologne.
Just be mindful of your surroundings, keep an eye on your belongings, don’t show off excessive jewellery or cash, essentially, like you would do anbwherelse.
Yes, Palermo is safe for tourists. Just like any other major city, like, Rome, Madrid, London or Paris, some small crime, such as, pickpocketing, bag snatching, scams and other petty crimes can take place, but overall it is safe for tourists to visit Palermo. There are also major crimes, in which the Mafia is involved, but definitely, not a concern for visitors. There are also neighbourhoods in Palermo to be aware of when travelling, such as, the ZEN, Brancaccio and Ballaro districts, influenced by the mafia, prostitution, and drug dealing. Snatching and pickpocketing can be a problem in Palermo at times, for which, safety measures like, keeping your purse or wallet out of sight and not carrying big amount of cash, are amongst the crucial bits that you should keep in mind when visiting Palermo. Lastly, it is not safe for women to go out at night time by themselves. Essentially, as a tourist, just be concerned about keeping your car or motorcycle in a guarded place, don’t show off jewellery or cash, keep your handbag close to you and always be attentive of your belongings and surroundings.
What are the bad neighbourhoods of Palermo, Italy?
As mentioned earlier in this post, there is pretty much nowhere in Palermo where tourists would risk their lives, in terms of being a target, however, there are still some areas where it is not recommended to go. There are actually no reasons to do so, because there are really poor, low income areas with no touristic interest, leading to a more sensitive circumstance for you to visit.
ZEN district
When it comes to sensitive and problematic neighbourhoods in Palermo, ZEN area, (which is divided in two small zones, ZEN 1 & ZEN 2), is the one that should be off limits for tourists to visit.
ZEN stands for “La Zona Espansione North” and it was originally thought as an architectural project by Gregotti, in which, he envisioned making this countryside area a bit more urban and thought of building it as a block type of housing. When the political situation in the 70s-80s were taking place, these constructions stopped and left many people without services. Eventually, this area degraded to what it is today.
The ZEN area is therefore qualified as Mafia governed district and a poor area where theft, petty crime and overall poverty is sovereign.
Brancaccio district
Brancaccio district is another neighbourhood to be avoided by tourists. This one is also Mafia influenced with small crime index. This is closer to the historical center, but still 5 km from it.
Villagrazia Falsomiele
Villagrazia Falsomiele is truly on the outskirts of Palermo, and it is definitely an area to be avoided by tourists. Particularly, the streets located in between Via Falsomiele and Via Villagrazia. There are lots of small drug dealings and theft going on there.
Ballaro
Last but not least, Ballaro area, which is very close to the historical center, is really influenced by the Nigerian Mafia. During the day time, it is really not a big problem, but again, be aware of your belongings at all times. There is a really good vibe going on with the street markets and places to eat and drink, but be mindful of your pockets. I wouldn’t go around that area during the night time.
Is Palermo safe for women?
Women, solo travelling women and young women in particular, should be cautious at all times, especially, in not so touristy areas. There are definitely some precautions to keep in mind.
As a female, it won’t take you more than 30 minutes walking around Palermo to notice that the city is plagued with men who look “very strongly” at you. Sometimes, they can even whistle and make comments or suggestive remarks as you pass by them.
Don’t be afraid of this behaviour, I know it can be intimidating at times, but most of these men are harmless. It is best to avoid engaging in any kind of conversation or to respond back, if you feel offended because this can only bring problems. As these men want to impress and look masculine so if challenged, they won’t back off.
This can be a bit problematic during the night though, I would advice not to walk alone through Palermo at night, as there can be some inappropriate behaviour, sexually aggressive assaults and thefts.
If you are going out by yourself at night to experience the nightlife of Palermo, make sure you go to reputable places where other tourists would mingle too, and ensure you stay in view of the crowd. Take a taxi back to your accomodation and avoid coming back walking alone.
When in night clubs or pubs in Palermo, try to avoid dim light areas and stay around other people. Palermo locals are really friendly and they will treat you with respect, but always be aware of those who might look dodgy to you.
Lastly, if you fancy a little walk through the historical center to the water around the La Calça area, avoid going by yourself at night. La Calça is the street in between Via Roma and the water. This area has been renovated and prepped for people to go and exercise, enjoy with the kids and family friendly, very much under the watch of police. Although, the area has improved, still, during the night the not so good people hang out in this area and it definitely might be risky business to go by yourself.
Final thoughts
To finish this post, just remember, that perhaps, the night time would be the most sensitive time for you to enjoy the city. There are drug addicts, mafiosi dealing, prostitution and other small crime committers at those hours and if you get involved with any of them by mistake or accident, you can be in serious trouble.
This is particularly the case in off limits districts like ZEN1&2, Brancaccio and Ballaro. These areas are not in the historical center, hence, a tourist would have no reason to go there.
I would definitely be mindful of walking alone at night as a solo female traveler, or female going out by herself, as there are sexual assaults in Palermo and the city is much less policed.
Lastly, if you are hiring a car in Palermo (and you would be crazy if you did!) ensure you can keep your rental car in a locked or guarded parking space, because car theft is and has always been a problem in Palermo. Double check that you pick up all your belongings from the car when you leave.
In conclusion, just use your common sense, don’t overly trust strangers, especially, if they look somewhat sketchy or questionable. Pay attention to your belongings and be aware of your surroundings, and you will keep out of trouble.