There is magic in the air surrounding Cammarata, Sicily. While I was only there for two nights on a short Airbnb visit, I woke up to some amazing sunrises and had time to do some exploring. Situated at the edge of Orientata Monte nature reserve, high up in the mountains, the views around Cammarata are worth the drive alone.
The Narrow roads that wind through the pine forest outside of town only made me wish I was driving a Ferrari or a Porsche. Next time.. If you’re into hiking or rock climbing pack your hiking shoe’s and make sure Cammarata’s on your list of places to stop. Offering dozens of trails just a few minutes outside of town, you can be on a trail for a hike and back in town for lunch by noon if you’re an early riser. The nature reserve also provides a few camping destinations with bathrooms and places to grill or picnic.
Besides nature activities I was really impressed at how architecturally beautiful Cammarata is. The town itself is built on a hillside so no matter where you are, views! There is a good amount of up hill walking and down hill walking so wear comfortable shoes. I actually found it very easy to explore by foot. Plus that’s the best way to find all the hidden gems. Just one of the reason Sicily keeps blowing my mind. All these quaint little hill towns always offer something. Whether it’s antique shopping, sightseeing or hunting for the best kept secret, Cammarata has a few I’d recommend.
For your pizza fix head straight to Ristorante Pizzeria Gourmet. Open for lunch or dinner, this establishment doesn’t miss the mark. Their hand tossed pizza goes straight into the wood burning pizza oven and is on your table in under a few minutes. For La Dolce be sure to make a stop at Bar Sicilia. Their gelato selection is out of this world. The coconut gelato gets me every time. The place also serves alcohol and offers a really nice outdoor courtyard with drink service.
For a nice romantic dinner and mouth watering pasta be sure to eat at Ohana. Pretty much located in the center of Cammarata, Ohana is an easy find and offers a great menu and wine list. Both times I dined there I was extremely satisfied. My only issue with Cammarata was I didn’t spend more time there. There are dozens of restaurants I really wanted to try in town and a bunch of restaurants in the mountains offering the farm to table dinning experience. You have to be careful when eating your way through Sicily. Once you go down that rabbit hole there is no coming back. Your life is changed forever and in my honest opinion, Sicily should have it’s very own Michelin restaurant guide.