Are you planning to travel to Sicily? To help you plan your stay, we wrote a few tips that will allow you to discover the three must-see attractions of western Sicily: Villa rentals in Trapani near the sea, the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento, the beautiful medieval village Erice and much more!
Palermo
The Old City of Palermo is a great place to start your visit to Sicily.
Among the things to see, there is absolutely the Norman palace: it was the residence of the Norman kings during the Middle Age and today it is the house of the regional parliament. It is famous for the interior of the palatine chapel, made of magnificent mosaics.
Palermo Cathedral, instead, is worth a visit due to its mixing various architectural styles, such as the Norman Arabic, the Gothic and the Baroque. The exterior is incredible and will leave you speechless.
Piazza Vigliena or Quattro Canti, are considered the center of the city where you can find many palaces and churches.
Massimo Theatre is the largest opera house in Italy and the third-largest in Europe.
Another option, if you prefer to enjoy the beach and swim a little, is to go to Mondello, located about 10 km away: there is no fine sandy beach in Palermo, so to take a bath you will have to take the bus or your car.
Agrigento
This is the second step of your stay: You will cross Sicily from the Northern part and go to Agrigento which is located in Southern Sicily. From Palermo to Agrigento, it takes about two hours by car. This means that you will take a little over half a day to start discovering the Agrigento region.
The good thing is that the route allows you to explore the Sicilian plains, a landscape quite different from what you’re used to seeing on postcards! Close to Agrigento, you can go to the less known Punta Bianca nature reserve. The perfect place to take a walk and take a dip.
And if you have time, you should definitely go to Castello di Montechiaro, a castle from the Medieval age, situated on a cliff overlooking the sea. The landscape is magnificent there, and it is totally unknown to tourists!
The must-see attraction in Agrigento though is the Valley of Temples. The visit takes about two hours on foot. As there are many tourists who visit Temples Valley, you really should book your tickets, so you don’t have to queue too long. You should really visit the Temples Valley early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowd of tourists. Tourist buses usually arrive at the site around 10 am.)
Trapani
Trapani is the city we recommend you to find your accommodation: you can find many options for villa rentals in Trapani near the see, and it is also a very central location if you want to visit the western coast of Sicily.
When arriving in Trapani, instead of taking the fastest road, we suggest you take the one that passes through Mazara del Vallo and Marsala in order to take the salt road (“via del sale” in Italian). The scenery is worth the trip. The view of the salt pans together with the old windmills (which are used to grind salt) reflected in the water is simply enchanting.
The salt pans are within a nature reserve, that offers an incredible view of the landscape too. However, most of them are no longer active or are simply used for some small traditional production.
You can find two main beaches in Trapani: Lido San Giuliano, which is located about twenty minutes’ walk from the city center. Here you can find bars and restaurants. You can rent a deckchair and an umbrella to spend the day here.
The second beach is Lido Paradiso, a private beach which offers also a children’s pool. The water is not deep, and the beach is well protected from the wind. Perfect if you are traveling with children!
About 30 minutes by car you reach Erice: it is a beautiful village on top of the mountain. Famous for its castle located on a cliff and its beautiful cobbled streets, it is a very touristy place. As you walk through the village, you will be surprised by beautiful views of Trapani and the sea. The walk through the village will take about 2 hours, and it is full of shops, churches and little bars to enjoy an aperitivo Italian style!
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