Western Sicily, the destination of those who want to live a vacation among enchanting beaches and history, culture and taste. All of the ingredients that make this island magical.
- Golden beaches of the western shore: from Sciacca to San Vito Lo Capo
- Trapani and Marsala
- Scopello and Erice
- Valley of the Temples, Selinunte and Segesta archaeological parks
- The majestic capital: Palermo
- The north-western shore, from Castellammare del Golfo to Cefalù
- Western Sicily Delicacies
Wide and varied in terms of landscape, art, culture and wonders, western Sicily boasts an outstanding concentration of must-see destinations ranging from world-famous archaeological sites to idyllic sandy beaches and magnificent cities.
Even though the whole area shares a similar history in terms of dominations and empires (Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantine, Arabs, Normans, Svevians, French and Spanish).
The provinces of western Sicily (Agrigento, Trapani and Palermo) are all characterised by different traits – from local dialect to food, particularly deriving from the Arab tradition in the Trapani area, with “cous cous” being served even in the tiniest restaurant, whereas Palermo is the home of one of the most noteworthy and appreciated street food traditions in the world.
The seaside is also quite varied: you’ll find kilometer-long sandy beaches in the whole south-western area, from Palma di Montechiaro (near Agrigento) to Mazara del Vallo and up north until Marsala, but the Aegadian archipelago, set right in front of the cities of Trapani and Marsala, houses three marvellous rocky islands with some of the most enchanting saside sceneries you’ll ever see.
And rocky bays with a stunning seabed can be found in the north-western shore as well: the Zingaro Nature Reserve is a wild and unspoilt area, perfect for anyone looking for secluded tiny beaches or for diving enthusiasts, and the tiny hamlet of Scopello with its “faraglioni” huge rocks towering in the middle of the bay is beyond amazing.
And then, sandy and rocky beaches again, until the beautiful medieval hamlet of Cefalù.
Western Sicily also boasts a remarkable collection of archaeological treasures: from the world-famous Valley of the Temples in Agrigento to the archaeological parks of Segesta and Selinunte, all three parks showing an impressive series of well-preserved Greek temples and other remains from the “Magna Grecia” age, but these are only the most famous ones – there’s really much more to discover for history lovers.
And then there is Palermo, the extraordinary capital of Sicily, with all its colours and cultures, its monuments and landmarks, its sumptuous boulevards and tiny alleys within the historical centre: an amazing expression of the invaluable mixture of cultures that Sicily is, an impressive evidence of the greatness of this beautiful land.