Things to do in Western Sicily
-
Il Mirto e la Rosa
Pantelleria has a healthy supply of slips and sandals shops to cater for all those fashion victims. What you should stock up with is the island's own range of cosmetic products.
Il Mirto e la Rosa, just off Via Borgo Italia, stocks the island's own range of cosmetic products, Linea Cosmetica Lago di Venere, made from the mineral-rich mud of the Bagno dell'Aqua.
reviewed
-
Trattoria Favarotta
Trattoria Favarotta has an excellent reputation for tasty, local fare including spaghetti con pesto pantesco (spaghetti with a tomato, garlic, pepper and basil sauce), and roast hare.
reviewed
-
A
Divino…Rosso
With outdoor tables on Marsala’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, this excellent restaurant and wine bar serves pizzas, over 150 different wines and an extensive menu of local dishes.
reviewed
-
Monte Grande
The 836m volcano which dominates the centre of the island has a number of interesting sights, including the 24 cuddie (ancient craters of red volcanic rock) surrounding the main volcano. At the summit is the Stufa del Bagno di Arturo, a steaming natural sauna, and the milky white Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus), where the bodies beautiful (most famously a pregnant Madonna) come to wallow in the volcanic mud; the Stufa del Bagno di Arturo can get extremely hot, so beware.
Another of these milky turquoise lakes, much bigger in size and more accessible, is the Bagno dell'Aqua (Lago di Venere), which can be viewed from the ancient village of Bugeber. In August horse race…
reviewed
-
B
Cantina Siciliana
This little trattoria (informal restaurant) is a gastronomic paradise. You'll have to seek it out in the old Jewish ghetto, where scaffolding prevents the alley from collapsing in on itself, but you'll be discovering one of the finest places to eat in the whole of Sicily. It's no wonder it sports the Slow Food Movement badge of approval.
Just taste the sardine in breadcrumbs for starters, a plate of mind-blowing pasta alla Trapanese and the fish platter, followed by a warm cassatella (cream horn stuffed with sweet ricotta) or Italy's most famous muscat, the passito di Pantelleria. The restaurant runs the superb enoteca (wine bar or shop) next door.
reviewed
-
C
Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi
Marsala’s finest treasure is the partially reconstructed remains of a Carthaginian liburna (warship) in the Museo Archeologico Baglio Anselmi. Sunk off the Egadi Islands during the first of the Punic Wars nearly 3000 years ago, the ship’s bare bones are the only remaining physical evidence of the Phoenicians’ seafaring superiority in the 3rd century BC. The ship resonates with history – especially if you see it after you visit the excavations on San Pantaleo – giving a glimpse of a civilisation that was extinguished by the Romans.
reviewed
-
D
Al Solito Posto
Tucked off at the end of Via Orlandini, this tiny trattoria is another deserved wearer of the Slow Food Movement badge. It's all about fish and seafood here, with an emphasis on the freshest picks of the morning catch. Start with the fish carpaccio (thinly sliced fish) and proceed to the delicious spaghetti con i ricci (spaghetti with sea urchin meat), which is perfectly followed by a tuna steak covered with sweet caramelised onions. If you can fit in a dessert, try the almond parfait or a creamy cannolo.
reviewed
-
E
Museo Nazionale Pepoli
Adjacent to the Santuario dell’Annunziata, in a former Carmelite monastery, is the Museo Nazionale Pepoli. It houses the collection of Conte Pepoli, who made it his business to salvage much of Trapani’s local arts and crafts, not least the garish coral carvings – once all the rage in Europe before the banks of coral off Trapani were decimated. The museum also has a good collection of Gagini sculptures, silverwork, archaeological artefacts and religious artwork.
reviewed
-
F
Tavernetta Ai Lumi
Converted from an 18th-century stable block, this tavern is rustic to the core. Exposed brickwork, heavy wooden furniture and huge arches lend the dining room great character, while the outside terrace, in the heart of historic Trapani, is delightful on summer evenings. The menu features plenty of fresh seafood along with superbly prepared local classics such as casarecce al pesto trapanese (pasta with a sauce of tomatoes, toasted almonds and garlic).
reviewed
-
Castello Barabacane
Pantelleria is less a place to see than to experience. Aside from the 16th-century Castello Barabacane, at the end of the harbour, there is little of interest in Pantelleria town - it was flattened during WWII and rebuilt with modern, cube-shaped houses. The other main towns are Gadir (the prettiest of the towns), Rekale (in the remote south of the island) and Scauri (the island's second port). You can take in all the villages during a day's drive.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
G
Palazzo Riccio di Morana
Although the narrow network of streets in Trapani's historic centre is Moorish, the city takes most of its character from the fabulous 18th-century baroque of the Spanish period. A catalogue of examples can be found down the pedestrian Via Garibaldi, most notably the Palazzo Riccio di Morana and Palazzo Fardelle Fontana. The best time to walk down here is in the early evening, when the passeggiata (stroll) is in full swing.
reviewed
-
H
Museo di Preistoria e del Mare
The Museo di Preistoria e del Mare is located at the tip of the promontory in the Spanish fortress Torre di Ligny. It houses a collection of prehistoric artefacts and medieval objects recovered from shipwrecks off the coast. From the top of the tower there are great views over the town. Highlights are Titian's San Francesco con Stigmata (St Francis with Stigmata) and the Pietà by Roberto di Oderiso.
reviewed
-
I
Complesso Monumentale San Pietro
Housed in a beautiful restored building, the Complesso Monumentale San Pietro attracts locals and visitors alike. A former Benedictine monastery (dating from the 16th century), it has permanent exhibitions on Garibaldi, an archaeological section with an interesting fragment of a sculpture of Eros catching a ride on the back of a duck, and items from Lilibaeo's necropolis. Another area is dedicated to folk traditions.
reviewed
-
Chiesa Madre
Of the several churches and other monuments in this small, quiet town, the Chiesa Madre, just inside Porta Trapani, is probably the most interesting by virtue of its campanile (bell tower) with mullioned windows. Built in 1314, the church had its interior, which has a lovely vaulted ceiling, remodelled in the neo-Gothic style in 1865, but the 15th-century side chapels were conserved.
reviewed
-
Marsala Cathedral
At town's heart is the elegant Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the imposing Marsala Cathedral. Although started in 1628, the church's façade wasn't completed until 1956 (courtesy of a cash donation by a returning emigrant). The cavernous interior, divided into three aisles highlighted by tall columns, contains a number of sculptures by the Gagini brothers but little else.
reviewed
-
Cantine Florio
Tipplers should head to Cantine Florio on the road to Mazara del Vallo (bus 16 from Piazza del Popolo). Florio opens its doors to visitors to explain the process of making Marsala wine and to give you a taste of the goods. Pellegrino, Donnafugata, Rallo, Mavis and Intorcia are other producers in the same area. Booking is recommended; ask at the tourist office.
reviewed
-
Grammatico Maria
This café is run by Maria Grammatico, Sicily's most famous pastry chef. She was even the subject of Mary Taylor Simeti's book Bitter Almonds, a series of recipes and recollections from her childhood, when she learnt her considerable skills from the nuns of Erice. Try the exquisite cannoli in the leafy back garden - they are some of the best you'll taste.
reviewed
-
J
Convento del Carmine
The restored Convento del Carmine is an attractive gallery. Parts of the building date from 1155, when the Carmelites first came to Marsala with Roger I's widow Adelaide. After years of neglect and a spell as a police barracks, the convent has been returned to its former glory, and is now an art gallery and a centre for civil weddings.
reviewed
-
K
Colicchia
The granita (flavoured crushed ice) here is the best in Trapani. Many flavours are available, including old favourites such as mandorla (almond), coffee and limone (lemon), but you should also try the seasonal delicacies, such as gelsi (mulberry), which is only eaten in from July to September.
reviewed
-
Museo Civico Antonio Cordici
At the top of Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the heart of the city, and the place where you'll find the Museo Civico Antonio Cordici. The museum houses finds from the town's necropolis, including a 4th-century head of Venus. The other piece worth seeing is an elegant Annunciation by Antonello Gagini.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Valle di Monastero
If you can't face steaming caves, boiling mud baths and baking volcanic mountains, plunge into the cool green of the Valle di Monastero, or the Valle di Ghirlanda, southeast of Monte Gibele, both carpeted by vines that are harvested in September. This is the perfect place for hiking or riding.
reviewed
-
Il Gallo e l’Innamorata
Warm orange walls and arched stone doorways lend an artsy, convivial atmosphere to this Slow Food–acclaimed eatery. The menu is short and sweet, featuring a few well-chosen dishes each day, including the classic scaloppine (veal cooked with marsala wine and lemon).
reviewed
-
L
Chiesa del Purgatorio
Just off the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, south along Via Generale Dom Giglio, is the Chiesa del Purgatorio, which houses the impressive 18th-century Misteri, 20 life-sized wooden effigies depicting the story of Christ’s Passion (used in I Misteri).
reviewed
-
Monte San Giuliano
Tucked behind Corso Vittorio Emanuele, this eatery is entered through a crumbling arch that leads onto a cool patio graced with drooping hydrangeas. The terrace has a canopy of green vines, and the pasta, fish and seafood are as delicious as the surroundings.
reviewed
-
M
Santuario dell’Annunziata
Trapani’s major sight is the 14th-century Santuario dell’Annunziata, 4km east of the centre. The Cappella della Madonna, behind the high altar, contains the venerated Madonna di Trapani, thought to have been carved by Nino Pisano.
reviewed
