Guide to Western Sicily
Experiences outside Cianciana
Western Sicily is a treasure trove of experiences, and we ourselves are not finished discovering new ones.
From chaotic and noisy Palermo, to a siesta in a warm mountain village, the tranquility of a barefoot walk in the Mediterranean, the architecture of cultural Agrigento, and the hunt for beautiful ceramics in Sciacca, the breathtaking view from Erice with the Torri del Balio in the foreground, the salt flats of Marsala, and the endless mountain roads with olive groves, orange groves and vineyards as backdrops. Western Sicily is nothing short of breathtaking!
Remember that Sicily is a large island, and it takes time to get around. So avoid trying to see it all in five days. But a car is almost indispensable if you want to experience the island, no matter how far you travel.
Within 1 hour's drive from Cianciana
Wine tasting at Baronia della Pietra
A 10-12 minute drive from Cianciana, on the way to San Biagio Platani, lies the small winery Baronia delle Pietra. The place is like something out of a Hallmark movie (only much more authentic!), and meets all expectations for lunch and wine tasting in Sicily.
6-10 people are suitable for a booking, and the 20 euros per person includes three wines and a sumptuous lunch table with grilled vegetables, bruchetta, olives, local prosciutto and cheeses, and often also a cake. It varies from time to time, but we have not yet been disappointed.
The place is run by three elderly gentlemen who are saving up for retirement and at the same time passing the time by making wine. They eat at the table, and you quickly feel like part of a large Sicilian family.
The Valley of Temples
Largest collection of Greek ruins outside of Greece. A walk through the 2,500-year-old ruins will set your imagination going. Avoid coming in the middle of the day, especially in the hottest months, as there is not much shade to be found along the way.
The best experience is to start down, furthest from the main entrance – and it is optimal if you time it to walk one way in daylight, and then have the sunset and the illuminated temple ruins on the way back.
The price of admission is 17 euros for adults. On the first Sunday of the month there is free admission for everyone until 7:00 p.m.
Ribera
About half an hour’s drive from Cianciana is Ribera. Not the most charming town in the area, but if you’re into local Italian markets, there’s a big market every Thursday. Here you’ll find everything from food to slippers, parasols and nail clippers.
The first weekend in November the market expands and takes up almost a quarter of the city centre – and here there are no restrictions on what you can buy.
The town also has a small park, which seems a bit neglected, and with a strange little zoo.
We found a restaurant – Tanto di Cappello Vineria – where we had a super delicious lunch.
Sciacca
Sciacca is the nearest port town with almost 40,000 inhabitants. Beautiful old town with countless ceramic shops. A few lunch restaurants up in the town, but take the long stairs from Piazza Angelo Scandaliato down to the port area – perhaps after you have enjoyed an Aperol Spritz on the sun terrace at Terrazza Scandaglia.
At the port you can, if you are lucky, buy freshly caught fish directly from the fishing boats when they come in from the sea at noon. Or you can leave the work to others and eat at one of the good fish restaurants in the port.
We can particularly recommend Porto San Paolo and Trattoria Il Faro.
San Biagio Platani
About a 20-minute drive from Cianciana is the neighboring town of San Biagio Platani. We don’t know much about the town, but every year from Easter and a month onwards, a ‘bread festival’, or ‘Easter Arches’, is held, which is definitely worth a visit.
Baglio Caruana Cantina
A few kilometers before you reach the beach at Bovo Marina, you drive past the Caruana winery. In addition to making a fantastic Grillo (white) and Nero d’Avola (red), they have expanded the farm with overnight accommodation and a lovely pool and spa area. We stayed last weekend in October, which is the end of the season, so the pool area was closed. But we enjoyed a lovely wine tasting with dinner and stayed in a spacious and lovely room with a huge terrace.
Agrigento and the cathedral
The first thing most people think of when they say Agrigento is the Valley of Temples. But the city is so much more than that! … start at the top, for example, at the cathedral. A tour of the church with access to the two towers and the impressive church room, the adjacent museum with the Bishop's Garden, and access to the nearby Santa Maria church costs 7 euros, and is free if you are a permanent resident of the Agrigento region. The Santa Maria church in particular is impressive – built on top of an old Greek temple, and with a glass floor, so you can see ruins under the church.
From here, walk down through the narrow, winding streets until you reach the center with souvenir shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. Where the main street ends is a small park (Piazza Aldo Moro), where the locals hang out – a perfect place for arancini and beer.
Continue down to Viale Della Vittoria, which is a beautiful alley with good restaurants, ice cream parlors, street food and a park – the locals' favorite place to spend a Sunday afternoon.
The drive back to Cianciana through the mountains is one of the most beautiful in the area!
Turkish Steps
A day in Agrigento can easily be combined with a visit to the water and the Turkish Steps. The limestone formations jut out into the Mediterranean, and if you're not afraid to pass a fence or two, you can walk on the limestone and around the decorations. The beach is nice for a swim, and there is a selection of restaurants (we haven't tried the food, but the view is fabulous anyway).
The Bike Store Ribera
Whether you are a road or mountain bike enthusiast, you will get professional help from Enzo at The Bike Store in Ribera. The store provides service and repairs, and almost everything can be ordered, if you don't find what you need in the well-stocked store.
The store focuses on mountain bikes and E-MTBs, but can help with most things with two wheels.
It is also possible to rent, for example, an E-MTB, if you want to try it out.
Castello Incantato
A few kilometers before reaching Sciacca lies a rather peculiar garden. The American artist Filippo Bentivegna began creating sculptures in his garden, all faces. Before his death in 1967, there were more than 1,000 faces with very different expressions.
The garden is open to visitors from 9:30 to 13:00 and again from 16:00 to 20:00. Entrance costs 5 euros.
Address: Via Filippo Bentivegna n° 16, Sciacca.
Necropoli Monte Grotticelle
Barely halfway between Cianciana and Agrigento, just outside Raffadali, you will find the Necropoli Monte Grotticelle. About half an hour's walk from the main road, you will come to a vertical rock wall in which caves have been carved, which have served as burial chambers since the dawn of time. The caves can be dated back to the Roman-Byzantine Empire (circa 400-1400 AD).
There are up to 300 caves in the area, and some of them have also been used as homes from 1400 up until the 20th century.
An exciting break in the drive, if you are on your way to or from Agrigento and need to stretch your legs.
Beaches near Cianciana
We haven't visited many beaches, but Bovo Marina, Secca Grande or Siculiana are highly recommended – both for an actual beach and swimming trip, or if you're looking for a place to have lunch with a sea view. And within about 45 minutes' drive from Ciancian there is a large selection of beaches to explore.
Some beaches are more deserted than others, and especially in high season it can be difficult to get a sunbed and parasol, so it's a good idea to bring your own parasol, beach towel and – of course – sunscreen.
Above Eraclea Minoa there is an archaeological visitor centre with an amphitheatre and a path system along the edge of the slopes with great views of the beaches and Sciacca.
Within 2 hour's drive from Cianciana
Corleone
Let's be clear – the town of Corleone has nothing to do with the Corleone family from the Godfather movies, apart from having inspired the writer and director.
And the town doesn't need to lean on anything, because in itself it is quite cozy and offers some good experiences.
If you drive by car from Cianciana, the first thing that meets you are the special rock formations that surround and protect the town to the south. Above the town there is – when there is enough water – a waterfall, which is located in an unusually beautiful gorge.
There are two Mafia museums in the town, of which we have only visited one. However, it is highly recommended. The museum, called The God Father's House, is housed in a small mansion that was previously owned by a Godfather. The young couple who bought the house with all the furnishings were surprised by how much furniture and equipment was left behind, so they decided to turn the house into a museum. A tour packed with stories from the mafia costs 10 euros and takes about an hour. It is quite entertaining. Afterwards, you can enjoy lunch in the small restaurant, which uses the house's original kitchen.
Erice
Erice is said to be one of the most beautiful towns in Sicily – and it may very well be!
The town is located on a mountain peak 750 metres above Trapani on the westernmost tip of Sicily. From Trapani you can take the cable car (11 euro per person) up to Erice, and enjoy the view of Trapani and the Aegean Islands, Favignana, Marretimo and Levanzo.
The view from up there is nothing short of breathtaking.
It is advisable to plan your visit to Erice outside weekends and high season, as it can get quite crowded. It is a two-hour drive from Cianciana, so combine it with the salt fields at Marsala, for example.
Sutera
The small village of Sutera is located directly east of Cianciana, about an hour and a quarter drive. The drive there is winding, but exceptionally beautiful. The town is built around a cliff top, and is home to just over 1,000 inhabitants. You can take the 183 steps to the top of Monte San Paolino at an altitude of 812 meters. Up here you will find a church and a small monastery.
Ristorante Sambriglia serves lunch every day from 12:30 till 15:00 and dinner from 19:30 till 23:00. Wednesday is closed. Very good food and nice atmosphere.
Trattoria da Giovanni, Castelvetrano
If you are looking for an authentic lunch experience, then drive by Giovanni's trattoria in Castelvetrano.
There is no menu here, but you will quickly be introduced to the day's menu by the very attentive staff.
We ordered a pasta dish each, and quickly received a small starter plate with bruschetta, a piece of cheese and a handful of olives. The wine, the house's own, was already on the table when we arrived (although we didn't get to taste it as we ordered beer instead).
After the pasta, we got a warm Sicilian cake, Cassatelle di Ricotta, with ricotta cream.
All for 20 euros per person.
It is open for lunch (12-15) on weekends and all weekdays for both lunch and dinner (19-21).
Very authentic experience.
Via Milazzo, 26, 91022 Castelvetrano TP
Phone: 0039 0924 89053
B&B ‘Polvere di Stelle’ at Bosco Scorace
A half-hour drive from the climbing area in Bosco di Scorace you will find the small Bed & Breakfast, owned by Giorgia and Davide. The place oozes a family atmosphere and passion for climbing - both very contagious, and the two owners are happy to share their experiences. We were invited to dinner with a larger climbing group, and ended up having the most pleasant evening with equal parts good food, local wine and lots of stories from the climbing world.
Borgo Parrini
Not far from the airport in Palermo lies the small artist town of Borgo Parrini. Let's put it this way, it's a small experience. The town is small, and the beautifully decorated and painted houses, which you can get an impression of everywhere in the city when you google it, can be counted on very few hands. But if you are nearby, drive by, have an ice cream or lunch and enjoy the works of art in this Sicilian mini-Barcelona.
Cretto di Burri
In 1968, a devastating earthquake struck the Belice area, about halfway between Cianciana and Palermo, and wiped out the village of Gibellina. In 1984, the artist Alberto Burri began work on a magnificent monument to commemorate the village. The monument is made of concrete and is based on the original layout of the town's streets. The concrete is about one and a half meters thick and covers a large part of the hillside. In 1989, however, Alberto Burri had to stop work due to lack of funds, and only in 2015, after Burri's death in 1995, did work resume. The artwork is quite unique and impressive.
Not far away is a ghost town, formerly Poggioreale, which was also badly hit by the same earthquake. The town's inhabitants were moved to a newly built new Poggioreale, but the ruins of the old town still stand. There is a wall that can be scaled with a little ingenuity, and it is both thought-provoking and terrifying to walk around the ruins. Don't go inside any of the buildings – they may collapse!
Marsala and the Salt Pans
Marsala is reminiscent of a mini version of Seville in Spain. Cozy old town, where you can easily find a good lunch or dinner. North of the city, along the coast up to Trapani, are the famous salt pans, which still produce large quantities of sea salt every year. Take a boat trip, maybe you'll be lucky enough to see flamingos, and cool off with a cold beer in the shade at the small café.
Castellammare del Golfo
About an hour and a half drive from Cianciana, and half an hour from Palermo airport, you will find the cozy port town of Castellammare del Golfo. The town has almost 15,000 inhabitants. Cozy old town with pedestrian street with shops, bars, cafes and a wide range of restaurants. A beautiful old staircase leads down to the harbor promenade, which offers fish restaurants and access to a small beach. From the harbor you can book boat trips to, among other places, Scopello – the famous old tuna factory, which often appears when you google Sicily.
Bosco di Scorace, bouldering area
A good two hours' drive from Cianciana you will find the Bosco di Scorace natural park, which is a scenic area not far from Trapani. About 10 years ago, two passionate climbers from Milan, Giorgia and Davide, came to Sicily with the declared goal of introducing and spreading climbing on the island. The natural park offered perfect bouldering opportunities, and they set about clearing the rocks of vegetation and have since marked out around 400 climbing routes of varying difficulty, so that both beginners and experienced climbers can benefit from their hard work. The area also offers good opportunities for rope climbing. Read more about Giorgia and Davide's B&B below.
Monreale Cathedral
There are few churches in the world that make such an impression that you keep it in your mind for days after you have visited it. The Cathedral of Monreale, just 15 kilometers from the center of Palermo, is one of them. The cathedral was begun in 1174 by William II, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most impressive thing is the overwhelming mosaics on the walls, ceilings and floors. The mosaics cover more than 6,500 square meters in total. The detour to Monreale when driving to Cianciana from Palermo (or vice versa) is no more than 20 minutes, but expect to spend a couple of hours in the cathedral – nothing less than impressive. Admission 10 euros.
Within 2+ hour's drive from Cianciana
Palermo
You can't say Sicily without also mentioning Palermo! The city is a melting pot of southern Italian charm – including noise and din, dust and dirt, scents and smells, pushing and gesticulating. You have to be into that kind of southern chaos, but if there's one thing Palermo is definitely not, it's boring. We love the city! … and we recommend that everyone visiting Sicily for the first time spend at least one night in the city.
From the cathedral and the palace, to the local and very authentic market (Mercato di Ballarò), which offers everything from live octopus to giant lemons, street food and all kinds of Sicilian specialties.
The main street Via Marqueda runs all the way from the Instagram-friendly Quattro Canti up to the square in front of the Teatro Massimo, one of the largest opera houses in Europe.
Explore the small side streets and take a walk down towards the harbor. Find a park and some shade, and watch the hectic life passing by.
If you're into something a little more bizarre, a 20-minute walk from the city center to the Catacombe dei Cappuccini is recommended. Under the Chiesa di San Girolamo, almost 2,000 mummified dead provide entertainment.
Catania
Unlike Palermo, Catania is nicer, cleaner and more stylish. The city's parks are extremely well-maintained, and you rarely see garbage and dogs in the streets. The old town hides narrow streets and plenty of restaurant options. At the end of the city's main street is a lively market. We don't know the city as well as Palermo yet, but as soon as we get to explore the city more, you will be able to find a lot more information here.
Marzamemi
If you are on an adventure on the south-east coast of Sicily, you must not miss Marzamemi. At first glance, when you drive into the small port town, the town seems a bit desolate and without charm. But it is when you enter the car-free northern port area that the magic begins. The entire old area around the old tuna factory, Tonnare di Marzamemi, has been transformed into the hippest area with delicious shops selling tomatoes and tuna products from the area, as well as an endless selection of charming restaurants – one of them even with Michelin status.
The old tuna factory can be rented for events, weddings and the like.
Mount Etna
The volcano, also known as Mongibello, is the most active volcano in Europe and one of the highest in the world at 3,403 metres above sea level (height varies).
Etna is located on the east coast of Sicily between Messina and Catania, and its activity varies greatly – from large eruptions with lava flows and ash clouds that can close Catania airport for days and send black ash down over the city, to soft rumbling and gas clouds that quietly seep from the two main craters.
On the south side of the volcano, you can take the cable car up to an altitude of 2,920 metres, where in winter there is also the opportunity to practice winter sports.
On the north side, tours are organised with 4x4 off-road buses that go up to an altitude of 2,800 metres, from where you can hike to the top, if the volcano permits.
There are plenty of activity providers in the area, including everything from mountain biking, ATV safaris, hiking, skiing and snowboarding, horseback riding, canyoing and so on.
These links are just a few of countless:
Piano Battaglia in Parco delle Madonie
The small ski resort of Piano Battaglia is located 2.5-3 hours drive from Cianciana in the Parco delle Madonie nature park. The parking lot is located at an altitude of about 1,500 meters in the mountains south of Cefalù.
Close to the chairlift is a small restaurant, which is apparently open all year round.
You can hike up the black slope (there are actually only two slopes - one red and one black) to the right of the chairlift. Two-thirds of the way up you cross over to the red slope and from here straight up to the top at an altitude of 1,863 meters. The view is fabulous, and it is rare to experience a ski resort surrounded by beech trees.
We have not yet visited the place in winter, but the slopes seem to be quite okay, and the drop of almost 400 meters is quite nice.
From Piano Battaglia it is about an hour's drive to Cefalù.
Tonnara di Scopello
You don't have to be particularly good at Googling to find the old tuna factory at Scopello. The place comes up in lots of searches and is also extremely photogenic. The beautiful pictures attract tourists, and that can be felt in the area. We came out of season, and didn't have to pay the 10 euros that parking usually costs. When we wanted to go down to the factory itself, we were charged 15 euros per person, just to go down to the water, which we politely declined. Instead, you can go up the cliff side opposite and admire the breathtaking view - and take exactly the same pictures from the same angle as everyone else. The factory and the small village around it have today been converted into a museum and an exclusive hotel with holiday apartments. The place can also be rented for weddings or other events.
The antique market in Palermo
If you are into second-hand furniture, old tiles, lamps, dolls, useless keys, hidden watches and worthless jewellery, then you will be delighted by Palermo's antique market. The various shops/stalls are sporadically built of boards and corrugated iron roof tiles, and many of the old trees grow inside the shops and up through the roofs. The traders are chatty – if you want – and otherwise they let you wander around in peace. Haggling over the price is part of the culture and is seen as common courtesy and interest.
Opening hours are, depending on where you look, Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 13:00 (we were there at 18:15 and some stands were still open). The market is located in Piazza Peranni, a few hundred meters behind the cathedral.
If that's not enough, on Sundays there is an actual flea market in Piazza Marina from 8:00 to 13:00.
Siracusa and Isola di Ortigia
Siracusa on the east coast of Sicily has a population of around 115,000. The cosiest part of the city is the island of Ortigia, which can be reached via two bridges. On Ortigia, which is manageable in size, you will find a harbour promenade, small, cosy streets, shops and cafés and restaurants.
The square by the cathedral is one of the most beautiful in Italy, and surrounded by baroque buildings. The square and the cathedral are on the UNESCO Heritage List. At the very tip of the island are two castles – Castello Maniace and Castello Eurialo.
In Siracusa you will also find a large Greek amphitheatre, and close to it the rock cave Ear of Dionysus.
Noto
Noto is known as one of the most beautiful towns in Sicily, and not without reason. The town's old streets, baroque decorations and the recently renovated cathedral, which is on the Unesco World Heritage List, create a fantastic atmosphere.
Every year, on the third weekend in May, the Infiorata di Noto – The Flower Festival of Noto – is held, where the central street Via Nicolaci is decorated with works of art created from flowers. The festival starts on Friday (free entrance), when local artists start their works, and runs over four days. From Saturday entrance tickets are purchased at the ticket office opposite the entrance – BEFORE you queue. Entrance €5 per person.
It is recommended to arrive early, preferably at 9 am, as the access roads to the town are otherwise full.
Cefalù
On the north coast of the island, about 70 km east of Palermo, lies the beautiful town of Cefalù. The town can be a bit of a tourist trap, but if you come outside the most densely packed high season, the town is really cozy. For example, find one of the small restaurants that almost hang over the water. If you're lucky, you'll get a table on the terrace facing the water.
The beach is large, and it's possible to find free spots if you're not into sunbeds and umbrellas. The afternoon is best spent in the old town. Visit the beautiful cathedral with its two dominant towers, and take a hike to the top of the Rocca cliff, which rises 270 meters above the town. The advantage of the north coast is that you can enjoy the sun setting into the Tyrrhenian Sea.
San Vito lo Capo
At the northernmost tip of the Orientato dello Zingaro nature park you will find the small seaside resort of San Vito Lo Capo. The outermost tip is called Capo San Vito. We visited the town one day in mid-November and everything breathed peace and quiet, but it is easy to imagine the streets filled with bathers in the summer. There are good beaches both by the town and the harbor, as well as on the western side of the tip.
Grotta Mangiapane
At the northern end of the seaside resort of Cornino, northeast of Trapani and Erice, you can experience the rock cave Grotta Mangiapane. The cave is 70 meters high and a good 50 meters deep, and has been inhabited for centuries. Most recently until the 1950s by the Mangiapane family, after whom the cave is named. Today it is an exciting open-air museum, and every year in the run-up to Christmas, up to 150 people in traditional costumes come and bring the museum and the small town to life again. Definitely worth a visit.
