top of page

WEST SICILY IS THE BEST

Discover Terrasini: A Delightful Escape in Sicily's West

Embark on a Captivating Journey of Natural Wonders, Rich History, and Cultural Delights

Venture into the enchanting town of Terrasini, nestled on Sicily's southeastern coast, and discover a haven where natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture intertwine to create an unforgettable travel experience. From pristine beaches and tranquil nature trails to ancient ruins and captivating historical landmarks, Terrasini offers a diverse array of attractions that will captivate every traveler's senses.

​

Unwind in Terrasini's Paradise of Natural Beauty

Immerse yourself in the tranquility of Terrasini's coastline, where turquoise waters beckon you to bask in the sun or embark on exhilarating water sports adventures. Stroll along the scenic promenade, surrounded by lush greenery and the gentle caress of the Mediterranean breeze. Venture into the nearby Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, a nature reserve that boasts stunning cliffs, secluded coves, and a diverse array of flora and fauna, offering a breathtaking escape into the heart of nature.

​

Step Back in Time at Terrasini's Enthralling Historical Landmarks

Trace Terrasini's rich heritage back to the Phoenicians as you explore captivating historical landmarks like the 15th-century Castello di Terrasini, a fortress offering panoramic views of the town and the sea. Delve into the mysteries of the past at the Baglio di Scopello, a 17th-century Arab-Norman estate steeped in historical intrigue. Immerse yourself in Terrasini's fascinating history at the Museo Civico, home to an impressive collection of archaeological artifacts that chronicle the town's journey through time.

​

Embark on Cultural Adventures and Culinary Delights

​

Experience the vibrant cultural scene of Terrasini, where tradition and modernity harmoniously blend. Immerse yourself in the local spirit by attending the annual Festa di Sant'Isidoro, a celebration of the town's patron saint. Savor the flavors of Sicilian cuisine at one of the town's many trattorias, where fresh, locally sourced ingredients take center stage, creating culinary masterpieces that will tantalize your taste buds.

Venture Beyond Terrasini's Shores to Discover Captivating Destinations

Terrasini serves as a perfect base for exploring the wider region, offering easy access to a wealth of historical and cultural treasures. Discover the ancient ruins of Segesta and Selinunte, two UNESCO-listed archaeological sites offering a glimpse into Sicily's rich history. Take a captivating day trip to the enchanting island of Mozia, where remnants of a Phoenician settlement await your exploration.

Beyond Terrasini's Shores: Unveiling the Enchanting West

Venture beyond Terrasini's shores to discover captivating destinations within a one-hour drive:

  • Riserva Naturale Saline di Trapani e Paceco: Immerse yourself in the tranquility of a vast salt marshland, where stunning salt pans and views of Mount Erice promise a unique natural experience.

  • Monreale: Delve into the artistic and historical treasures of Monreale, where the Norman Palace and its exquisite Byzantine mosaics await your admiration.

  • Erice: Ascend to Erice, a medieval town perched atop an imposing mountain, offering breathtaking views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Explore its narrow streets, charming squares, and historical landmarks.

  • Trapani: Explore the salt pans of Trapani, where traditional methods of salt production have been practiced for centuries. Delve into the city's rich history and admire its architectural gems.

  • Selinunte: Witness the grandeur of ancient civilizations at Selinunte, where the ruins of one of Sicily's largest Greek cities stand majestically.

 

An Unforgettable Journey Awaits in Sicily's West With its captivating blend of natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture, Terrasini and its surrounding areas offer an unforgettable travel experience that will leave you longing for more. Embark on a journey to discover the hidden gems of western Sicily and create memories that will last a lifetime.

RISERVA DELLO ZINGARO

​

The Zingaro Reserve is one of the most admired natural gems in Sicily. There, you can experience the sea as it was centuries ago, if not millennia; the work of man lacks almost entirely, except for some rural houses. There is not one coastal road, there are no cars, no noise except the one coming from wind and waves. The preserve was established because of the document signed by thousands of citizens that have prevented the construction of a street connecting directly Scopello to San Vito Lo Capo. Thanks to them, there is only a “face to face” between man and the genista, the olive, holm oak, between the walker and the curious eyes of a fox or a seagull that met by chance on their path.

BAGLIO DI SCOPELLO

​

The Baglio di Scopello is a construction of Arabic origin dating back to the seventeenth century. Point of reference and centre of a small community, it rises in the district of Scopello, a hamlet of Castellammare del Golfo. The medieval village develops around a quadrilateral structure and a common courtyard that acts as a shield for the few houses present. The village still preserves a rural aspect and is a place not to be missed in the province of Trapani. Nearby, among the main attractions is the Zingaro Reserve, a wonderful stretch of coast characterized by white pebble beaches.Baglio di Scopello a village in the province of Trapani, Sicily
Stone paved and a precious drinking trough. From here begins the visit to the Baglio di Scopello, a site of great scenic and historical value.Set on a cliff, it looks like a living crib, a corner caressed by a few souls, where time seems to have stopped.It is an authentic place, where you can meet the hollowed out faces of the local people and the flavours of Sicilian gastronomy. Inside it are developed simple activities related to the catering sector, tourist reception and crafts.A huge arch marks the entrance threshold of the Baglio Isonzo and opens the doors to the presence of a centuries-old oak tree, witness of past civilizations. One breathes a golden atmosphere, of deep tranquillity, which screens the intrigued glances of travellers.

CARINI CASTLE

​

the manor became famous as the scene of a tragic event: on 4 December 1563 woman Laura Lanza di Trabia Baroness of Carini, wife of Don Vincenzo La Grua-Talamanca, was killed by her father for reasons of honour together with her alleged lover Ludovico Vernagallo. The deaths of the two are recorded in the historical archive of the mother church of Carini. The bitter case of Signora di Carini was not immediately public knowledge, the power of the families involved immediately silenced the diarists of the time, who only reported the date and the news of Signora di Carini's death. Don Cesare Lanza di Trabia was acquitted under the law in force and the following year he was awarded the title of Count of Mussomeli. The story was dealt with in the mid-nineteenth century by the scholar Salvatore Salomone Marino who was able to reconstruct, thanks to what he learned from the people through various "cunti" handed down over the centuries by storytellers, the story of Laura and her beloved Ludovico. Legend has it that on the anniversary of the crime, the imprint of the bloody hand left by the murdered Baroness would appear on a wall in the room where Laura was killed.

ERICE

​

A site of unforgettable beauty characterizes Erice, an ancient Phoenician and Greek city, perched at a height of 751 m on the mountain of the same name, crowned by a triangular plateau with a terrace overlooking the sea. Defended by ramparts and walls, the city is a labyrinth of cobbled streets and passages so narrow as to allow the passage of a single man. The houses, closed to each other, have pretty and well-kept internal courtyards, defended and protected from the sight of passers-by so that family life takes place in complete intimacy.

CARBURANGELI CAVE

​

The nature reserve "Grotta di Carburangeli", falling within the municipal territory of Carini (PA), was established for the protection and enhancement of a site of considerable speleological, paleontological and biological interest. The Cave is also of archaeological interest, as evidenced by the discovery of interesting finds in the first cavity and in the area in front of it. Excavations carried out between the mid 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s by various paleontologists have brought to light important remains of the Quaternary fossil fauna and objects of the human lithic industry dating back to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, now preserved in the "Gemmellaro" Museum in Palermo.The territory of the Reserve has been divided into two different areas according to the environmental characteristics and the different management objectives: zone A includes the entire underground development of the cave and an external portion around the entrances to the hypogeum; zone B and zone B1, covering a total of 4.83 hectares, include the cave's feeding basin and the area in front of the entrances to the hypogeum, and constitute a "buffer" zone between the protected cavity and the area outside the reserve.

 

GUIDALOCA BEACH

 

Beautiful bay with white pebble beach near the village of Scopello. Scopello is a small but charming seaside village, it is the southern gateway to the Zingaro Nature Reserve. The town is organized around the central square, Piazza Nettuno, near which there is the famous farmhouse, dating back to the 18th century.

MOTYA ISLAND AND SALINA

​

Motya  was an ancient and powerful city on San Pantaleo Island off the west coast of  Sicily, in the  Stagnone Lagoon  between  Drepanum  (modern  Trapani) and  Lilybaeum  (modern  Marsala). It is within the present-day  commune  of  Marsala,  Italy. The remarkable and exquisite marble  Motya Charioteer,  found in 1979, is world famous and is on display at the local Giuseppe Whitaker museum. Surrounded by the shallow waters of the Stagnone di Marsala lagoon is the small and enchanting island of Mozia, once a Phoenician colony, and today a place rich not only in history and culture, but also in fine natural beauty. A place to visit, even if not within reach of all budgets. To reach Mozia it is necessary to take a ferry whose ticket costs € 5,00 per person. Once on the island you need to pay another entrance ticket, worth € 9.00 (a figure that is not always reported). Fortunately, once you set foot on the island, you are largely rewarded by the extraordinary beauty of the place.

LA PRAIOLA BEACH

 

The beach of La Praiola in Terrasini is a delightful and picturesque bay of white sand set between high rocks just below the town. Accessible on foot via a long flight of steps, it is not far from the famous stacks of Terrasini. The sea that bathes La Praiola is beautiful and transparent, with crystal blue waters gently sloping down to the open sea.

TERRASINI MUSEUM

​

Visit this stunning historical building to discover the ethnoanthropological, naturalistic and archaeological collections.The Regional Museum of Terrasini is located on the seafront Praiola di Terrasini (metropolitan city of Palermo).The museum, founded in April 2001, is housed in the "Palazzo d'Aumale", a 19th century building built by Don Vincenzo Grifeo, Prince of Partanna and Duke of Floridia and later purchased by Enrico d'Orléans (1822) Duke of Aumale, son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans (1773-1850), King of France and Princess Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Naples (1782-1866). The building was intended for the storage of the wines produced on the Zucco estate, located a short distance away.

SEGESTA TEMPLE

 

On a hill just outside the site of the ancient city of Segesta lies an unusually well preserved Doric temple. It is thought to have been built in the 420s BC by an Athenian architect, despite the city not having a large Greek population. The temple has six by fourteen columns on a base measuring 21 by 56 meters, on a platform three steps high. Several elements suggest that the temple was never finished. The columns have not been fluted as they normally would have been in a Doric temple and there are still bosses present in the blocks of the base (used for lifting the blocks into place but then normally removed). The temple also lacks a cella, any ornamentation, altar or deity dedication, and was never roofed over. The temple escaped destruction by the Carthaginians in the late 5th century.

​

MAGAGGIARI BEACH

​

The Magaggiari beach in Cinisi is a beautiful beach of fine sand on the Gulf of Castellamare, washed by a turquoise, transparent and crystal clear sea, with a shallow and rocky seabed near the shore. A very wide and long beach set in a picturesque and suggestive coastal stretch that reaches Punta Raisi. The beach on the right is guarded by the 16th century Torre Mulinazzo.

TONNARA DI SCOPELLO

​

An essential stop during your stay in Scopello can only be the beautiful Tonnara di Scopello. Today the Scopello's tuna fishery hosts a diving center that organizes diving and dinghy excursions. The trap can be visited every day until 19. Paying an entrance fee of 4 euros you can admire the beautiful building, the entrance hall, the ancient anchors as well as enjoy the picturesque view over the bay and the stacks and not to be missed is a swim in this dream sea! It was initially built in the 13th century, then enlarged and modified several times throughout history, first by the San Clemente family, then by the Society of Jesus and finally by the Florio family.
Above the Tonnara you can admire two towers: one dating back to 1200, of which only a few ruins remain today, and the other dating back to 1400, the work of the Florentine engineer Camilliani who is not part of the Tonnara district.
In a first time the nucleus of the Tonnara was constituted by the factory leaning against the rock and by the tower wanted for the sighting of the enemy to defend Scopello and the Tonnara itself. In 1468 the aristocratic Trapanese family of San Clemente obtained the concession and so began the first enlargement works. 
The tunny-fishing factory was enlarged bringing it to the appearance it still has today, moreover the buildings of the baglio, as well as the house of the tuna-fishing keeper, the warehouses and the carpentry, the loggia where the tuna were hung for the various phases of the meat processing, the oven of the keeper and the scagno, that is the place where the crew was paid.

CAPORAMA NATURAL RESERVE

​

Located in the territory of the municipality of Terrasini, the reserve occupies an area of about 57 hectares, including the promontory of Capo Rama and the surrounding coastal areas, divided between zone A and zone B. It also houses the remains of the homonymous coastal tower. In the reserve are visible limestone rocks of carbonate and lagoon origin, dating back to the Mesozoic.[5] These rocks preserve many fossils, including shells of megalodonts, lamellibranchs and remains of coral reefs.In correspondence of the cliff coastline many caves are visible, which originated as a result of marine erosion and karst phenomena.The Capo Rama reserve also contains three geo-sites established in 2015, which are as follows: "Triassic succession of Cape Rama", of considerable interest from a stratigraphic point of view;

bottom of page