Western Sicily is best seen by car. There are so many places to visit that you won't want want to miss any of them.
Things to see and do
- Agrigento: Check out The Valley of the Temples- an Ancient Greek settlement (a UNESCO world heritage site)
- Selinute: Explore the Selinute Archaeological Park- the biggest archaeological park in Europe
- Outside Marsala: Visit the salt-planes and red-roofed windmills at the Stagnone Nature Reserve
- Ribera: Taste the Washington Navel oranges in Ribera, 230 metres above the sea
- Agrigento: Walk along the clear blue Sicilian coastline under the Scala dei Turchi- a bright white limestone cliff which looks like it's cascading into the sea
- Relax on the stunning Sicilian beaches
Food & drink
The Sicilian's love their food and it's renowned as some of the best in Italy. From Sfincione (a thick pizza made with tomatoes, onions and anchovies) to Finnochio con Sarde (a pasta dish with fennel and herring). Sea-food is very popular in this part of Italy, as you can imagine as it's all fresh from the sea!
A lot of the traditional meat dishes are made using lamb or goat as they're easily available, but veal is also popular. A popular dish from the region is Vitello alla Marsala (veal with Marsala). Most meat dishes are served with cous-cous, which is an influence from Sicily's strong ties with the Arab and Byzantine communities (past and present). You'll also see a lot of pistachios and sultanas used in their food for the same reason.
When it comes to cheese, lots of Italian desserts and sweets are made with ricotta. Our favourite are cannoli, crunchy pastry shells filled with sweet, creamy ricotta (sometimes they add candied peel and chocolate chips). The ricotta here is different from what you've probably had before, because they make it with goats milk instead of cows milk.
Activities
If you're looking for more of an adventure, the Grotta del Genovese in Levanzo is between 6,000 and 10,000 years old. You'll have to walk down a very steep 700 metres worth of steps to get to the cave but you'll get some incredible views of the coast if you do. It has Neolithic and Upper Palaeolithic drawings on the walls; of bulls, horses, men and tuna! (remember to pre-book).
If you enjoy hiking, another great place to see is the Castello di Santa Caterina in Favignana. 287 metres high, on top of Monte Santa Caterina, it's a bit of a trek to get there (about an hour hike), but it's completely worth it if just to see the panoramic views of the Egadi Islands. In WW2 this 15th Century fort was used as a military observation station, so there's yet more history to be discovered!
