About this experience
Want to discover what's at the very tip of the Italian boot? Join me on a fascinating road trip through the western part of Sicily - you will enjoy its agrarian landscapes and extraordinary seashore, ascend to the mountain town of Erice and try to catch a glimpse of the African coast from there, and finally visit a huge cave with an abandoned Sicilian village!
What to Expect
Salt Marshes of Trapani
Crossing fields of vineyards, we will reach a place where the hilly plain turns into a marine tidal flat: these are the salt marshes of Trapani. Sea salt has been extracted in this place since Phoenician times! Since then, the laborious process has been slightly eased by Archimedes' channels and windmills - modern technologies always bypassed Sicily. I will show and tell you how salt is extracted today, why the sea water here is multicolored, and why flamingos are pink.
Peak of Mount Erice
Then, we will drive up the picturesque serpentine road to the summit of Mount Erice with the eponymous town, which has preserved its medieval appearance completely. You will see a castle on a sheer cliff, mighty city walls, a network of narrow cobbled streets where clouds swiftly run beside you and suddenly disperse, revealing a breathtaking view of patchwork fields at the foot of the mountain, sunlit sea surface, the Egadi Islands, and, if you're lucky, even the African coast. This is where the most important naval battles took place, determining the course of the entire history of the Mediterranean!
Abandoned Village and Prehistoric Cave
As the sun starts to set, we will head towards the picturesque Mount Cofano, on one of the slopes of which there is a huge cave about 80 meters high! People lived inside it back in Paleolithic times, but to this day only the Sicilian village remains, and even that - abandoned. I will tell you what its inhabitants were doing, what they produced, and why they suddenly decided to leave this place, abandoning their homes, all utensils, and tools.
Organizational Details
- In the hot summer months from May to September, there will be a pleasant cool breeze on the salt marshes of Trapani and in Erice, so it's better to bring a scarf and a light jacket with you at other times, and in January-February, also a hat and gloves.
- The excursion is possible both from Palermo and from any point along the coast to San Vito lo Capo and Trapani.
- The tour is available for groups of 5 or more participants with separate transfer rental.
