Arriving in Palermo we began our tour admiring the masterpieces of the Arab-Norman and Baroque culture that characterise this city, then going down to Agrigento to visit the grand Valley of the Temples. Heading back up along the coast we admired the Scala dei Turchi and visited Selinunte, the Marsala salt pans, the splendid Erice with its 60 churches and the Castle of Venus, the temple and the ruins of Segesta, passing through Castellammare del Golfo and Scopello as far as the Zingaro Nature Reserve. After a 3-day stop of well-earned rest at San Vito Lo Capo, where we took part in the Cous Cous Fest, we visited Monreale and returned home from Palermo.
Our tour began in Palermo, where we landed at 8:00 in the morning. After renting a Panda, we headed to the hotel, which was in the city centre. During the day we admired the masterpieces of Arab-Norman and Baroque culture that characterise this city, from the Palazzo dei Normanni to the Cappella Palatina, from the Cathedral to the Teatro Massimo. The heat was truly scorching, so after a nice dinner we went to bed absolutely exhausted.
The following day we set off for Agrigento, where we arrived in the late morning. After leaving our bags at the B&B we headed to the Archaeological Museum, which was really very interesting. In the afternoon, after a brief visit to Pirandello's house and a gelato stop to cool off given the temperature of over 40 °C, we visited the famous Valley of the Temples, staying inside until after sunset and ending the day with an excellent dinner in a local trattoria.
The next day we went back up along the coast, visiting the Scala dei Turchi and then Selinunte. Here unfortunately the weather had worsened, but despite the storms we still managed to see this ancient civilisation and what remains of its temples. Setting off again in the afternoon, we reached our hotel near Marsala and then visited the salt pans, remaining very impressed by the mountains of salt and the windmills. Evening at the hotel with a fantastic dinner and then to bed.
Continuing along the coast we headed to Erice, a beautiful medieval town situated on top of a 750-metre hill near Trapani. Here the air was much cooler and, during our visit to some of the 80 churches that characterise this little town, we also ran into a fine thunderstorm. The Chiesa Madre dell'Assunta and the Norman Castle, or Castle of Venus Ericina, are very beautiful. Having come down from Erice in the afternoon, we reached Segesta, the ancient city of the Elmi situated on Monte Barbaro near Calatafimi. Here we visited the practically intact temple and the Acropolis, where we admired the theatre, the church and the agora. From Segesta we finally reached Castellammare del Golfo, where we had booked the hotel, and here too we ended the day with a lovely dinner.
On the fifth day we went to visit the little town of Scopello, famous for its tonnara, now converted into a hotel, and the Zingaro Nature Reserve, where we walked among sheer cliffs, promontories, coves and little beaches for about 3 hours, a truly enchanting place with wide valleys overlooking the sea. From here in the afternoon we reached San Vito Lo Capo, where some relaxation and the Cus Cus Fest awaited us.
Over the next 2 days we enjoyed a moment of rest thanks to the wonderful sea that characterises this small resort, eating couscous several times and having fun in the evening among market stalls and concerts in the square.
On the last day we left San Vito in the afternoon and headed to Monreale, where we visited the Cathedral and the Cloister of the ancient convent. In the evening we reached Palermo airport and returned home.
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