Western Sicily: Trapani, Erice and San Vito Lo Capo

After travelling in many European and non-European countries, I felt the urge to get to know better our wonderful Italy and especially Sicily, where I have never been on a trip. I took a Ryanair flight from Bologna to Trapani and in little more than 1 hour, on 6 May, I enjoyed 4 days in western Sicily. I booked a B&B (La Trinacria) in the historic centre of Trapani, 2 minutes from everything: from the port for the crossings to the Egadi islands, from the historic centre, from the fishermen's port, from the train and bus station; on top of that it is nice and comfortable, an excellent base for all my excursions. I devoted the first day to visiting the city of Trapani, a real discovery.

Absolutely not to be missed is a visit to the Torre di Ligny and the Lazzaretto, the extreme points of the city, with a morning stop at the fish market; then don't miss the churches of San Francesco (right behind the B&B La Trinacria), the church of the Purgatorio, famous because inside you can admire the Misteri of Trapani, plaster statues representing the passion of Christ and which for 400 years every Good Friday have paraded for 24 hours along the city streets on the shoulders of the bearers; then continuing along Corso Vittorio Emanuele you can visit the cathedral of San Lorenzo and the church of the Jesuits, while along Via Torrearsa you visit the church of Sant'Agostino with the Fountain of Saturn and the senatorial palace. Absolutely don't miss the sunset that colours the Tramontana walls and the Imperial Bastion with its pastel-coloured houses in ochre.

Stroll along the seafront enjoying the sun and gazing at Mount Erice at 750 metres above sea level rising on the horizon, and don't forget a visit to the municipal gardens, the old post office and prefecture building. Finally, you cannot fail to carve out time to devote to the culinary side: in Trapani you eat wonderfully! Fresh fish, top-quality tuna; taste the local dish fish cous cous (I recommend Osteria Vineria A Casa Mia on via ammiraglio in front of the port); don't fail to eat the traditional pastries such as the cannolo, the genovese and the cassata in the pastry shops, or a nice granita at A Chiazza on the old market square at the end of Via Torrearsa, and finally a nice arancino in the best rosticceria Da Roberto on Via Spalti. The second day I decided to take a local bus (no. 21 or no. 23) which takes you from the centre to the valley floor of the cable car for Erice.

From here, with a 3100-metre cable car, you reach Erice, a municipality of 28,000 inhabitants bordering Trapani, whose historic centre stands on the mountain at 750 metres above sea level, overlooking Trapani itself. The return fare is 9 euros, but it is something unmissable. In Erice you can see and climb (with a 5-euro ticket that entitles you to 4 different visits) the tower of Frederick III (13th century, 28 metres), from which to enjoy the view of all of Erice from above. At its side is the royal church (Duomo); then with the ticket you bought you can see the ruins of the abbey of San Salvatore, the church of San Giuliano, the church of San Martino.

Not to be missed is the visit to the castle of the Balio and the castle of Venus, from which you can enjoy a unique panorama over the coast and the city of Trapani! Finally, for those who want, there are other beautiful churches such as those of San Giovanni, San Cataldo, San Pietro, San Carlo, San Alberto and San Francesco. As you wander, enjoy the silent little streets of the town and the little shops with typical products; don't fail to buy a pastry in the most famous and best pastry shop in Erice, at Maria Grammatico's (a real delicacy! The third day I decided to go to the bus station near the train station; I took a return ticket (7.10 euros) to San Vito Lo Capo and in a little more than an hour I found myself in the Sicilian Caribbean, a real spectacle for the eyes.

It really looked like the sea you see in Mexico, very blue water (a little cool), the landscape is wonderful with this mountain plunging straight into the sea and the beautiful semicircular beach; I took a sun lounger and enjoyed the Sicilian sun all day long. The town deserves a visit, it is very pretty and recalls a little the towns of North Africa with low, white houses. On the way back in the evening I enjoyed a good feast of fish cous cous in the centre at the Vitelloni, a very nice restaurant on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The fourth day, having only the morning before the return flight, I took a bike and went to the salt pans of Trapani, where you can see the characteristic red mills restored in a beautiful landscape; then after a nice shower I took the bus that from the centre of Trapani (4.70 euros) leads to the airport and off home.

Sicily is a splendid land, I really think this is only our first date!