You are going on a trip to Sicily and want to visit Trapani?
Wondering about the best points of interest? That’s a good thing, there is a lot to discover around! In order to help you plan your trip, I have prepared a guide for the city and its surroundings. I'll start with a list of 10 must-see attractions in Trapani (with lots of helpful travel tips!), Followed by examples of trips to visit Trapani in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. And as a bonus, you will find at the end of the article my suggestions for the best accommodations and restaurants, in order to make your stay a truly unforgettable experience! So, what are the best places to visit in Trapani?
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1. Visit Trapani old town
You do not need to travel by car to visit the old town of Trapani. It is not large and can be easily walked.
There are no really famous or well-known buildings, but a short stroll through its narrow streets is very pleasant. The oldest streets are Via Garibaldi, Corso Italia, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Here is a list of monuments and churches to admire:
Ligny Tower at the tip of Trapani
The Agostino Pepoli Regional Museum
The Basilica of St. Lawrence
Church of the souls in purgatory
The Contemporary Art Museum
Saturn Fountain
The Twin Clock Tower
Don’t hesitate also to visit the fish market, a good way to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a Sicilian city! Or take a walk to Villa Margherita Park to enjoy some greenery.
If you’re a shopping lover, you will for sure enjoy the Via Giovanni Battista Fardella, the main shopping street of the city, with its cafes, restaurants, shoes and clothing shops.
2. Erice Village
If you're in Trapani, you're sure to visit the most popular village nearby, Erice. This medieval village is perched on a rocky cliff at more than 750 meters above sea level, offering a magnificent view of Trapani, the Aegadian Islands, and San Vito Lo Capo. It’s one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Sicily.
Your first option is to go there by car from Trapani, which takes around 30 minutes. You will then have to park on one of the paid car parks at the village entrance. It costs 2€ for the first hour and 1€ for the following hours.
Your second option is to take a cable car from Trapani to Erice. A round trip costs 9€ and it takes around 10 minutes to arrive in the village. It’s the best option if you want to enjoy the magnificent scenery, but it’s also quite impressive!
To take the cable car, you will need to park on the official parking lot. Some people may try to attract you to more expensive parking lots, just ignore them!
In Erice, I advise you to follow the signposted walk. It will allow you to see all the must-see attractions in the village, without missing anything. For me, the most impressive was the castle at the top of the cliff. From there, the view over the whole valley of Trapani and the sea is magnificent!
In the village, you will also find many restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, and pasticceria. The most famous is Maria Grammatico’s, which offers delicacies made from marzipan, cannoli and the complete range of Sicilian pastries. All this for a very reasonable price.
Erice is a very touristic village, you will meet a lot of people between the village entrance and the street leading to the castle. But if you move away from the main street and walk along the cobbled streets, everything quickly becomes quiet and peaceful. Don’t hesitate to walk around in the lesser-known streets of the village after admiring the main attractions.
3. Favignana
With Levanzo and Maretimo, Favignana is one of the 3 islands that form the Aegadian Islands archipelago.
With Erice village, they are the must-see attractions during your stay in Trapani. Favignana, the largest and the most visited island of the archipelago is the best served by boat.
From Trapani, you will have to take a ferry to Favignana. All departures are from the port of Trapani.
We took the Liberty Lines ferries and paid 45€ for the round trip, for 2. Going to the island takes about 30 minutes. Liberty lines company is the best in terms of schedules, with a lot of round trips an everyday day.
Once in Favignana, your best option to visit the island is to rent a bike. On foot, you wouldn’t be able to do much, apart from visiting the village and its surroundings. Renting a car is not very practical on small paths.
For 5€ a day, get on your bike and avoid falling into a pothole (like my girlfriend). Don’t worry, if you’re not ready for the Tour de France, the island tour is mostly flat.
Cycling routes and points of interest are well indicated. You can’t really get lost on the island, but it’s handy to have a map (they give you one when renting the bike) to see where you are and estimate the traveling time. It would be a shame to miss the ferry back!
There are 2 historic buildings to see on the island:
The Palazzo Florio, housing the town hall
The famous tonnara, the old tuna products factory.
If you go to Favignana, it’s mainly to go around the beaches and coves, enjoy the beautiful turquoise water and white sandy beaches. Main points of interest: Cala Rossa, Lido Burrone, Cala Azzurra, Cala Rotonda, and many others. For sure you will find a great place to swim!
And for diving enthusiasts, it’s simply heaven! The crystal clear water will allow you to observe groupers, lobsters, and barracudas.
4. Levanzo
Levanzo is the smallest Aegadian island, with only 6 km² of land. If you want to visit it during your stay in Trapani, you have 2 choices: Take the ferry from Trapani. The journey takes about 25 minutes for 20 euros round trip per person.
From Favignana, you can take taxi boats. It takes around 10 minutes. Levanzo’s peculiarity is the Genovese prehistoric cave, housing representations of people and animals dating almost 10 000 years back.
You can go there by boat or on foot, following a footpath on the side of the mountain. Your choice!
Other things to do in Levanzo include a seaside walk, swimming, sunbathing, diving and aperitif! This quiet little island is the perfect place to relax and rest. There is no road in Levanzo, hence no sound pollution from cars.
If you wish to stay there, you should really book in advance, there are only 2 hotels and a few apartments available.
5. Marettimo
And if you want to visit all the Aegadian Islands, you can go to Marettimo, the wildest, the farthest and certainly the least touristic of the 3 islands. To get there, count 1h20 in hydrofoil from Trapani.
In Marettimo, just like in Levanzo, you can enjoy the calm and sunshine or go swimming in magnificent coves. You can also book a boat trip to visit the many karst caves in the area. It’s also a great destination if you enjoy hiking, with many trails offering superb views. Punta Troia Castle is a must!
It’s the ideal place, after a tour in Sicily, to spend a day far from the civilization before returning home.
6. Trapani and Paceco salt pans
From Trapani, don’t miss the salt road or via del sale in Italian. it will take you along the salt pans, from Trapani to Marsala. There are one of the major points of interest in the region!
The view of the salt piles and old windmills (used to grind salt) reflected in the water is simply magnificent. The salt pans are inside a nature reserve, which has allowed the restoration of some of the mills. However, most of them are no longer inactivity or just used for small traditional production.
The salt being processed there is nowadays considered a luxury product mainly used for fine cuisine. You can buy some if you want!
7. Marsala
By taking the via del sale from Trapani, you will reach Marsala in about 45 minutes by car. If you don’t know the city, you may know its typical product. Marsala, the famous wine of the same name! If you’ve never tasted it before, this is your chance. Many stalls organize tastings.
And to sober up after all this wine tasting, you should take a walk in the old town. Here are the must-see attractions in Marsala:
The Baroque Cathedral dedicated to St. Thomas or Chiesa Madre
The Republic Square
The Palace April VII, former Senate palace, now the town hall
The Saint Joseph’s Church
The “Baglio Anselmi” archaeological museum, which houses the world’s only Phoenician warship.
The Saint Peter’s Monastery
The Carmine church and convent
8. Segesta Temple
30 minutes drive from Trapani is one of the most important archaeological remains in the region, the Temple of Segesta. This ancient city was founded by the Elymes. It has suffered many armed conflicts, notably with the neighboring city of Selinunte. Today, all that remains is a temple and a theatre.
Segesta Temple, lost in the countryside, is beautifully preserved and offers a panoramic surrounding view. Historians assume that this temple made of 36 Doric columns could never be completed because of the conflicts. The temple never had a roof!
The theatre is located on Mount Barbaro, 400m above sea level. With a capacity of 4,000 spectators in ancient times, It nowadays still hosts plays and concerts in the summer. To get to the theatre from the Temple, you will have to follow a 2 km uphill path. If you wish, you can also take a bus to the summit and go back down on foot afterward.
To visit Segesta, you will have to park on the paid parking, a little far from the site and take the shuttle to the site for 5€. Then you will have to pay the 6€ entrance fee for the temple and theatre.
If you want to take the shuttle to the theatre, it will cost 1.5€. As the organization is not optimal, you will have to pay each time, there is no combined ticket.
9. Mount Cofano Nature Reserve
From Trapani, you can go to Monte Cofano Nature Reserve (Riserva Naturale Orientata Monte Cofano). Less known than its “rival”, the Zingaro nature reserve, it’s nevertheless just as pretty.
There are 2 entries in the reserve:
One on the side of Cornino town (30 minutes’ drive from Trapani)
The other on the side of San Vito Lo Capo (1 hour from Trapani).
When I went there, I arrived from San Vito Lo Capo. If you can, it’s the best choice, as there are many nice places to see on this site before the reserve.
To get there you will have to take a rather bumpy path but don’t hesitate to continue up to the parking. The access to the reserve is normally paid (2€ per person). However, when I was there, it was free because one of the trails was closed (risks of rockfall, too dangerous).
The walk begins on a pleasant flat path along the coast. Going to the other side of the reserve takes about 1h30 (3hrs round trip) and is very easy. There are many many nice viewpoints along the way, and you will be able to swim in some coves (near the 2 entrances).
Don’t forget to take water, a hat and sunscreen as there is no shade at all and nowhere to buy anything.
Another trail leads to the summit of Mount Cofano. This one requires a good physical condition as the climbs get a bit steep, and you need to use ropes attached to the rocks to go up.
Bring hiking boots and good equipment, don’t go to flip-flops! You will be rewarded for your efforts with the stunning view from the top of Monte Cofano. Count 4 to 5 hours for the round trip, depending on your walking speed.
10. Trapani’s beaches
If you are staying in Trapani, why not try one of the beaches nearby after your day trips?
There are 2 main beaches in Trapani:
Lido San Giuliano, about twenty minutes’ walk from the city center. You can find bars and restaurants there. You will be able to rent deckchairs and beach umbrella for the day.
Lido Paradiso, a fully equipped private beach with a swimming pool for children.
The water isn’t deep and the beach is well protected from the wind. Perfect if you travel with children! You can also swim along the waterfront. There are several places to go on the rocks and a few small beaches where you can put your towel.
Of course, they are not the most beautiful beaches of Sicily, but it is enough to cool down after an intense day trip!
More ideals for you: Top 10 things to do in Arezzo
from : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-trapani-707040.html
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