With its monumental history and culture, dramatic changing landscapes, fine cuisine and near perfect year round climate Sicily might just steal your heart.

North West Sicily

This part of Sicily is a curious mixture of the modern and the ancient and wild, and alongside some distinctly unattractive new buildings it has some untouched open spaces and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery of anywhere in the Mediterranean.

A swooping coastline of bays and cliffs, with a mountain backdrop, starting west of Palermo, taking in the Gulf of Castellemare, the roadless nature reserve of Lo Zingaro, San Vito Lo Capo, Trapani and the remarkable ancient sites of Erice, Segesta and Selinunte, it is sure to leave you breathless and awestruck. This part of Sicily has a long history of conquest and colonization and is rich in layers of culture; it is also the island's most prominently North African influenced area, which is easily distinguishable in the make-up of the local population.

Things To See & Do in North West Sicily

Visit the temple and amphitheatre at Segesta
Take a trip by train to the opera house in Palermo
Hire a boat to visit the secluded coves inaccessible by car of Lo Zingaro National Park
Visit the home of Marsala wine
Take a trip to the Greek temples at Selinunte
Visit the old tuna fishery at Scopello
Visit the medieval hill top town of Erice
See the old salt pans at San Pantaleo
Buy fresh fish in the morning from the old harbour in Castellamare
Visit the Moorish island of Pantelleria and the secluded Egadi archipelago

View Accommodation in North West Sicily »

North West Sicily Region Map

Castellamare del Golfo

Set on a dazzling promontory, famed as one of the most beautiful in Sicily, the small town of Castellamare del Golfo has plenty of atmosphere and character with a stern stone castle and a lovely little harbour with its own fishing fleet. Much of the waterfront has been restored and the buildings remodelled in keeping with historical style. Castellamare del Golfo is also surrounded by a swathe of sandy beaches - the best of these being at the Alcamo Marina. If you can, time your arrival for dusk, when the sky still holds colour over the western mountains and the lamps have just been lit. Eat fresh fish at a quayside restaurant, or explore the surprisingly intricate town centre, where most of the shops are still traditional.

Scopello

Take the high cliffside road north west and on the way pass the quiet rural area of Fraginesi, always with the backdrop of mountains and arrive finally at Scopello, a beguiling two-street stone built hamlet still mercifully un-spoilt (although some new building is under way). Rocky hillsides above give way to scattered rocky patches below, interspersed by a surprising amount of open grassland. With olives and macchia, these drop steeply in the end to the mostly rocky shore. There are superb sea views from almost everywhere and some wonderful coves to explore and swim in - not to mention the alluring hulk of the old tuna factory.

Zingaro Nature Reserve

The road finishes just beyond Scopello and the next dramatic and beautiful stretch of coast is the Zingaro nature reserve, which you must explore on foot. The reserve, Sicily's, and Italy's first, is a haven for wildlife and is a quietly perfect place to witness the stunning coastal scenery. From here you can descend the cliffsides to bathing coves of wonderful clear water, such as the exquisite Marinella Bay. Beyond the reserve, you can continue to Capo San Vito, a small resort at the extreme northwest point of Sicily, with a splendid stretch of sandy beach.

Trapani and Erice

Trapani itself is an exemplar of the contrast between the ugly encroachment of modernity and the dense historical heart of Sicily - through and beyond the sprawl of the newly built suburban homes there is the old centre, which is an intriguing mix of Spanish-built baroque buildings laid out on the labyrinthine structure of the old Moorish town. Trapani is worth the trip alone for the stunning Santuario dell'Annunziata - a 12th century church partly restored in the Baroque style.

The cliffs of the extreme part of the west coast of the island have extraordinary and very dramatic outlines, and are dominated by one of the Mediterranean's most poignant landmarks - the ancient religious sanctuary and town of Erice. It feels remote and ancient here and uncannily high; and it is said that from this lofty perch, on a clear day, you can see all the way to Mt Etna in the east and Cape Bon in Tunisia in the south. Partly because of its raised position and also, some say, because of it's almost primeval sense of holiness, it is a town that has survived the many ravages of invading armies and despite the many fortification present it has retained a sense of age. It also boasts some wonderful hotels and, this being Sicily, you'll never struggle to find some great cuisine on offer.

Segesta

A way inland from Trapani, this ancient city hosting a 5th century BC Temple is a remarkable prospect and a must see part of western Sicily. It is thought that the temple was built by the Elymians, an ancient Sicilian people, who received support and guidance from the colonizing Greeks - hence the temple's grand Doric columns and overall monumental structure. There is also an impressive amphitheatre on the slopes of Mount Barbaro, which was built around the same time. During the summer month's Greek tragedies are played out here...

Marsala

Once away from the outskirts of Trapani you will be soothed and charmed by the low-lying saltpans with their windmills, now very peaceful and belying their fierce and bloody past when they were the front line in the struggle for the island between Carthaginians and Greek. This coastline has other military associations too, with Garibaldi and his "thousand", landing here to begin his conquest of the Bourbon kings in the name of a free and united Italy. The towns of Marsala and Mazzara del Vallo speak of the period of Arab domination in Sicily's history and just before you cross out of Trapani province you have the pleasure of one of the most beautiful sites in the entire island, the Greek settlement of Selinute, with its evocative ruined temples and much yet unexcavated land set in rolling grassland right by the edge of the sea.