The north west corner of Sicily packs a lot in to a small area; we had 5 days in this area and could easily have allocated more. Following our exploration of Scopello, Zingaro and Castellammare we had a date with a beautiful blonde on the island of Favignana, just off Trapani on the north west coast. After a week of adventure and spritzing with Jac in Positano, we all met up again in Sicily for a few more fun filled days of beaching, biking and eating (and a few aperol spritzers!).
Fav, as we affectionately named it, is a 40 minute ferry trip off the main island and home to an idyllic island village, and some incredible beaches. With the 3 of us on bicycles we set off from town after fuelling up on espressos and pastries, in search of azure waters and spectacular views which we found many times over. Sandy beaches were a welcome bonus too! You can stay on Fav which would have been a nice stop for a few days to enjoy the tranquility, seafood and cannoli, but San Vito Lo Capo was not a bad alternative.
Back into our Positano vibe, daybeds on the beach were secured after breakfast, before we moved into a long lunch, followed by an afternoon beach kip. The beach here is long, wide and sandy and often referenced in articles as the best beach in Sicily. It was a lively town with music and bars open late into the night, and some excellent eating action. Cous cous is a specialty in this area of the island and was a welcome addition to the rotation of bread, pasta and pizza!
Starting the journey south along the west coast we stopped in the pretty town of Erice, a medieval town with city walls still in tact, and perfectly positioned on a hill with panoramic views to the sea on the north and west coastlines. Definitely worth a stop for a lunch, or as a day trip from one of the nearby bases of Trapani, San Vito or Castellammare. We did spend a night in Trapani along the way and walked through its old town, but can’t say it is necessarily a destination worth allocating a night to, although it is convenient to get to Favignana on an early ferry.
Moving from the west to the south we arrived in Agrigento, a treasure trove of historical ruins. In the Sicilian way, we were greeted at our accommodation with home baked cake in our room, freshly made limon granita and an invitation to join the owner and his extended family for a celebratory dinner on his farm that evening. The people here are some of the warmest and generous we have encountered anywhere. The dinner was an entertaining experience where our limited Italian and the few English speakers at the party combined to share thoughts and ideas on travel, politics, economics and food – and there was plenty of food!
The attraction of Agrigento is to visit the Valley of the Temples, with the area being recognised as home to some of the best preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece. In searing hot heat we explored the temples of Concordia and Juno, and the other less-formed ruins in the UNESCO protected area. The site has been carefully managed and due to the vast size of the area the crowds were not overwhelming, although I would suggest August is probably not the ideal month to visit this region due to the intense heat.
Like the north west corner the south east corner is also full of places to explore, and was our final stop on the Sicilian adventure. From Agrigento we drove to Syracusa on the east coast with its lovely little island of Ortiga accessible by bridge, and settled in for the last few days. With all the beaches and picture-perfect towns in this area a week could have been easily filled, alas we were down to our last 3 days so had to make some choices about what we could fit in. And let’s face it, by this stage in the journey we had already decided Sicily was a return destination in our future!
From our spacious apartment in Syracusa (stocked with fresh farm fruits and a bottle of Limoncello on arrival, of course!) Ortiga was a 10 minute walk away and worth the walk in. Pastel coloured buildings, ornate architecture, excellent restaurants, bars and boutiques and some old ruins in the town centre for good measure. Surrounded by water, it really is a postcard.
On our last day in Sicily, we mapped out a road trip to take in some of the other towns in the area and had a beautiful visit in Modica which gave us a perfect lunch, followed by some pretty impressive churches and sweeping views over the town. Reflecting on our Sicilian adventures and headed for the beach, our fortune suddenly changed with less than 24 hours left on the island. A blown tyre in a remote area, a car that had no spare and only a repair kit that wouldn’t do the job, coupled with our lack of Italian and phones that were not working provided an almost insurmountable challenge that had us walking over 7kms looking for help, i.e. someone who could speak English!
The short story is that we met an incredible guy named Nat who had spent 5 years living in Australia and he navigated the roadside assistance call, took us back to our car in the dark, and waited with us for the tow truck to arrive. Now without a car and 45 minutes from Syracusa, we were welcomed into the home of Nat’s friends who filled our cups with wine, fed us and drove us home some hours later. To say we were grateful is a gross understatement, and we have certainly made some friends who we hope to return the favour to one day in Oz. Although incredibly stressful, it was a last reminder of the generosity and warmth of the Sicilian people, and humans in general really.
With no car to return, we arrived back where we started at Catania airport by bus – a little worn out from the drama of the last 24 hours, but able to look on the bright side and appreciate the incredible journey we had completed around the island of Sicily. It’s raw, and stunning, and grungy and sometimes hard work. The food was insanely delicious – cannoli, arrancini, caponata and granita all amazing – and the people some of the kindest we have met. We packed a lot in, and missed some places along the way, but it was an epic adventure that we would encourage others to take if you want to experience the wild south of Italy.
no fixed address... 