Trapani

Ligny Tower, Erice and the salt road over two Trapani days

Two days in Trapani covers the old town on its narrow point, the cable car up to Erice and either a hydrofoil to Favignana or a drive along the salt pans to Marsala. Spend the first day on foot between Torre di Ligny and the Mura di Tramontana, and keep the second for the islands or the coast.

Day one, morning. Walk the length of Corso Vittorio Emanuele to the Torre di Ligny at the tip of the point, and climb to its roof for the sea view. Look out for the Castello della Colombaia on its islet off the harbour. Pass through Porta Oscura with its astronomical clock on Via Torrearsa, where the tourist office is.

Afternoon. Visit the Church of the Anime Sante del Purgatorio, which holds the wooden statues of the Misteri. Then follow the Mura di Tramontana promenade, with a swim at the beach below the walls in summer.

Evening. Take a bus to the lower station of the cable car and ride up to Erice for the light over the coast and the old stone lanes. Come back down for dinner in the old town.

Day two. Catch an early hydrofoil to Favignana, hire a bike and spend the day between coves; return in the late afternoon. Alternatively, drive south to the salt pans of the nature reserve between Trapani and Paceco, visit the salt museum at Nubia and continue to Marsala for wine. Palermo is the natural next stop, about 90 minutes east.

Busiate, cuscus and the old fish market

Trapani's signature dishes are fish cuscus, steamed semolina with fish broth poured over at the table, and busiate al pesto trapanese, corkscrew pasta with a raw sauce of almonds, tomato, garlic and basil. Most restaurants are in the historic centre around Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and the local wines are Grillo and Zibibbo from Marsala and Erice.

Trapani's cooking leans on the sea and on North African influence. The local signature is cuscus made with fish: steamed semolina served with a rich fish broth poured over at the table. Every trattoria has its version, and ordering it in two places is a good way to compare.

The second dish to order is busiate al pesto trapanese, corkscrew pasta with a raw sauce of tomato, almonds, garlic and basil, a cousin of Genoa's pesto made with almonds in place of pine nuts. In season, look for dishes of fresh tuna, a reminder of the mattanza that once defined the fishing year, and for grilled swordfish and red prawns.

Most restaurants are in the historic centre around Corso Vittorio Emanuele, from old-style trattorie to places giving Sicilian dishes a modern edge. Street snacks such as arancine and pizza slices fill the gaps.

In summer, Stragusto fills Piazza Mercato del Pesce with Sicilian and Mediterranean street food for several days. Nubia, beside the salt pans, grows a prized red garlic that goes into the local pesto. Pair everything with Grillo or Zibibbo from the wine zones of Marsala and Erice that start just outside the city.

Holy Week Misteri and the Egadi Islands

Trapani's biggest event is the Procession of the Mysteries, which leaves the Purgatorio church on Good Friday afternoon (26 March in 2027) and returns the following day. April to June and September are the most comfortable months for weather, and the Egadi Islands, led by Favignana, are the standard day trip from the port.

Easter is Trapani's defining moment. The Procession of the Mysteries leaves the church of the Purgatorio on Good Friday afternoon, with twenty groups of carved figures carried by the city's guilds through the old town, and returns the following day. The pace is slow and solemn; find a spot along the route at night when the bands play. In 2027 Good Friday is 26 March.

The climate figures from Birgi show why spring and autumn work best: April averages 20C with 33 mm of rain, June 28C and almost dry, and September 28C before the October rains of about 67 mm. July and August reach 30 to 31C.

For day trips, the Egadi Islands are the obvious choice. Favignana is the largest and easiest, Levanzo is smaller and quieter, and Marettimo, the furthest, is for walkers. Hydrofoils sail more often in summer. On land, Erice sits directly above town, and the temple at Segesta, Marsala and the salt road along the coast are all within an hour by car. Further along the south coast, the temples of Agrigento make a long day out.