Experience

Do not miss the picturesque “Cala Marina”, where you can buy every morning fresh fish directly from the local fishers.

The bathing beaches are not far away, being able to choose between the pebbles of Cala Petrolo, or fine white sand in the Playa Beach, and still the nearby bay of Guidaloca and Scopello, with rocky shores and the famous “faraglioni”, set of the fiction of Inspector Montalbano. 

 

Close to Castellammare, it is possible to visit the Natural reserve of the Zingaro, an uncontaminated area with clear seabeds of impressive fauna, coves, caves and small beaches, or Segesta with its temples, and more nature trails immersed in the colors and the intoxicating scents of the most authentic Sicily, where you can taste the most traditional rustic cuisine of a farm in the background of the Gulf of Castellammare. 

Sea...

The coast of the area of Castellammare del Golfo is divided into two diverse types. The west coast is sandy while the east is characterized, instead, by rocky walls often overlooking the sea, leaving you speechless. Some of the coves on the west coast are often unspoiled and hidden: the ideal place to seek relaxation and contact with the sea, away from the busiest beaches. Fossa dello Stinco, Cala Bianca, Cala Rossa are some of these.

 

Immediately after the exit from the port of Castellammare the first point of reference is “‘N testa a la porta”, that is the beginning of the port, the point of reference that sailors used to understand to be near the port. After the point, which some call derogatorily “Puntazza”, you will come across the Cave of Vucciria. The navigation continues in a climax of landscapes: it is the turn of Fossa dello Stinco: the cove is dominated by an imposing rocky wall that ends in sheer drop, with clear water and a point of shelter in the windy days of Scirocco wind. The following two coves are named after the predominant colors of the landscape: Cala Bianca, adjacent to Fossa dello Stinco, and Cala Rossa, which opens an underwater cave. Continuing towards “Santu Vitu” the rocky coast is indented by the cave of the Doves.

One following the other it is possible to see three of the most famous beaches of Castellammare del Golfo: the white pebbles of Baia Guidaloca, the sea stacks of Scopello and Cala Mazzo di Sciacca, which indicates the beginning of the Zingaro Reserve. 

The best place to get in symbiosis with nature is the Reserve of the Zingaro: land trails, bordered by the flora typical of the Mediterranean, lead into coves with clear water populated by many fish that are now used to swimming with humans. 

 

Diving enthusiasts can then explore the depths rich in marine flora and fauna, caves and underwater passages and even explore the wreck of a ship sunk in the postwar period. For those who want to know the secrets of traditional fishing, you can attend fishing trips with the boat of local fishers.

… and mountains

The contact with nature is not limited only to the sea. The mountain Inici is 1064 m high and it dominates the city. From the diverse sides you can admire the landscapes of Trapani until you can see in the distance the Egadi islands. Starting from the sea level, in full symbiosis with nature, you can explore the various landscapes that follow each other.   

 

Trekking with expert guides exploring the most secret corners of the mountain, revealing its true essence, between smells and silence. It is a sort of meditation.  

 

Examples are the walks in the forest of Lisciandrini, which is crossed by a small creek that flows between the rocks, between small waterfalls that form the “black orgies” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVS1xmUDmk4), because the small light that comes to the bottom of the canyon makes the waters dark, especially in summer and autumn when the amount of water is reduced. Expert guides are available to discover the most beautiful corners of Mount Inici. 

The guides of the local section of the CAI then allow the visit of the “Abyss of the Sharks – Branch of the Lakes”: a natural cave with horizontal development that is characterized by the presence of stalagmites and stalactites that create incredible shapes. 

 

The Natural reserve of the Zingaro is not only nice because of the sea, in fact there are suggestive trekking at high altitude, among daisies, Aleppo pines and Indian figs: not only is it possible to admire the gulf of Castellammare from above, but it is also possible to come across villages now uninhabited, in which time seems to have stopped; it is the Borgo Cusenza, inhabited by the “Accialori” (from the name of the nearby Mount Acci) whose economy was based on agriculture, now uninhabited for almost a century.

Bike…

It is possible to pass from the smells of fish just caught and descended from the boats of fishers to the smells and fog of Mount Inici in a single day with the help of a Mountain Bike. In fact, starting from the Marina of Castellammare (the harbour) you can climb mountain-by-mountain by bike. The characteristic of this mountain is the forest road that allows you to climb it, sometimes with challenging but panoramic climbs, and to climb down safely and relax. The tracks are interspersed by the presence of oaks, cork and holm oaks and the beauty of the trunks and the thick spontaneous vegetation is striking. Once you get to the top, even in the summer months, it is possible that this is shrouded in fog. The descent is a dip into the sea.

But if the mountain path seems challenging, more agile are the paths on the slopes of the mountain: it is possible to travel to the typical countryside of Trapani where olive trees alternate with vineyards. If you then decide to follow the provincial road that college Castellammare to Segesta you can stop to take a bath at the Terme Segestane (Thermal baths), and then continue towards the Archaeological Park of Segesta.