As much as we were impressed with Sicily’s offerings in our first week, we knew there was even more ahead as our travels moved onto the western side of the island.
The Valley of the Temples is a spectacular Greek-era ruin located just east of the city of Agrigento. It’s somewhat ironic that some of the best Roman ruins are in Greece and some of the top Greek ruins are located in Italy, but that’s a pretty good testament to how various civilizations evolved centuries ago, with one side seizing (and then losing) control of another’s territory, followed ( quite often ! ) by a complete reversal of those fortunes. This particular location sits high up on a ridge and its imposing structures are visible from miles away as you approach, its beauty enhanced by the well-manicured Italian garden in which it stands. Impressive ! The wonderful little beachside campsite at nearby Scala Dei Turchi ( a sight in itself ) just made for an excellent stay in Agrigento.
Continuing west took us through some of Sicily’s major agricultural regions – flatter and generally less mountainous than the east, it also made for more relaxed driving. Our route followed the coast ( mostly ) passing Marsala and Trapani with the exceptionally pretty little coastal town of San Vito Lo Capo being our next port of call. Like so much of the Sicily we have seen so far, the coastal waters are a shimmering turquoise and exceptionally clear. This place is a hotspot in summer and was already quite busy when we arrived in early April. It’s got some of the whitest sand beaches on the island and is set against a sheer mountain backdrop – postcard stuff ! While the water was still a little cool at first ( despite the sunny weather ), here the water was just too tempting to stay away from. Always a bonus when the camping is good and the wild camping just south of the town was probably our favourite so far in Sicily – we spent a couple of very enjoyable days there just relaxing. I’ll let the pictures below tell the story.
