Discover Italy South Italy Regions Guide to Sicily Sicily Itineraries San Vito Lo Capo
A small fishing town a few kilometres from Trapani, San Vito Lo Capo displays obvious Arabic and Spanish influence.
Its characteristic low white houses, shaded from the sun and wind and shrouded in bougainvillea, hibiscus, jasmine and orange and lemon trees, are captivating.
The town immediately calls to mind the far shores of the Mediterranean – North Africa – as if uprooted and transpoted here to Sicily.
But looking out over the sea the scene is tropical - 2km of fine white sand to delight sea lovers with its emerald-green sea stretching far out and sparkling under the sun.
Where the beach finishes there is a little outcrop of rocks which peek out of the water – a truly memorable sight as the waters change from turquoise green to emerald.
This is a unique part of the world made even more so by the traces ancient civilisations have left here.
Yet, the origins of San Vito Lo Capo are not clear, losing trace as we go back in time. The first records start in 1400 when the sanctuary/fort was built to host pilgrims and defend the town from bandits and barbarian privateers.
The Cappella di Santa Crescenza is an extremely beautiful Arabic style chapel situated on the main road to Macari, also used as coastal protection.
The watch towers at Impiso, Torrazzo, Sceri, Roccazzo and Isolidda are of particular interest historically and architecturally. Built in 1584, they were designed to look out over all the coastline.
Go to San Vito for the annual Cous Cous festival
The marine museum provides a popular tourist attraction as does the fascinating Secco Tunny Fishery, active up to 1969.
Local fishermen still tell of the great tunny fishing times – happy days when San Vito Lo Capo was known for being one of the most prolific fisheries in Sicily.
With thanks to Feedback - Strategie per Comunicare, Palermo
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• arancini • sfinciune focaccia • sicilian orange balls • seafood fettuccine pasta • bruschetta from sicily • bread with tomato and aubergine • maccheroni alla norma pasta • cassata alla siciliana • torta povera pie dish • almond blancmange • cous cous fish recipe • pignolata messinese sweet recipe • caper sauce summer dish from lipari • sicilian christmas salad • giggi eoliani carnival biscuits • sardine and pistacchio torta
• small coffee museum in palermo • tuna fishing and the tonnara • historical sicilian cheeses • eolian islands dishes • pachino tomatoes • arab culinary influence in sicilian food • a taste of sicily • cous cous fest • sicilian cannoli • mount etna food itinerary • sfinciune or sfinge? • cheese wine of ragusa • sweet and sour palermo • catching swordfish and tuna • salame sant'angelo • sicilian blood oranges • pistacchio nuts • sicilian lemon industry
• footpaths of the madonie park • carnival of acireale • contemporary art itinerary • noto valley wine route • luigi pirandello literary park • alcamo doc wine route • romantic sicily itinerary • valley of the temples in agrigento • temples of segesta • mozia salt roads • egadi islands • pantelleria • san vito lo capo • marsala • easter week in enna • towns of enna province • arab and norman rule in sicily • nicosia • classical greek theater of siracusa • greek colonization of sicily • pantalica necropolis • lampedusa island • art realism in taormina • taormina greek theater • guide to taormina • guide to messina • province of messina • cefalu • scary easter festivals • natural reserve near siracusa • easter arches of san biagio platani • aeolian islands archaeological tour • story of the trinacria • aeolian islands • island of lipari • alicudi and filicudi • stromboli • island of salina • island of vulcano • zafferana etnea • sicilian linen towns • mount etna tour • ragusa and ibla ragusa • palermo street food
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