10 Agrigento to Marsala along the south west coast of Sicily
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 23-12-2020
Route Summary
Route 10 of 11 routes forming a tour down the west coast of Italy to Sicily. All routes link together.A gentle coastal route on good roads visiting the white cliffs of Scala dei Turchi and some world class historical sites.
A 4**** star route because of the landscape and historical sites.
Share this route
Animation
Verdict
Duration
3h 57m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
165.74 km
Countries
Visit the Selinunte Temple at RP 17.
RouteXpert Review
There is fuel immediately after the start and then a chance to visit the western zone of the Valley of the Temples. A short ride of 20 minutes takes you to Scala dei Turchi beach in Realmonte. Realmonte has many beaches but the Scala dei Turchi, (Turkish staircase) is particularly striking because of its form as a natural staircase, with a succession of broad steps and terraces that slope down the rock to the sea below. The white steps are becoming more well known partly due to its mention in Andrea Camilleri's series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. You cannot pass on this beach as it is one of the most amazing places you will see in Sicily if not in the whole world. A natural stunning white staircase leads you into the marvels of a limpid turquoise beach. The contrast of the different blue colours with the rock formation are spectacular!
From here the route roughly follows the line of the coast, sometimes a km or 2 inland. It passes through vineyards, olive groves and fields of wheat on its way to the historic fishing port of Sciacca.
Sciacca is a working town rather than a polished tourist destination, it is famed for its ceramics, its thermal baths and its religious festivals, as well as for its large fishing fleet. RP 8 takes you to the harbour and is a good place to stop for a coffee or possibly lunch. Although it isn't picture-postcard pretty, the harbour offers a chance to see a real working fishing industry, get views back towards the town, and to enjoy incredibly fresh seafood at one of the restaurants in this part of Sciacca. It's only 100 km to the finish so you have time to enjoy here.
After lunch you'll pass more vineyards, olives etc and at RP 17 you can turn left to visit more ancient Greek temples situated at Marinella, just 4 km from the route.
The Selinunte Temples. Selinunte is one of Sicily's great Greek archaeological sites. Situated by the sea the isolated ruins here have stood abandoned for most of their history. There isn't as many standing ruins as the Valley of the Temples, but it's close proximity to the sea and the lack of later development allows modern visitors to imagine the ancient town of Selinus as it would have been two and a half thousand years ago.
The next 10 km to Campobello di Mazara you follow field after field of olive trees and as you reach the outskirts of town you'll pass through a huge organic wine cooperative's plant. Sicily has long been noted for its fertile soil due to volcanic eruptions and olives, grapes and durum wheat (the basis for pasta) along with tomatoes almonds and citrus fruits are just some of the fine produce from southern Sicily.
The route now follows the sea closely to the coastal town of Marsala. Fill up your tank for tomorrow on the outskirts of the town.
Marsala is internationally famous for one thing: wine. Its inhabitants, however, while being extremely proud of their amber nectar, are equally enthusiastic about their town’s long, illustrious history. The present-day name, deriving from the Arabic “Marsa Allah”, meaning “Port of God”, gives us an idea of just how strategically important the town once was.
A few hundred years later it was the turn of the English, who did not, however, come to conquer, but rather to make wine. The first man on the scene was John Woodhouse, who stumbled across the local wine in 1773. He liked it (and by some accounts drank copious quantities of it!) and thought that it might be popular in his native country. If the wine was to survive the long ocean voyage, however, it would need to be fortified with the addition of alcohol – thus was born Marsala wine.
The route ends by driving passed brine filled ponds for salt production (more of these tomorrow) and arriving at a lovely B&B next to the coast with sea views towards the Aegadian Islands.
RP 5. Scala dei Turchi.
RP 26. The Aegadian Islands at sunset.
Usage
Want to download this route?
You can download the route for free without MyRoute-app account. To do so, open the route and click 'save as'. Want to edit this route?
No problem, start by opening the route. Follow the tutorial and create your personal MyRoute-app account. After registration, your trial starts automatically.
Disclaimer
Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes