Airport arrivals and transfers
We are around a 2.5 hour drive from either Palermo or Catania airports and a little less from Comiso and Trapani. Most visitors hire and return vehicles at the airport and touring the island’s many sites is easiest by car. However, there is a regular bus from Catania airport to Agrigento which leaves roughly every hour - the journey is around 2.5 hours. From Palermo airport there are hourly buses to the train station (which takes roughly an hour). Several trains and buses leave from Palermo train station to Agrigento and take around 2 hours. There is no public transport from Trapani-Birgi.
Nearby sites to visit
The Greek Temples of Agrigento crown a ridge between the city and the sea. Located in a very large archaeological park and protected by UNESCO World Heritage status, many visitors spend the whole day. In the summer months, evening visits to the three main Temples are popular with last entry around 7 o’clock. Please visit their website for seasonal opening times, events, tickets and lots of information.
The Archeological Museum of Agrigento is fascinating and air conditioned. Of particular interest are fragments showing the vibrant pigments of the original temples and a swan-handled vase found in a Greek tomb at Mosè.
The Norman Cathedral of Agrigento sits atop the city’s highest outcrop and, in addition to numerous historical and artistic artefacts, displays a letter sent to a nun from the devil himself.
A few minutes walk from the Cathedral is the even older Church of Santa Maria dei Greci. Through its glass floor the remains of the Greek temple of Athena are visible and its worn medieval frescos chart Jesus’ Jewish ancestry.
Nearby beaches
The nearest beaches of Cannatello and San Leone are a fifteen minute drive away. They are mainly used by locals and their families and there are bars, restaurants and facilities. The beaches are sandy. Weekends can be busy.
A little further away (30-45 minutes by car) are the much less crowded beaches of Eraclea Minoa, Siculiana Marina, Giallonardo and the nature and marine reserve of Torre Salsa.
Scala dei Turchi is a broad white marl cliff near Porto Empedocle (30 minutes by car) which regularly features in Top 10 lists of places to visit in Sicily and can be very busy.
Excursions
Favara and the Cultural Farm (8km)
Palma di Montechiaro, one of the houses of The Leopard and a Convent making traditional cakes (20km)
Porto Empodocle, Montalbano’s literary home (13km)
Scicli, Montalbano’s cinematographic home (135km - 2.5h by car)
Villa del Casale and its mosaics (99km - 1h 40m by car)
Caltagirone and its pottery (107km - 1h 40m by car)
Modica and its chocolate (141km - 2.5h by car)
Selinunte for more temples (99km - 1.5h by car) https://en.visitselinunte.com/archaeological-park/
Restaurants, cakes & gelati
It is difficult to have a bad meal in Sicily. Nevertheless, here are a few local recommendations -
Kokalos (6km). A reasonably priced restaurant with a great Temple view.
ExPanificio (10km). A good restaurant in a central Agrigento piazza.
Kalòs (5km). A fine restaurant with a panoramic terrace.
Agorà (3km). Great patisserie, cafe and ice cream.
La Madia in Licata (37km). 2* Michelin experience.
San Leone (4km) has good and reasonable fish restaurants: Il Pescatore; Caico; and, il Molo.
Farm walks
The pictures below show routes around the farm of between 1.5km and 4km. Along the way are thousand year old olive trees, almonds, pistachios and carobs. The shortest route is gently sloping and can be walked in twenty to thirty minutes. The others are longer and suitable for runners.
Shopping
Villaggio Mosé is 1km away and has numerous bakeries, supermarkets, shops, restaurants and bars. There is a weekly market on Monday mornings in Villaggio Mosé (15 minute walk) and a larger one in Agrigento and another in Favara on Fridays.
