In The Loop Travel
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • The Americas
    • Caribbean
    • Mexico
    • Europe
    • Asia/Pacific
    • Africa
  • Fitness
  • Cruising
  • Travel Tips
  • Videos
  • Work With Us
  • My Work
  • About
  • Colorado Craft Brewery Guide
  • Media Kit
  • TBIN Influencer Network

Sunset Strolls in Trapani, Sicily, a Mediterranean Fishing Village

4/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Trapani, Sicily, sunset at the marina
The marina seawall is an ideal spot to catch the sunset on Trapani.
By John Roberts  

Located on a curve of coastline in Western Sicily, Trapani is a rare jewel to be able to step ashore during a Mediterranean cruise. Legend tells that the goddess of harvests, Demeter, dropped her scythe in a fit of desperation while searching for her lost daughter. The tool fell to earth and landed by the sea forming the sickle-shaped template on which the village of Trapani
grew.

Delightfully walkable, the town 
embraces a slower pace of life and possesses the charming feel that it owes mostly to its roots as a fishing village.   

Colleen and I discovered Trapani when we arrived on Viking Sky, one of only a dozen or so ships that visit the port each year. Fishing and canning are the main industries, as the village like so many others in the region rely on the fruits of the sea.   

The port area is located right at the edge of town and a marina on a piece of land that juts into the Tyrrhenian Sea and points like the tip of an arrow aimed directly at the Aegadian Islands. Walking straight through the city, you will spot small town squares and historic baroque buildings. The long promenade at the side of town opposite from your cruise ship is ideal for an evening stroll at sunset. Waves crash along a thin strip of sand below the high seawall. Quaint residences painted goldenrod with blue doors loom over the promenade and display laundry hung out to dry. 
 
Trapani, Sicily, port area
Trapani, Sicily, home
Trapani, Sicily seawall and promenade
A flat province, Trapani is bordered by the Tyrrhenian to the north, the Mediterranean Sea and saltpans at the south, the Aegadian Islands and Strait of Sicily to the west and Mount Erice to the east. The town is home to 70,000, and we enjoyed a dinner ashore at a family-owned restaurant tucked in a alleyway. Many fine seafood restaurants are located within easy walking distance of the port.  

Other highlights to check out when in Trapani:  

Erice -- The nearby medieval commune sits atop Mount Erice (2,460 feet above sea level) and is reachable by cable car (closed mid-January to mid-March). You can explore ancient ruins of walls from different periods of rule (Phoenician and Elymian) as well as two castles.  

Sea front -- Near the cruise pier, the marina is filled with small fishing boats that you can see plying the waters offshore in the midst of the Aegadian Islands. This is a nice place to take a walk, especially around sunset.  

Wines, salts and olives -- Trapani is known for its production of Italian sea salt, fine olives and olive oils and wines (Marsala). Make sure to get a taste and grab some goodies to take back home, too.  

Churches -- The Sanctuary of the Annunciation, a 14th century monastery, and church of San Lorenzo, a triple-aisled basilica with frescoes and Neoclassical features, are worth visits. These are just two of several interesting churches or cathedrals you will spot while wandering the cities easy-to-navigate piazzas.

Saltworks and windmills -- The village salt industry started in the 15th century, and this heritage is on full display at the picture-perfect saltworks at the front of Trapani's town gates. White mounds of salt and the windmills make a nice shot as the sun goes down.

Thanks for reading.
Ciao, for now,
JR
Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    AIDA Cruises
    Alaska
    Albatros Expeditions
    Alicante
    AmaWaterways
    Amber Cove
    American Queen Steamboat Company
    American Queen Voyages
    Amsterdam
    Antarctica
    Antigua
    Arctic
    Arizona
    Aruba
    Asia
    Atlas Ocean Voyages
    Australia
    Austria
    Avalon Waterways
    Backroads
    Bahamas
    Barbados
    Barcelona
    Belize
    Blue World Voyages
    Bonaire
    Bora Bora
    Brooklyn
    Budapest
    Burma
    Cabo San Lucas
    Cadiz
    California
    Cambodia
    Cancun
    Caribbean
    Carnival Cruise
    Celebrity Cruises
    Celestyal Cruises
    Christmas Markets
    Cologne
    Colombia
    Colorado
    Corfu
    Costa Rica
    Cozumel
    Craft Beer
    Croatia
    Crystal Cruises
    Cuba
    Curacao
    Dominican Republic
    Dubrovnik
    Egypt
    Emerald Cruises
    Emerald Waterways
    Europe
    Expat Life
    Explora Journeys
    Fathom Travel
    Fitness
    Florida
    Fort Lauderdale
    France
    French Polynesia
    Galapagos
    Galveston
    Germany
    Grand Cayman
    Greece
    Grenada
    Guatemala
    Halifax
    Harmony Of The Seas
    Hawaii
    High Line Park
    Hiking
    Holland America
    Hong Kong
    Houston
    Hungary
    Ibiza
    Iceland
    Isla Mujeres
    Italy
    Jim Thorpe
    Key West
    Kotor
    Labadee
    Lake Minnewaska
    Las Vegas
    Lisbon
    Lithuania
    London
    London Eye
    Maine
    Malaga
    Mexico
    Miami
    Minnesota
    Mississippi River
    Monte Carlo
    Montenegro
    Monterey
    Montreal
    Moorea
    MSC Cruises
    MSC Divina
    Netherlands
    Newfoundland
    New Jersey
    New Orleans
    New York
    New York City
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Norway
    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Nuremberg
    Oceania Cruises
    Oregon
    Orlando
    Panama
    Panama Canal
    Passau
    Paul Gauguin
    Paul Gauguin Cruises
    Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia
    Pickleball
    Ponant
    Portugal
    Prague
    Princess Cruises
    Puerto-rico
    Queens
    Regensburg
    Regent Seven Seas
    Rome
    Royal Caribbean
    Saint-Tropez
    San Francisco
    Santorini
    Scenic Cruises
    Scottsdale
    Seabourn
    SeaDream Yacht Club
    Sicily
    Silversea
    Sintra
    Sorrento
    Spain
    Star Clippers
    St. Maarten
    St. Thomas
    Symphony Of The Seas
    Tahiti
    Travel Gear
    Travel Tips
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Turks And Caicos
    UnCruise
    Un-Cruise Adventures
    UnCruise Adventures
    Universal's Islands Of Adventure
    Uniworld
    Utah
    Utica
    Utica Boilermaker 15K
    Vienna
    Vietnam
    Viking Cruises
    Washington
    Windstar Cruises
    Wisconsin

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2013 | All rights reserved | Ewing, New Jersey.
Contact | About | Media Kit