A trip to Sicily cannot miss the surroundings of Agrigento, a territory very rich in attractions to explore all year long: perfect for those who love sea, beaches and nature, as well as history and culture.  

A visit to the Agrigento area cannot but start from the Valley of the Temples, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, which makes Agrigento worldwide famous: the area is scattered with majestic temples dating back to the Greek period, comprises an archaeological museum and the impressive Kolymbethra Garden.

A few kilometers separate the Valley of the Temples from the historical center of Agrigento, where we suggest that you have a walking tour among Baroque churches, medieval alleys and monasteries: the Cathedral of Saint Gerland, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, the Church of Santa Maria dei Greci and the Episcopal Palace are a must-see. Moving east you have the grim Chiaramonte Castle, in Naro, dwelling of King Frederick III of Sicily, and to the south Licata, with its churches (including the cave-church of San Calogero) and the picturesque streets of the seaside village.

15 km north of Agrigento, along the Realmonte coast, there is the well-known Scala dei Turchi ("Stair of the Turks"), a dazzling white cliff that descends to the sea like a staircase, and a little further north the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, a WWF protected area.  

The road that goes from Porto Empedocle (“Vigata” in the novels by Camilleri) up to Agrigento is the “Strada degli scrittori” ("Route of writers"): an itinerary that invites to discover the places where famous authors like Luigi Pirandello, Andrea Camilleri, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and Leonardo Sciascia lived and wrote. You can relive the literary places of The Leopard visiting the Montechiaro Castle, the Ducal Palace and the Cathedral and from there continue to the places of Pirandello with his birthplace, in the district of Caos, and the Library Museum, in Agrigento.

An amazing opportunity to explore the area of Agrigento is the Almond Blossom Festival, that takes places every year, in March, between downtown Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples: to celebrate the arrival of spring folk music shows, torchlight processions and tasting of Sicilian delicacies are held.