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Between the $400-a-night oceanfront villas in Amalfi and the entire city of Venice now existing behind a paywall, at least for day trippers, it’s easy to feel like it’s impossible to properly live the Italian summer dream without taking a huge hit to the wallet.
We’re not going to lie to you: if you’re chasing all the Instagram-featured-death spots, you probably can’t do that.
If you don’t mind deviates a little from the main pathand bank your hard-earned tourist dollars in a more relaxed, offbeat coastal town where they might be able to stretch a bit lot furthermore, buckle up, because we have just now the right Italian outing for you.
Sicily’s best kept secret
Located on the northwest coast of Sicily, a paradise island that you’ve probably encountered in your favorite HBO drama of recent years. Trapani is an unsung cultural hotspot with Old World charm, sun-drenched promenades and beaches all in one.
Unlike White Lotus-destroyed Sicilian cities like Taormina or Noto, however, this one still flies under the radar for most.
With over 412,000 inhabitants, Trapani is one of the most unique destinations in Sicily. Whether you come for the epic coastal nature or the fascinating ancient culture, it never seems like the drama is completely contained.
The Historical Center is the clear show stealer:
Combining Arabic, Spanish and Italian influences, it is your average Southern European maze consists of narrow cobbled streets, ocher-colored buildings so narrow that you start to wonder how entire families could ever live there, and virtually one beautiful Baroque church per square kilometer.
The architectural center of the city, Cathedral of San Lorenzo is a 14th century building that can fool the odd observer who simply walks past and views it from the outside. Compared to other Sicilian churches it is actually quite simple with its clear lines and absence of elaborate niches.
Step inside and that’s when the magic really happens: tall columns, gold decoration, marble details everywhere you look, and so on unmistakably Italian painted ceilings.
Trapani Is Terribly Safe
Sicily (and Trapani in particular) has a historical reputation linked to organized crime, but in modern reality that image is far exaggerated for tourists. This is not the case The godfatherall.
Violent crime is rareand most visitor problems are the usual Mediterranean stuff: pickpocketing, opportunistic theft or leaving stuff unattended on the beach, which you wouldn’t do unless you’re an absolute numpy.
That’s pretty standard safety advice throughout Italy, and not necessarily something uniquely “Sicily” or Trapani.
Trapani itself is generally considered very safe, with normal levels of both serious and petty crime for an Italian coastal town. In fact, locals and travelers consistently describe it as quiet, walkable and low-risk, and having visited a lot of Sicilian coastal towns myself, I can guarantee that I felt absolutely safe here.
Instead of mafia shootings, everyday reality looks a lot more like: cafes, fishing boats, sleepy evenings and the occasional overly cheeky seagull trying its luck with your takeaway calzone.
Cruel creatures.
Here’s how Italy is faring lately on the Traveler Safety Index, where it scores an exemplary score of 92 out of 100, based on on-the-ground reports from actual visitors who have been there recently:
One of the cheapest seaside getaways in Italy
Located a 5-minute walk from Cathedral Square, Trattoria Antichi Sapori is the place to go for that classic old-fashioned Sicilian trattoria experience. Think fish couscous, a local main dish shaped by the island’s Arabic heritage, pasta dishes with sardines and pistachio, all for dessert.
The best thing about it is, you don’t have to wipe your vacation savings clean to enjoy a decent three-course meal in a Trapani dinner.
A main course here will set you back €12 to €18 (average $14 to €21), and if you add a cheeky little antipasti and a glass of locally produced wine (probably harvested from the vineyard-studded mountains that frame the cityscape) your total bill comes to around €33 – €35 per person.
Not Bosnia-cheap, but quite reasonable, and only a fraction of those prices in Rome or Milan.
You can also save a lot on accommodation if you are well informed about your planning.
The average hotel price is about $140 per nightbut speaking as someone who has booked a stay in Trapani from just $54, you can go a lot cheaper if you stay slightly outside the center and still be within a 15 to 20 minute walk to the promenade.
As far as transport goes, Trapani is one of the most walkable cities I’ve been to in Italy, and with the exception of day trips to the Egadi Islands, using buses or even taxis isn’t really necessary. If you do need a ride, pay about $8 for a short city ride (for example, from the port to Erice’s cable car station).
Overall, you can easily spend a whole week in Trapani, eating lavishly around the city and beach hopping around the Aegadian archipelago (don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a moment), for less than $600.
If you’re heading to Europe this summer, you don’t want to fall behind on the latest changes to travel rules and border requirements: keep an eye on the latest regulations in effect at your destination with the Entry Requirement Checker.
The seductive coastal charm of Trapani
Trapani happens to be one of Sicily’s most underrated coastal hubs, so needless to say, its true charm can be found here somewhere along the lungomare at sunset.
Walking along the old defensive walls, which are literally licked by the Mediterranean Sea, you will come to Bastione Conca, a fortified bastion from the 16th century that protected the city from naval attacks.
A little further on is Torre di Ligny, an ancient seaside watchtower, at the very tip of the town, which offers beautiful views over the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding coastline.
Of course, you can’t visit Trapani without visiting the famous salt pans throughout Italy.
This is one of those niches, blink and you’ll miss local secrets only Italians seem to guard the gate, but we wonder how exactly sunsets at the Saline di Trapani e Paceco have not become as famous as those of Santorini, given how beautifully the blood-orange-tinged sun reflects on the shallow salt pools.
But the coolest thing about Trapani? It’s the perfect base for exploring the mountains around Sicily’s north coast, as well as island hopping.
A funicular directly from the outskirts of Trapani takes you to Erice, a timeless village on a hilltop overlooking Trapani. Dominated by a castle and with panoramic views over the entire coastline, this feels like a more intimate, more medieval-themed, tranquil version of Taormina, minus the White Lotus rush.
Most underrated island hopping in Europe?
Fancy a little island fun? Trapani is a short 30-minute hydrofoil boat ride from several Aegadian islands, some of Italy’s best-kept secrets.
Favignana is all about cycle paths that run along rugged coastlines and hidden turquoise coves, and a vibrant capital in pastel shades, peppered with family business trattoria and ice cream shops.
As for Marettimo, another 40 minutes away, the atmosphere is Santorini-esque, whitewashed, cube-shaped houses lining a picturesque harbour, except it has yet to be swallowed whole by the maddening crowd.
Levanzo is the smallest of the three main inhabited islands, and somewhere you can find sea caves hidden among limestone cliffs, pebble beaches and crystal-clear coves. Mediterranean bliss in its purest form.
If you’re flying all the way to Sicily this summer, don’t just stop in Trapani: this other idyllic coastal city offers just as much sun, sea views and even ancient Greek ruins, except this one is on the south coast.
Enjoy reading.
