Western Sicily: Greek Temples and High Cuisine

Par Gabriel Goldberg 22 April 2026 6 min read

If eastern Sicily is dominated by the fury of Etna and the south by the baroque elegance of the Val di Noto, the western part of the island is a world apart. Here, facing the African coast, less than 150 kilometres from Tunis, Sicily reveals its wildest landscapes, its most monumental ruins, and a culinary culture bordering on perfection. During my repeated explorations of this island-continent, I came to understand that the province of Trapani and the southwestern coast offer the most complete sensory experience anywhere in the Mediterranean. Between the Doric columns raised by the Greeks in the 6th century BCE and the generous plates that celebrate sea and land, this region remains one of the best-kept secrets of European epicures — a natural extension of our Great Melting Pot of Civilisations and our journey through the Val di Noto . Key takeaways Selinunte is one of the largest Greek archaeological parks in the Mediterranean (270 hectares). Mazara del Vallo is Italy's leading fishing port and a living bridge between Sicily and the Maghreb. Mazara's Red Shrimp (Gambero Rosso) is regarded by chefs as the finest prawn in the world. Bronte pistachio (PDO) is the "green gold" that infuses Sicilian pastas, pestos and desserts. 1. Selinunte: Walking Among the Gods You don't need to travel to Athens to feel the power of ancient Greece. The archaeological park of Selinunte is one of the largest and most impressive in the entire Mediterranean — 270 hectares facing the Tyrrhenian…