A Local’s Guide to Visiting Erice, Sicily
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As you stroll through the streets of Erice, take a deep breath and inhale the charm, beauty, history, and wonder of this magnificent ancient city.
Having stood in the same location for thousands of years, this is a place steeped in history. Even the poet Virgil mentions Erice in his Aeneid as a stop along the travels of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who was the mythical founder of Rome.
Founded in the 5th century BC by the Elymians, who settled here before the Greeks ever set foot in Sicily, Erice is simply historic. For the next 2,000+ years, the town, like many in Sicily, was fought over and ruled by civilizations, empires, and invaders who came and went, all leaving architectural and cultural remnants of their stays here.
Today, Erice is a wonderfully preserved medieval village towering over the western coast of Sicily and offering breathtaking vistas. Wandering along its cobbled alleys, you can discover an ancient temple, a Norman castle, and medieval churches. Often enveloped in a thick fog, which locals call Venus’ embrace, it has a fairytale-like atmosphere.
Welcome to Erice!
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Table of Contents
Why visit?
Where is Erice?
How to get here
How long to stay
Erice itinerary - how to spend an afternoon here
What to see and do in Erice
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Where is Erice?
Erice is a hilltop town in western Sicily, surrounded by defensive walls and crowned by a castle overlooking the coast. It is located in the province of Trapani, and is just 13 km away from the city of the same name. It is 118 km west of Palermo and 930 km south from Rome, the capital of Italy.
Being perched at 751 meters above sea level atop Mount San Giuliano, Erice offers superb views over the surrounding region and the shoreline.
On a cloudless day, you can see the Egadi Islands off the coast of Trapani, the tip of San Vito lo Capo on one side, and the port of Trapani and its salt pans on the other.
Why visit
Erice is steeped in myths and boasts a very long history with roots in Sicily’s pre-Greek era. Everyone has passed through here – Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and Spaniards – all falling in love with the beautiful landscape and its strategic position.
Walking around in Erice is like entering into a fairytale. The medieval layout of the perfectly preserved town, surrounded by walls, and woven with a tapestry of pristine labyrinthine streets, cobbled alleys, and archways, will make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.
And from the town’s elevated vantage point high above the surrounding area, you will enjoy majestic views of Trapani, the coastline, and the Mediterranean Sea.
In case that’s not reason enough, you can also visit a castle carved straight into the rock face and indulge in local sweets in Sicily's most famous pastry shop.
How to get to here
Erice is easily reached by car from Palermo, with the trip taking just under 2 hours.
If you are coming from Trapani or nearby, you have two options for getting here: a quick but windy car ride, or a fabulous high-altitude cable car.
Arriving by cable car
The best way to reach Erice from Trapani, the nearest city, is by taking the cable car. The journey takes just 10 minutes and offers wonderfully panoramic views. You’ll find the cable car station on Via Capua, on the outskirts of Trapani.
To get there, you can either walk (2 km from the city center), grab a taxi, or take a bus (regular departures throughout the day, and even at night in summer).
A cable car ticket costs €6.5 one way, or €11 round-trip. The cable car runs daily, from morning to night, except for Mondays when it doesn’t open until 2 pm.
You can buy tickets on the spot or in advance here. The arrival station in Erice is at Porta Trapani, the gateway into the old town.
Be aware that the cable car doesn’t run if there is bad weather or high winds.
Arriving by car
For those traveling with a rental car, you can also reach Erice by car, but be cautious: the road up to/down from Erice is a steep, winding, narrow mountain road. Along the way, you can stop to take photos, but be aware of the large buses that use the same road.
The journey by car between Trapani and Erice takes about 30 minutes.
Like many old towns, Erice has a ZTL zone (historic center closed to car traffic), so leave your car in the large paid parking area outside Porta Trapani and then enter the walled town on foot.
Parking there costs €1 for 30 minutes, €2 for the first hour, and €1 for each following hour.
To check prices and book rental, I recommend using DiscoverCars. It’s a car rental website that includes offerings from all the major international rental companies as well as lots of smaller local agencies, which often have much better pricing. You can often find great deals.
By guided tour
If you’ll be staying in Palermo and want to make a day trip to Erice with a guide, you’ve got plenty of options. Exploring Erice itself is not a full-day though, so the best use of an entire outing is to combine it with a visit to the Greek ruins in Segesta and the salt pans by Marsala/Trapani.
Our favorite local guide Giorgio Calò is based in Palermo and has been running tours to Erice and all around Western Sicily for 20 years.
How long to stay
Being quite small and a bit inaccessible due to its mountaintop position, Erice is not somewhere you would typically spend the night in. Rather,I would suggest basing yourself in the nearby coastal town of Trapani (13 km away) and visiting Erice on a day trip. An afternoon will be enough time to explore the little town.
If possible, try to come in the late afternoon, as when the sun is low (later in the day) the views over the coast and the surrounding region are amazing. Moreover, you will avoid the coach tours, which usually arrive mid-morning and then leave the town early in the afternoon. Trust me, it’s no fun to explore the narrow streets among hordes of people.
Where to stay
And in case you fall in love with Erice and want to stay here overnight to savor the fairytale atmosphere in the evening, here are my recommended accommodations:
Il Carmine Dimora Storica is a former monastery right by the town walls ($100 per night).
Residence Erice Pietre Antiche offers private apartments in a good location ($100 per night).
How to spend an afternoon in Erice
Start your exploration at Porta Trapani, the gateway to the old town. Visit the Real Duomo and climb the nearby Torre di Federico to enjoy a sweeping view over the old town and surrounding region.
Get lost in the maze of cobbled narrow streets and stumble upon medieval churches, intricate doorknobs, and tiny courtyards decorated with ceramics.
Stop in at the small Museo Comunale Antonio Cordini to learn about Erice’s history, then head to the nearby Pasticceria Grammatico to taste the local delicacies.
Once you’ve fueled up on sweets, head to the northern tip of the town with its two medieval gateways along the defensive walls, Porta Carmine and Porta Spada. Form there, head up to the Spanish Quarter to enjoy an alternative view over the coast.
Dive back into the narrow alleys again and end your day by visiting the Venus Castle, the lush Giardino del Balio, and the Torretta Pepoli at the southern tip of thus triangular town.
Before leaving, enjoy the sunset over Trapani.
What to see and do
1. Visit Castello di Venere, a Norman castle upon a former temple
The Norman Castello di Venere (Venus Castle) dominates the skyline of Erice. It was built in the 12th century on a former Temple of Venus, the Roman goddess of love who has been worshipped here since 1300 BC.
According to the legend, King Eryx was buried here after losing a match to Hercules.
The castle is located at Erice’s highest point and offers a spectacular view over Trapani.
The Castle of Venus
2. Check out Torretta Pepoli, a noble little tower
The picturesque Torretta Pepoli (torretta in Italian means little tower) looks just like a chess piece. It was built upon a rock by Count Agostino Pepoli in 1881 as a gathering place for men of art, music, and culture.
It’s a little further down the mountain, overshadowed by the Venus Castle.
3. Take a break at Giardino del Balio
This lovely garden sits just beyond the castle. It’s free to walk around and offers shaded areas and great views over the sea. There’s a small café inside to have a coffee or a quick lunch but you can also bring a picnic.
Inside the garden are the Balio Towers, which once served as part of the castle’s defenses.
Giardino del Balio. Photo: trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Take in the views from the Spanish Quarter, an unfinished fort
The Spanish Quarter is a fort built on a panoramic rocky spur. It is said to have been built under Spanish rule to house the Spanish soldiers, but it was never completed so the soldiers were instead housed in the nearby castle.
You can still see the building and enjoy a great view though.
5. Explore the old town
Getting lost among Erice’s labyrinth of cobbled streets, stone palaces, and tiny old churches is part of the experience. The town is triangular in shape and its main streets are Via Gian Filippo Guarnotti and Via Vittorio Emanuele, while the main square is Piazza della Loggia.
Enter the old town via Porta Trapani, one of three medieval gates along with Porta Carmine and Porta Spada, and explore the maze of winding alleys. Be on the lookout for the intricate door knockers and painted ceramic tiles here and there.
Photo: Effems, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6. Stop in at Museo Comunale Antonio Cordici
The exhibits at the Museo Comunale Antonio Cordini chronicle Erice’s past by displaying archeological finds and local artifacts. English speakers can ask for a folder with translations at reception (because all the signage is in Italian).
7. Enjoy sweeping views (everywhere!)
On a clear day, from atop the mountain, you can see the Tyrrhenian coast of western Sicily all the way out to San Vito lo Capo, the salt pans near Trapani, and the Egadi Islands. Sometimes, you can even spot Tunisia! From up here, the view is amazing in every direction.
Due to its high position, the town can often be enveloped in thick fog, which locals call Venus’ embrace or the kisses of Venus. On some days, the fog may obscure the view over the sea but it makes the city even more magical, adding an extra layer of uniqueness to your visit.
Best photo spots? Giardino del Balio, the Spanish quarter rock, and the Torre di Federico.
8. Get some sweets at Pasticceria Grammatico, Erice’s magnificent pastry shop
If you have a sweet tooth, do not miss Erice’s delicacies. The town is renowned for its almond pastries and Pasticceria Grammatico is the most popular pastry shop in town. In the early 1950’s, its founder Maria Grammatico was sent by her poor mother to the San Carlo orphanage where she learned her baking skills.
Stop for a treat and try an almond-based lingua di suocera, a ricotta-filled genovese, bocconcini, belli e brutti, or a cassata. Taste them accompanied by a Marsala wine or a typical local liqueur called Monte Erice.
9. Go church hopping
Erice, though small, has a remarkable number of churches. While they are not as opulent as others in Sicily, they are still well worth a visit. Begin at the Real Duomo, which dates back to the 14th century and was built using stones from the ancient Venus Temple. The interior is in Neo-Gothic style with Baroque elements.
Next to the Duomo is the Torre di Federico. Climb it for an alternative viewpoint over the town.
During your church-hopping tour, do not miss the churches of San Martino, San Giuliano, San Pietro, or Sant’Albertino degli Abbati, Erice’s oldest church.
The Real Duomo. Photo: Candido scocco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10. Set out on a hike around the mountain
If you want to go hiking, explore the mountain on which Erice stands. A path called Porta Castellammare-Tre Chiese is an easy loop route of 4.5km that runs around the rock and overlooks the Gulf of Bonagia.
Along the way, you can see the churches of Santa Maria Maddalena, Sant’Ippolito, and Santa Maria Maggiore.
Views from atop Monte Erice. Photo: Robert Vassallo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11. Enjoy a traditional Sicilian lunch in a cozy atmosphere
Erice’s food scene reflects western Sicily’s culinary heritage and while you’re here you can taste a delicious couscous alla trapanese, a Sicilian twist on the North African staple, or the famous pasta busiate served with a hearty sauce.
Gli Archi di San Carlo is a good choice for a typical lunch. You can sit inside a vaulted room or at an outdoor vine-shaded table. Ristorante Caffé San Rocco is a family-run old trattoria serving hearty food in a cozy atmosphere.
12. Sample the local wines on Strada del Vino
Visit the Strada del Vino Erice DOC, just outside the city walls. It’s a consortium of local wine producers who offer wine-tasting experiences. Due to the high altitude, lots of ventilation, proximity to the sea, and plenty of sunny days, the vineyards surrounding the town produce a very special wine.
Make sure to do your tastings with some cured meats, cheeses, bread, and olive oil.
Guided tours of Erice
If you’re staying in or around Palermo and want to do a day trip to Erice, our favorite guide is always Giorgio Calò . He’s a local guide and driver based in Palermo who’s been showing visitors around Sicily for over 20 years.
He runs a fabulous full-day tour that combines a visit to Erice with an exploration of the stunning Greek ruins at Segesta and sunset at the Trapani/Marsala salt pans.
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