Discover Erice: a medieval village perched high in the Sicilian hills

Imagine a medieval Italian village overlooking (almost) all of Sicily from the top of a mountain. In Erice, that's just the beginning...

Every stone, every corner in its alleys, every balcony with a view oozes stories of battles, sacred goddesses and warriors on horseback on all 3 sides (it is shaped like a triangle) 😉.

If you are visiting western Sicily, it would be a sin to leave the island without seeing this village that seems frozen in time on Mount Eryx.

What to see in Erice

Apart from the views of Sicily it offers from its privileged position above the clouds (sometimes literally), the most charming thing about Erice is its cobblestone alleys.

So my first piece of advice when you get to this town is: stroll, stroll and stroll.

And get ready to fall in love with this place 😉.

Viewpoints

From many of Erice's exterior streets you can admire the scenery, but there are points that take the cake (marked on the map at the bottom of the page):

South viewpoint of Giardino del Balio. From here you can see the countryside south of Sicily, the coast of Trapani on your right with the Aegadian Islands in the background and the Castle of Venere cut out on your left.
Castle of Venere. With a privileged position and height, its walls offer the largest field of vision of Erice: north, south and east in the same panoramic photo.
Viewpoint next to the tower of Balio tower. If you continue through the garden and go around the Balio tower you will find the beautiful northwest coast of the island and the photogenic Mount Cofano cut out over the sea. Follow the path that runs along the balcony and you will see how the landscape opens up giving way to the curious Torreta Pepoli.
Quartiere Spagnolo and Porta Spada. Want to enjoy equally spectacular views but without so many tourists around you? Come to Quartiere Spagnolo and be amazed 😉.

Quartiere Spagnolo and its view of Mount Cofano

Castello di Venere

This Norman fortress has, according to the inhabitants of Erice, the best perspective of the whole village.

I won't be the one to prove them wrong 😉.

Views of Mount Cofano from Erice, Sicily.

It was built on the ruins of the Temple Venere Erycinaa place of worship dedicated to femininity.

The entrance fee is only 4€ and allows you to enter several times a day to capture different nuances in the morning and evening light (ideal for photographers).

It is open daily from 10 am to 6-20 pm depending on the time of year.

Where to eat

As I spent several days in Erice for work reasons in 2016 I had the opportunity to try several restaurants and I must admit that I found them all more than acceptable, especially considering their prices.

I specifically tested the following (although there are many more):

Caffe San Rocco: undoubtedly one of my favorites. It is located almost in the center of Erice and serves cous cous dishes with typical local fish.
Il Casale Ericino: a pizzeria that gave rise to mixed opinions among the group of Italians who accompanied me, but I loved their pizzas. You'd better judge for yourself 😉.
Elimo Hotel Restaurant: this accommodation has a charming dining room. In addition to the quality of their dishes, the waiters were very nice to us. It is worthwhile.
Restaurant Venus: if the "gastric rage" catches you near the castle of Venere, this is a perfect place to stop for lunch before or after your visit.
La Prima Dea: both the pasta dishes with pistachio pesto and the desserts delighted me, although the dining room on the second floor is quite noisy and crowded.
Massimo Restaurant: a good place to have lunch or dinner next to Porta Trapani, just at the entrance of the city.
Ulisse Restaurant: I remember that the food was very tasty. However, the treatment we received from the owners was somewhat unfriendly.

Where to have a snack

And being in Sicily it's impossible not to mention the cannoli filled with ricotta from the Maria Grammatico Pastry Shop.

They say that the best sellers in this establishment are the genovesi with pastry cream or nutella, but I assure you that leaving Erice without trying a cannolo from this pastry shop would be almost a crime 😉.

Directions

Mountain of Erice seen from Villa delle Palme Delfina, Sicily.

Car

Movement inside Erice is prohibited or restricted to residents only.

So after driving up the winding road that climbs up to it and marveling at the views, you will have to leave your vehicle in the paid parking lot just at the entrance of the village (marked on the map at the bottom of this page).

Funicular

If you are staying in Trapani, an ideal way to get close to Erice is to take the funicular that goes up there in just 10 minutes.

In addition, this means offers spectacular views of Trapani, the east coast of Sicily and the Aegadian Islands, Favignana among them.

It costs 5,50€/way (9€ round trip) in a schedule that varies according to the day of the week and the season (in winter from 9am to 8pm and in summer from 9am to 11pm, approximately in both cases). I leave you a link to the details at the bottom of this page 😉.

Bus

When the funicular is closed for maintenance (something very common in winter or on very windy days) you can choose to ride the AST buses that go from Trapani station to Erice in 40 minutes.

The schedules vary according to the season, with the first leaving at 6.40 am from Trapani and returning at 6.45 pm or 9.00 pm on non-holidays. Again, I leave you more details at the end of this post.

Where to stay

Erice

The nights in Erice are magical. I found that out on my second visit to this town during a work trip in September 2016.

That is why I recommend staying at least one night there.

The cobblestone streets empty of tourists and the sound of footsteps reminiscent of those mystery movies set in another century.

It is in those moments of peace that its true essence is captured.

However, it was some mornings that caught my attention the most.

A square in Erice by the light of the street lamps.

Can you imagine going down to the street and not seeing beyond the next stone where you have to step?

The fog covers everything.
The light of a lantern makes its way around a corner.
And a feeling of having traveled back in time washes over you from head to toe.

You have to be lucky to experience such a scene on a visit to Erice. But you have to be there to experience it 😉.

Surroundings

On our first visit to Sicily in 2014 we stayed at Villa Delle Palme Delfina, a B&B on the outskirts of Trapani that had the Eryx mountain as a backdrop.

The place was beautiful, very well kept and comfortable.

We had a terrace area next to the room for exclusive use and we were given a photographic book of the area and a bottle of Sicilian wine that was delicious.

In addition, the breakfast included in the price was spectacular. Not a single detail was missing.

Sunset over Erice at Villa delle Palme Delfina.

The only downside (to name a few) is that in the morning the noises from the kitchen woke us up earlier than we wanted and that breakfast was served at a huge round table, with the rest of the guests and Antonio, our host.

If you like to wake up slowly and without much conversation, you may have to calculate at what time the others have finished (we did it on occasion to have breakfast more quietly).

We spent 7 nights for 541€. in a double room (77€/night).

Useful Links

Official website of the Trapani-Erice funicular.
Schedules and prices of the funicular.
PDF with summer timetable of the bus connecting Trapani and Erice, among others.
Hotel offers in Erice.
B&B Villa delle Palme Delfina.
5% discount when you take out your adventure travel insurance with IATI.
Flights to Italy:Trabber,eDreams,Momondo, andVueling.

And if you are on route in the west of Sicily do not miss it: