The unfinished temple of Segesta is one of those must-see spots you have to visit if you're traveling around northwestern Sicily.
Why?
Keep reading and keep your eyes peeled. You'll get it in just a few seconds. 😉
Segesta Archaeological Park
Founded by the Elymians, just like Erice, Segesta became a very powerful city that stood up to and destroyed Selinunte, its eternal rival.
Although there are hardly any remains of its houses, streets, or "urban life" in general, it still preserves 2 buildings in perfect (or almost perfect) condition:
The unfinished temple of Segesta.
And its theatre with sea views.
Practical info
- Opening hours: open every day from 9:00 to 18:30 (depends on the season).
- Parking: €5 (flat rate).
- Admission ticket: €6/adult (€3 reduced rate).
- Bus to the theatre (optional): €1.50. You need to buy the ticket at the café and it runs every 30 minutes.
The temple of Segesta
They say the key to why this temple built on the outskirts of the city is so well preserved is precisely because it was never finished.
- No, the roof hasn't collapsed. There never was one.
- No, its carvings haven't worn away. Nobody ever got around to "fluting" the columns.
- No, there were never any interior walls. What you see is what there was.
Scholars themselves can't quite agree on the reason why.
However, its location away from the city and the lack of interior contents have allowed it to remain intact, free from looting and other "tricks and mistreatments" to this day.
Fun fact: during my second visit in 2016, I was told that one hypothesis is that it was built in a hurry purely to put on a show of power from a distance in the eyes of rival cities.
If that's true, it's incredible what envy can do…
Access
You can reach it on foot from the entrance (I've marked the access path on the map at the end of the article).
Above all, though, don't miss the views of the temple from the path leading up to the theatre.
The theatre of Segesta
This stone semicircle sits right at the top of Mount Barbaro, facing north, which gives it breathtaking views with the Tyrrhenian Sea in the background.
It must be wonderful to attend one of the plays staged here during the summer at the Calatafimi Segesta Festival.
Access
Even though it's only a 1.5 km distance between the entrance and the theatre of Segesta, the slope is very steep, so if it's too hot or you find it hard to walk, your best bet is to grab a bus ticket (€1.50, on sale at the café).
My recommendation? Even if you've paid for the bus, walk back down if you can.
The views over the temple change with every step as you descend and are not to be missed. 😉
How to get there from Trapani
If you're driving (your own car or a rental), just leave Trapani along the A29dir/E933 road until you see the exit for Segesta. It will take you less than half an hour.
You can also get there on the Tarantola Bus line (a 40-50 minute ride).
Specifically, 3 buses leave Trapani for the park in the morning (8:00, 10:20, 14:00) and 2 return (13:10, 16:10).
Still, I recommend that you confirm these timetables before making plans at the Piazza Montalto station or at the tobacconist where tickets are sold (I've marked it on the map at the end of this post).
Things to see nearby
Castellammare del Golfo
In our case, we took advantage of our visit to Segesta to head to the nearby coast and visit Castellammare del Golfo, a fishing town with a truly picturesque harbour. 😉
There, we devoured a great plate of "frutti di mare" pasta at La Timpa pizzeria.
It offers nice views and good food, though I remember not liking the house white wine at all (they took it back with no issues). That was 5 years ago now, so chances are the wine isn't the same anymore. 🙂
Afterwards, we continued along the coastal road towards Trapani and took the opportunity to stop at the viewpoint with the best views of Castellammare del Golfo (marked on the map).
No, it's not a miniature. Nahuai was just playing around with the effects on his brand-new camera. 🙂
La Tonnara di Scopello
Instead of heading straight to Trapani, we took a detour to visit this photogenic rock and concrete cove.
But once we got there, paying €4 per person just to step onto it for a few minutes felt like a bit much (especially since that April day wasn't exactly what you'd call beach weather...).
So we snapped a few photos from above and continued on our way.
From what I've read, they have a maximum capacity that fills up very early in summer, so if you want to enjoy a day of sun and beach there, I recommend being at the entrance a bit before opening time (9:00 AM).
Where to sleep
There are plenty of places to stay around Segesta and Castellammare del Golfo.
However, our base camp for the entire week we spent in Sicily in 2014 was Villa Delle Palme Delfina, a B&B on the outskirts of Trapani with Mount Eryx as its backdrop.
The place was gorgeous, very well-kept, and comfortable.
We had a private terrace area right next to our room, and they gave us a photography book of the region along with a bottle of Sicilian wine that was delicious.
On top of that, the breakfast included in the price was spectacular. They didn't miss a single detail.
The only minor downside (if we had to name one) was that kitchen noises woke us up earlier than we would have liked in the morning, and breakfast was served around a huge round table with all the other guests and Antonio, our host.
If you're the type who likes waking up slowly without making small talk, you might want to time it so you go down once everyone else is done (we did that a couple of times to enjoy a quieter breakfast).
We spent 7 nights there for €541 in a double room (€77/night).
Useful links
- Calatafimi Segesta Festival, official website.
- Hotel deals in Segesta.
- B&B Villa delle Palme Delfina.
- Flights to Italy: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo, and Vueling.
- 5% discount when booking your adventure travel insurance with IATI.
And if you're road-tripping through western Sicily, don't miss:
- Complete 7-day road trip through Sicily.
- Hiking through the Zingaro Nature Reserve.
- Discover Erice: a medieval village high up in Sicily.
- Biking around the island of Favignana.
- Hiking in Sicily: circling Mount Cofano.
A pleasure to read your reviews. They are told so well that the recommendations always sound tempting.
Thanks, Mara! 🙂