Agrigento, Valley of Temples, and Southeast Sicily
Updated: 9 hours ago
In this blog post, we describe
must see spots to visit, including UNESCO sites and less-traveled wonders
where to stay, and where and what to eat
We got here by car. Day trips are offered or trains are available from Palermo as well, though we would suggest at least an overnight when possible because the Valley of the Temples alone is almost a full-day visit.
We visited the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on our drive from Mt. Etna to Agrigento. It's located about halfway between (about 1.5-2 hours drive to either Agrigento or Mt. Etna area). We have seen a lot of Roman mosaics throughout Western and Eastern Europe, and Israel - these were the most amazing by far.
This large villa site, built in the 4th. century, is believed to be the 'summer' estate of Roman senator. It was occupied for at least 150 years and then was used as a fortified location for various battles. After about the 12th century, it was abandoned and forgotten until the 19th century with large-scale excavations carried out in the early 20th century.
The path to see the mosaics loops through most of the rooms on platforms that allow you to see the mosaics from above. You definitely want to go either in the morning or later afternoon after the crowds subside - the walkway is relatively narrow, so only a few people can stop at any one spot. Here is a link for a detailed English language guide of the history and guided plan of the villa.
Villa Romana del Casale. SP90, 94015 Piazza Armerina EN, Italy. Open 9 AM - 6 PM daily. 14 euros pp.
The Valley of the Temples is probably why Agrigento is on your list to visit! It did not disappoint. This is a very large UNESCO site with some of the best-preserved Greek ruins we have seen anywhere. We arrived in the morning, which we suggest both to avoid as much of the crowds as possible and the most intense heat of the day. Note that the Valley of the Temples is open until 11 PM, so you can do a sunset or nighttime walk of the area, too. We spent about 2 hours here, then drove to a lunch site, and after drove to the Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum which took an additional 1-2 hours.
We did see people walking from the Valley of the Temples to the Museum, and also to the restaurant we picked on the hill, but be warned it is hot (even in October when we were there) and both the Valley and the museum require significant walking in the sun.
It is totally possible to do both in one day if you get an early start and have a car (or use a taxi in between). Many people take the train from Palermo here, and for this option, we recommend a taxi between the station and the Valley--again, you will walk enough in the park and museum.
Valley of the Temples. 92100 Agrigento, Free municipal consortium of Agrigento, Italy. Open daily 8:30 AM - 11:00 PM. 14 euros. Consider also the combined ticket of the Valley plus the Museum (19.20 euros). You can't get a ticket for the Kolymbethra Garden, Museum AND Valley in one combo ticket, but the ticket office recommended buying the Valley plus Museum and paying directly for the Garden at the Garden entrance since there wasn't much savings in the combo ticket.
Griffo Archeological Museum (Full Name: Archaeological Museum "Pietro Griffo" of Agrigento). Contrada San Nicola, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy. Open daily 9 AM - 7 PM.
The main street Via Atenea is lively, but quite focused on tourists. There are some cute side streets, and we had our best meals on some of these off-the-path streets. Overall we were most struck by the crumbling infrastructure. Locals do not advise drinking the tap water, as the pipes are so old that the purity is unsure.
There is a pleasant street, Viale della Vittoria, that overlooks the water and Valley of the Temples. Many runners are here at all times of day, and there is a popular cafe le Cuspidi.
Below: the sunset view from Viale della Vittoria at left. At right, the Valley of the Temples is lit, and it is easier to see their proximity to the downtown area. This photo is taken from the municipal building near the main shopping street in downtown.
We are glad we visited Santa Maria dei Greci for the simple reason to see a beautiful architectural plan. The church sanctuary--the altar and parts of the congregation--have a glass floor exposing the Greek ruins underneath. A ticket also allows entry to the nearby MuDia (aka Museum of the Diocese) with a lovely orange garden and a collection of Christian artifacts from the town. It is housed inside a former palace home, with beautiful painted ceilings. All information here is in Italian.
Food in Agrigento
Nuccio Ristorante Meat&Fish
Reservations at Nuccio Ristorante Meat&Fish are required, as they are full every evening. This is a popular restaurant with locals and the word is out to some savvy tourists. The food was excellent. We had a marinated trio of raw fish, which turned out to be four fish instead. The marinade was simple and the same for all the fish, but it allowed the different taste of each fish to come through. We also had arancini with shrimp on a bed of pea puree. This was fantastic, creamy, with sweet and salty perfectly balanced. For our main courses, we enjoyed the gnocchi with sugo (very rich) and the halibut rolls. Halibut can be dry if not cooked properly. This was probably the best halibut dish I have ever had. Thin strips of halibut were wrapped around pine nuts and bits of cured lemon, then perfectly cooked. It was served with a simple but again perfect grilled sweet potato half. For dessert, we tried the local Pecora Nera. This is a good choice for chocolate fans. It has a thin brownie layer on the bottom, sweetened sheep's milk ricotta in the middle and chocolate mouse on top. The chocolate was good quality.
Nuccio Ristorante Meat&Fish. Piazza Cavour, 19, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy.
Le Cuspidi is very popular at all times of the day, and next door to Nuccio (see above). They have different foods out at breakfast (mostly breads) and at lunch (changes to sandwiches, and there is a paper menu with salads and other savory and sweet items). At night, people crowded everywhere eating gelato; there is an adjacent park for space to eat. Our B&B used the restaurant for our daily breakfast. Lucky us!
Le Cuspidi. Piazza Cavour, 19, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy. Open every day except Tuesday 7:30 AM - 12 midnight.
Another dinner or lunch restaurant we recommend is Sant'Arfo Enoteria. It is across the street from the Church of Santa Maria dei Greci. Reservations are required here, too. We watched as several couples were turned away, even though tables were empty. They had just 6 tables full, and only one waiter to serve them all, so this is likely why they don't take walk-ins (at least for dinner). The venue is charming, on the patio with steps behind. The food was very good, as was the wine. Expect a leisurely pace. We were there 2 hours for 2 courses.
Sant'Arfo Enoteria. Via Santa Maria dei Greci, 92100 Agrigento AG, Italy. Open every day except Wednesday (though they answered my reservation email on a Wednesday) 12:30 - 3 PM and 7:30 - 11 PM.
Coastal Agrigento
Aside from the Valley of the Temples, is Agrigento worth it?
Yes! There are many seaside attractions in the area. We chose the Turkish Steps (map to Discesa Scala dei Turchi instead of the Turkish Steps, since access is down the beach).
This was an easy drive from downtown Agrigento. Arriving at 8:30 am, there was no problem finding street parking. (When we left at 11:30, street parking was full, but there are several parking lots). We parked near 2 entrances to the beach. The one on the left is a long paved road down, with a restaurant at the bottom (which has its own parking lot if you don't want to walk down to the beach). The one on the right is 177 steps. Both are free entry on foot.
The beach was uncrowded in the early morning on a weekday. Salesmen were setting up their beach goods, and restaurants advertising beach chairs. We looked at the tide pools (not much there but a few little fish) and then walked a short way to white cliffs which are the Turkish Steps. Entry fee is 6 Euro, payable with credit card. They admit about 30 people at a time for safety. The views are stunning, the limestone rocks you walk on are ethereal. Wear good shoes, and reconsider your visit if it is raining.
Photos above show the Turkish steps, with the final photo showing the view of the descent slope; beach views; the entry to the Steps
Elsewhere in the area--up and down
this part of the coast-- are empty beaches. If you have a car and time to drive around, you can find your own private beach, especially on a weekday.
Sea turtles nest at Tore Salsa May-July and hatchlings emerge in July-August. The beach is protected and managed by WWF. Here is a list of other Nature Reserves, managed by various agencies and many of interest to bird watchers.
Where to Stay
We picked Krysos Luxury Rooms (Booking.com link), specifically the Loft Room, which is a totally private building with kitchen and lounge area on the main floor, and bed and bath on the second floor. It is all brand new, with a comfortable memory foam mattress. The location was good because 1) we could easily park for free on Viale della Vittoria and walk 1 block to the apartment with no stairs. Many other B&B's we saw had many stairs, were in dilapidated buildings, and up narrow streets and many steps. 2) it is in a portion of the city which seems upscale. The buildings are mostly not falling apart, which was the general feeling we got from the buildings everywhere else in town.
If Krysos Loft is not available, I would probably look at a place closer to the Valley of the Temples, knowing it will be necessary to drive into Agrigento proper for dinner or sight seeing (there are places to stay in the old town, but there are a lot of stairs getting to many of them). There is really only one day's worth of activities right in the city.
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