Discover Mazara del Vallo

What to see in Mazara del Vallo

And on sirocco days, when the sea and the water sports can wait, it is the right moment to head out into western Sicily. Walks, places, stories and a few tips for taking Mazara slowly and deciding each morning what to do.

Via IV Aprile, Mazara del Vallo

An iron gate inside a frame of majolica and stone, in the Casbah
Ceramic jars in the old town of Mazara del Vallo
Rippled sandy seabed under shallow, clear water
Coloured lampshades hung above a street in the old town, towards the Casbah
Sunset over the sea from the rooftop terrace

The sea and the beaches

A few minutes from the house you have beaches and stretches of coast that are nothing like one another.

There is the convenience of the beach right outside, Lungomare San Vito, Tonnarella for families with small children, Quarara for rocks, coves and a younger crowd, Capo Feto for a wilder day, and Puzziteddu if you are after wind and water sports.

One thing worth knowing: the sea at Mazara can change a lot over a single day. Wind, exposure and the hour make a real difference.

The beaches near Mazara →
Shallow water at Tonnarella beach, safe for children
Tonnarella beach in Mazara del Vallo
The sandy shoreline at Tonnarella, Mazara del Vallo

Tonnarella · the one for families

If you have small children, Tonnarella is one of our first choices. The seabed stays shallow for a long stretch: you have to walk out a fair way before the water gets deep.

Our advice is simple: go early in the morning. The morning light can be beautiful and the sea is often nothing like what you find in the afternoon.

After 1pm the wind can turn and the sea can change a great deal. So if you wake up to a good morning at sea, we would not wait for the afternoon.

In August it can be far busier, especially in the middle of the day.

The low rocks and clear water at Torretta Quarara
The rocky shore at Torretta Quarara, where people snorkel

Quarara · rocks, coves and a younger crowd

Quarara is nothing like Tonnarella. Here it is mostly rock, with rockier ways into the water, a few small coves and some beach clubs.

That is why it is not our first choice for families with small children: getting into the water is less straightforward and the rocks need more care.

Along this stretch you will also find La Spiaggetta, Golden Beach and l’Approdo dei Saraceni. On summer weekends the mood turns much younger, with music, drinks and evenings out: it is a good area for teenagers and young adults.

Small children: Tonnarella. Teenagers and young adults: Quarara can be far more fun, especially at the weekend.

The shoreline at Puzziteddu, shallow clear water and a kite in the sky
Kitesurf kites above the waves at Puzziteddu, near Mazara del Vallo
Kites laid out on the sand before launching, at Puzziteddu

Puzziteddu · sea and wind

Puzziteddu is something else again. It is a wide stretch, known above all to people who windsurf, kitesurf, wingfoil, surf and paddleboard.

Conditions depend heavily on the wind and on the time of year.

If you are here for the sport, ask us first what the wind is doing and what is running at the time: we can help you work out whether it is worth the trip.

The old town and the Casbah

The Casbah is one of the most distinctive parts of Mazara. Narrow lanes, majolica, courtyards, painted doors, and traces of the different communities that built the town’s history.

You do not need a destination. This is a place to walk, and to get a little lost.

The Casbah, lane by lane →
A poem on majolica tiles, on an alley wall in the Casbah
The blue door of the Casbah in Mazara del Vallo, set in a mosaic frame
A hand-painted tile on a Casbah wall: “I wish all the children of the world had this much peace and love”
The enclosure wheel at the San Michele monastery: a turning wooden drum set in a stone frame, with an iron grille beside it, through which the nuns pass the sweets unseen
Painted ceramics in the Casbah of Mazara del Vallo
A glimpse in the Casbah of Mazara del Vallo
Small square in the Casbah of Mazara del Vallo
A glimpse in the Casbah of Mazara del Vallo

The kitchen and the fish

Mazara is a sea town, but above all it is a fishing town.

The red prawn you find here is not normally a “fresh” prawn in the everyday sense: it is frozen straight on board the trawlers, during fishing campaigns far from the coast. That is simply how it reaches the market.

And then there is fish cous cous, pasta with sardines, the catch of the day, panelle, granita, ice cream, and everything the markets and the small shops in town turn out.

Different seafood starters on a single plate, side by side
A whole octopus on the plate, a bowl of mussels behind
Fried calamari and prawns with lemon, in Mazara del Vallo
Sfinci, just fried and rolled in sugar, in a tray

What to see around Mazara del Vallo

If you feel like a day out, some of the most interesting places in western Sicily are within reach from here.

What to see around Mazara →
The windmill of the Marsala salt pans, its red cone reflected in the pink salt basins
The Greek temple at Selinunte seen whole, from the corner of the colonnade
Beach in the Egadi Islands, an hour from Mazara del Vallo
The acropolis of Selinunte, the sea behind the columns

Selinunte

Archaeology and landscape by the sea.

Mozia

Archaeology, an island, a lagoon and the salt pans.

Trapani

Old town, harbour and sea.

Segesta

The Doric temple and the hill landscape.

Scopello and Zingaro

Coves, footpaths and coastal landscape.

San Vito Lo Capo

A big beach, the sea, and the coast towards Macari.

Our guides

We have put together a few guides to help you discover Mazara del Vallo and the area around it.

You will find tips on what to see, where to go for a swim, where to eat and which places are worth a trip from Mazara.

Read them before you leave, or while you are here and deciding what to do.

Free public beach on Lungomare San Vito, Mazara del Vallo

The beaches

Which one to pick, depending on the day, the sea and who is travelling with you.

Six beaches · distances · seabeds · children
A cat painted on a shutter in the Casbah of Mazara del Vallo

The Casbah

Lanes, majolica, courtyards, history and small details to look for as you walk.

On foot · the old town
A giant pan of red prawns cooked in the square, in Mazara del Vallo

Where to eat

Restaurants, pizzerias, rotisseries and the fishmonger, with the price bracket and the map.

A selection, not the full list
Ceramic jars in the old town of Mazara del Vallo

Things to do

Boats, wind, salt pans, ceramics and craft: what there is to do nearby, and who runs it.

What is available changes with the season
The cathedral in Erice, western Sicily

Erice from Mazara

Good for a few hours in the afternoon: the hill town, the cable car, the views and the sunset from up there.

Erice from Mazara
Bird footprints on the bed of a salt pan in Marsala

Marsala from Mazara

Salt pans, the Stagnone lagoon and the sunset. One of the best days out without changing base.

Guide in preparation
Beach in the Egadi Islands, an hour from Mazara del Vallo

Favignana from Mazara

Sea, bicycles and coves. A different kind of day, run from Mazara.

Guide in preparation

From the blog

Mazara del Vallo and western Sicily, up close: places to see, beaches, restaurants, traditions and a few ideas for discovering the area.

Cous Cous Fest in San Vito Lo Capo

One of the best-known food festivals in western Sicily.

Beach on the coast of Mazara del Vallo

Sicily at the end of summer

Warm water, long days and fewer people.

The map of Mazara’s old quarters, painted on majolica tiles on a wall

Mazara as a base for western Sicily

We like to think of Mazara as somewhere to set off from, rather than a town to see in a hurry. We are on Via IV Aprile, on the seafront, about three minutes on foot from the centre: from here you walk out without a car, towards the Norman Arch, Villa Jolanda, Piazza della Repubblica, the harbour, and then into the Casbah.

And then there are the days for what lies further out: Selinunte, Marsala and the Stagnone, Trapani and Erice are all a day trip, and you are back in Mazara by evening.

A mound of salt in the middle of a Marsala salt pan

For a few hours

Selinunte, Marsala and the Stagnone salt pans, or the Gorghi Tondi nature reserve.

A glimpse in Erice, western Sicily

An afternoon until sunset

Erice is perfect for a few hours: arrive in the afternoon, walk the lanes of the old town, stop for a coffee or something to eat, and wait for the sunset from up there.

Beach in the Egadi Islands, an hour from Mazara del Vallo

For a full day

Trapani and the Egadi Islands are two very different days: one in the town, or the ferry from Trapani for a few hours on Favignana.

Clear water and blue sky at Tonnarella beach, Mazara del Vallo

For a day at the sea

Tonnarella, Capo Feto, Quarara, San Vito Lo Capo or one of the other beaches along the coast, depending on the season and the sea.

Windsurfing in Mazara del Vallo

For time outdoors

Cycling, kite, windsurf, wingfoil, paddleboard and other things that change with the season and, above all, with the wind.

A 7-day itinerary in western Sicily, starting from Mazara del Vallo

  1. Day 1Mazara del Vallo: the seafront a short walk away with the sea just across, the Casbah and the old town.
  2. Day 2Tonnarella in the morning, the sea and sunset in Mazara.
  3. Day 3Selinunte and its archaeological park.
  4. Day 4Marsala, the Stagnone salt pans and Mozia.
  5. Day 5Scopello and the Zingaro nature reserve.
  6. Day 6Erice in the afternoon and Trapani towards evening.
  7. Day 7A day at the sea — or, if the wind is right, kite, windsurf or wingfoil.
The terrace from the rooftop terrace at Sunset Terrace Mazara

You do not have to follow a plan, of course. Some days you want to see somewhere new, and on others it is better not to go anywhere at all.

A book on the terrace, the sun, the sea in front of you. That is part of the holiday too.

Follow us on Instagram

Here you will find some ideas for your stay. On Instagram you see Mazara day by day: the sea, the wind, a sunset, an event, or a place worth knowing about.

→ @sunsetterracemazara

The terrace from the rooftop terrace at Sunset Terrace Mazara@sunsetterracemazara
Beach on the coast of Mazara del Vallo

Prima di uscire

Ogni giornata qui può essere diversa.

Il mare e il vento cambiano nel corso della giornata, così come le condizioni e il ritmo della stagione.

  • Tonnarella presto al mattino, per trovare il mare più bello.
  • Puzziteddu quando arriva il vento.
  • Quarara tra scogli e piccole calette.
  • Erice per cambiare completamente paesaggio.
  • La Casbah per una passeggiata nel centro storico.

Oppure si può semplicemente restare qui, con il mare vicino e niente da organizzare.

Buona giornata, qualunque sia il vostro programma.

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