Castellammare del Golfo: the pearl of western Sicily
Castellammare del Golfo is located on the west coast of Sicily, in province of Trapani. It is a
delightful little town of about 15,000 inhabitants and its geographical position has written its history. In fact, its gulf is a real amphitheatre on the sea, bordered by Mount Inici on one side and surrounded by azure waters on the other.
The sudden change of scenery certainly makes it one of the most fascinating and interesting
destinations in all of western Sicily.
The local sea is certainly the best attraction, with the nearby Zingaro Nature Reserve and the spectacular tuna fishery of Scopello. The coast of Castellammare is very varied, low and flat to the east; rocky, jagged and deep to the west.
‘La Plaja’ is the largest beach in Castellammare del Golfo. It is located to the east of the town and starts immediately after the mouth of San Bartolomeo river. Also within the town there is Cala Petrolo, immediately after Punta Nord Est, coming from La Playa, and the small Spiaggia della marina, near the harbour.
The Castle
Castellammare offers much more: churches, historical palaces, mysterious streets and a magical castle anchored in the harbour: the Arab-Norman Castle.
It was built by the Arabs around the 10th century, and currently houses in its rooms the ‘Memory of the Mediterranean’ Museum Centre, created with the aim of enhancing the heritage of the town and the entire surrounding area. The centre is divided into four areas: Museum of Water and Mills, Museum of Production Activities, Archaeological Museum and Museum of Maritime Activities.
Its municipal garden
Inside the town centre, you find “Regina Margherita” municipal garden, from which it is possible to admire the panorama below of the historic centre and the harbour of Castellammare del Golfo, which can be reached from the garden itself via a long series of stairs that cross the various terraces of the garden.
Tourism
In the past, fishing was one of the most important economic activities in Castellammare del Golfo and more generally in the inhabited centers that overlook the Gulf of Castellammare, where several tuna traps were active until the mid-eighties. Over the years, fishing and partly agricultural production, traditional sources of livelihood for the population, are gradually giving way to services related to tourism.
In particular, the reception structures (bed and breakfast, hotels) and the structures for providing services to tourism (diving, restaurants, rent a car) have grown. It is in fact among the cities of the municipality of Trapani with the highest number of hotels and restaurants.
Of particular interest are the traditional celebrations in honour of the Patron Saint that take place annually from 19 to 21 August, and the historical enactment of our principal Patron Saint that is celebrated every two years and tells of the attack on the harbour by the British, foiled, according to legend, by the arrival of Our Lady of Succour, “Madonna del Soccorso”. The latest celebration took place on 13 September 2018 in order to mark the 300th anniversary of this prodigious event.
Castellamare is the ideal place for those who want to get away from the daily routine and immerse themselves in an incredible atmosphere of history and wonderful nature.
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