Mazara del Vallo Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Mazara del Vallo is a medium-sized city in South-Western Sicily, most famous for being one of the leading fishing harbour of Italy and the centre where the Dancing Satyr is hosted. It is part of the province of Trapani.
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Talk
The inhabitants usually speak both Italian and Sicilian. However, most of them (especially the oldest ones) are definitely not proficient in English. There is also a large Arab community, originary from Northern Africa.
Get in
By train
Mazara del Vallo is linked by train, among the others, to two cities where an airport has place, Trapani (50 minutes) and Palermo (about 2 hours and 45 minutes).
By bus
There are frequent buses from Palermo (Autoservizi Salemi, about 2 hours). Much less frequent are connections to other cities, such as Agrigento, Sciacca and Trapani.
By car
Mazara del Vallo is connected to Palermo, and its airport, by the A29 highway (also known as Palermo-Mazara del Vallo).
Get around
By bus
Relatively to the city itself, Mazara has a particularly poor urban bus service, and bus stops are often even very hard to find. However, Mazara is also relatively easy to be visited without any kind of transportation, because of the dimensions of its downtown.
By car
Mazara is a small but very active city. It is thus very easy to find oneself stuck in the traffic, especially in the downtown during the late afternoon and the 12-14h period.
By train
Mazara del Vallo is frequently linked during the day to many interesting destination, such as Marsala (20 minutes) and Castelvetrano-Selinunte (25 minutes). Prices are fairly cheap.
By boat
During the summer period, a daily ferry boat link to the minor island of Pantelleria, powered by Tirrenia, is available.
See
- The Dancing Satyr, a bronze statue discovered by a fishing boat, and almost immediately became the emblem of the city.
- The Norman Arc, that is the only remains of the old Castle, built during the flourishing occupation of Mazara by the Normans led by King Roger I of Sicily.
- The Casbah, the old city centre built up during the Arab period.
- Several churches, amongst others San Nicolò Regale and San Vito a Mare.
Do
During the summer period, the heart of Mazara moves from the downtown (Corso Umberto I, Piazza Mokarta, Piazza della Repubblica) to the Tonnarella beach, on the Western side of the city.
Buy
Eat
As a relevant fishing centre, Mazara is also well-known for its seafood-based cuisine. Fish is even commonly cheaper than other places in Italy.
Drink
The mazaresi, as well as the majority of Sicilians, have a good taste for wines: there are several local wine cellars and a number of wineshops in the city. However, in Mazara del Vallo is also located one of the few breweries of Sicily, Naxos.
Sleep
Mazara has several hotels, most of them (all but one) rose after the discovery of the Dancing Satyr.
Get out
- Marsala (20 minutes by train) is the most populated city in the province. It is home for the marsala wine, a historical city founded by the Romans, and a very active place.
- Trapani (45 minutes by train) is the capital city of the province. From Trapani, it is possible to reach Erice, a relevant touristic place and home for several world science meetings.
- Castelvetrano (25 minutes by train) is home of the Greek ruins of Selinunte, a must for the place.
- Pantelleria (1 hour and 45 minutes by ferry boat, operated only during the summer period) is a pretty beautiful minor island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, with a very active nightlife during the warmer months of the year.
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