Alcamo, Sicily with an interesting old town and the popular Alcamo Marina

Visit Alcamo

Alcamo is in the north-west of Sicily on the slopes of Mont Bonifato and near to Trapani. Alcamo Marina with its long sandy beach is the main draw for most visitors to Alcamo but it also has an old town worthy of exploration.

Explore Alcamo

In the old town of Alcamo is one of the castles that were built in the area to defend against attack. The Castle of the Counts of Modica is near to Piazza Castello and is the only one of the main three castles in the area that is open to visit.

The large imposing castle, which underwent some restoration in the 14th century has two imposing square towers and two round towers. At one time one tower was for prisoners, one for the guards and one for guests to the castle. Now the castle is home to the Museum of Country Traditions and also to a wine shop selling local wines.

The churches of Alcamo are also interesting and many are built in the fine Baroque style that is prevalent in a few towns in Sicily. The Basilica of Our Lady of Assumption is the main church. The Basilica was built in the 14th century and contains red marble colums with marble extracted from Mount Bonifato. It also contains frescoes and paintings by Guglielmo Borremans, a Flemish artist.

More works by Guglielmo Borremans can be seen in the church of Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Basilica of Saint Maria Assunta with a Baroque interior. More Baroque style architecture can be admired in the Church of Saints Paul and Bartholomew which holds valuable art works by Giuseppe Felice.

Piazzo Ciullo is one of the main squares in the old town and is where you will find both the town hall and the Church of the Jesuits' College with its large round clock. This square gets particularly busy on a night when the young crowd of the town congregate for the bars and restaurants in this area.

There are also a number of 16th and 17th century palazzos to admire as you walk around the town. Look out for the square tower with battlements of Palazzo De Ballis.

The Alcamo Marina remains the highlight for many visitors to Alcama. It has grown up around a tuna fishing centre but fortunately for the locals as tuna fishing declined the tourist industry grew. The Marina has lots of shops and restaurants and a long sandy beach.

Places to visit nearby

The Castle of Calatubo is nearby. Its ruined walls still dominate a rocky outcrop sat above the surrounding area.

There is a nature reserve at the top of Mount Bonifato called the 'Nature Reserve Bosco di Alcomo' . From here you get sweeping views over the surrounding countryside and there is also a 17th century church in the park.

Another seaside resort close to Alcamo is Castellammare del Golfo and the ruined temples of Segesta are well worth a visit.

You can find more local travel ideas in the West Sicily guide,