Selinunte and Belice Valley
Attractions
The area of Selinunte and the Belice Valley is a tourist area of Sicily that you cannot absolutely miss if you are a lover of good wine and good food, if you love all forms of art from the most ancient to modern art, if you are curious to discover how a terrible earthquake could have changed the face of many city without however affecting their traditions and their culture.
The area of Selinunte and the Belice Valley offers many interesting itineraries that will lead you to discover the precious treasures hidden in these lands. In the Belice Valley you can take part of an interesting eno-gastronomic itinerary to discover the numerous vines and agri-food excellences of this land. You can visit Selinunte, the largest archaeological area in the world, and the cities of art that enrich it this territory. You can go to the discovery of the ancient ruins of the cities destroyed by the Belice earthquake and of the new cities rebuilt. You can enjoy its particularly clean sea and immense golden sand beaches.
If you are wondering how much time to spend visiting the Selinunte area and the Belice Valley, read on.
How many days does it take to visit the Selinunte area and the Belice Valley?
If you are planning your holiday in Sicily, you must at least consider a couple of days to be dedicated to visiting the Selinunte area. In this way you can visit the main attractions of the area. But to fully discover the wonders of this land, to admire the many monuments and works of art of considerable value artistic, to savor the products and taste the excellent wines, to enjoy its wonderful sea it will be necessary a few more days.
A stop that absolutely cannot be missed on your holiday in the Selinunte area e della Valle del Belice is the ancient city of Selinunte, the largest archaeological park in the world. The park of Selinunte it includes seven ancient temples, some of which are in a good state of conservation, sanctuaries, necropolis, the caves of Cusa and an archaeological museum.
Discover all tourist attraction in Selinunte:
What to see in Selinunte
Castelvetrano, the city of temples of Selinunte, is another must for your holiday in the Selinunte area. It is a city with a thousand-year history evidenced by the numerous splendid monuments and works of art present in its territory.
Discover all tourist attraction in Castelvetrano:
What to see in Castelvetrano
Another destination not to be missed on your holiday in the Selinunte area is the city of Mazara del Vallo, the city of the Dancing Satyr. It is a multi-ethnic city where the influence of its neighbor is evident Tunisia has exercised over the centuries.
Discover all tourist attraction in Mazara del Vallo:
What to see in Mazara del Vallo
Many of the cities enclosed in this area, following the terrible Belice earthquake of 1968, were totally or partially destroyed. Cities have changed their appearance, some have been completely rebuilt and the ruins of the ancient cities remain, others bear the wounds of this terrible event.
Among the cities rebuilt following the devastating Belice earthquake, the city of Gibellina, which has become an open-air museum where world-famous architects, painters, intellectuals and sculptors have experienced their talent.
Discover all tourist attraction in Gibellina:
What to see in Gibellina
There are numerous villages in the Selinunte area and in the Belice Valley that they preserve still splendid traces of their past.
Discover all the attractions of these places by selecting the location of your interest.
Beautiful beaches and a clear and clean sea makes the Selinunte area also suitable for lovers of the sea. Many of the beaches for their shallow waters and calm, clean waters have been awarded the Green flag that rewards beaches suitable for families with children. The Mazara del Vallo area is also a destination coveted for kitesurf lovers.
To discover all the places to visit and all the attractions of Selinunte and Belice Valley select the location of your interest from the menu at the top.
Towns and villages
Towns and villages to visit in Selinunte and Belice Valley area
Bisacquino Campobello di Mazara Castelvetrano Contessa Entellina Gibellina Mazara del Vallo Menfi Montevago Partanna Poggioreale Salaparuta Salemi Sambuca di Sicilia Santa Margherita di Belice Santa Ninfa Parco Archeologico di Selinunte
Typical Products
The Belice valley takes its name from the river of the same name, about a hundred kilometers long which crosses the province of Palermo, the western part of the province of Agrigento and the province of Trapani where it flows.
This land is crossed by the Belice river, it is surrounded by the Sicani mountains, it is predominantly of character hilly and has flat areas both on the coastal strip and in the hinterland.
The richness and variety of these landscapes makes the Belice Valley a land rich in food and wine excellences.
The products that are born in these lands they grow in a wide variety of characteristic geological environments that give them peculiarities and unique aromas.
Visiting the Belice Valley means making a food and wine journey between tastes and flavors that will not be possible find in other places in Sicily.
If you want to find out what you eat and what you drink in the Belice valley area, read on.
In the Belice Valley, the cultivation of olives and the production of oil is an activity which has its roots far back in time: the millstones dating back to the fifth century BC. found in the archaeological area of Selinunte testify how ancient this production is. Over the centuries, the cultivation of the olive tree has represented a primary crop of the Valle del Belìce so much so that, starting from 1700, an ecotype has evolved, giving origin of one of the most famous Italian cultivars, the Nocellara del Belice, PDO of Sicily.
Alongside the production of wines and oil, the Belice valley is renowned for its numerous agri-food excellence offered by the territory. The sea also contributes to enrich the range of products typical of Selinunte and the Belice Valley with delicious and exclusive products: the Red Tuna of Mazara and Red shrimp of Mazara.
Typical Dishes
Traditional cuisine street food and typical dishes of the Belice Valley
The richness of agri-food production is reflected in a linked culinary tradition much to the territory. At the base of the numerous and tasty dishes typical of the Selinunte area and the Belice Valley there is an ancient tradition and the genuine goodness of typical local products.
In the Belice Valley there is an ancient confectionery tradition born within the walls of the numerous convents and intimately linked to religious holidays: Muccunetti di Mazara del Vallo, Minni di Virgini of Sambuca di Sicily, Cannalicchi di Salemi, Campanaro di Castelvetrano, Squartucciato di Poggioreale, Cannatuna di Salaparuta,...
Wines
Valle del Belice is renowned for its wines, its dry microclimate makes it the place ideal for growing vineyards. The variety of soils present allows the cultivation of a wide variety of vines: the vines are grown in the soils with shades of red and ferrous microelements rich in sand and stones Perricone or Pignatello, Nero d'Avola and international grape varieties such as Syrah; in soils characterized by white soils with a very high component of limestone, due to the numerous chalky formations, the cultivation of vineyards thrives a white grape such as Inzolia, Grillo and Catarrato. Numerous wineries in the Belice Valley area offer tastings of the wines produced from these vineyards.
Discover all the dishes and typical products of the Belice Valley and where you can taste them by selecting the place of your interest by the top menu.
Handicrafts
If you want to take with you a souvenir of your holiday in Sicily, in the Selinunte area and of the Belice Valley you will have the opportunity to know the skill of the local artisans who still work today in ancient shops producing artifacts appreciated and exported all over the world.
In the area of the Belice Valley you will find all the typical Sicilian artifacts: Sicilian ceramics, Sicilian puppets, Sicilian carts, tambourines, Marranzani, quartare and whistles Sicilian coffees and Sicilian flat caps, typical Sicilian jewels and clothing but also and above all the artifacts typical local.
In the Belìce Valley the main craftsmanship activities are the wrought iron work and lace and lace artifacts. These ancient arts, over time, have been preserved and handed down and today represent a great artistic heritage of the Belice Valley.
Discover all the handcrafted products typical of the Selinunte area and the Belice Valley and where you can buy them by selecting the locality of your interest from the top menu.
Events and Festivals in Belice Valley surroundings
Nearby Areas
Areas of interest you can visit close to Selinunte and Belice Valley
