San Vito Lo Capo

Last Updated: August 25, 2023

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San Vito

A wonderful day in San Vito Lo Capo: enjoy the sun and relax in a beautiful beach, enjoy a romantic dinner with fish couscous, and finish with a night walk to the lighthouse.

Address: San Vito Lo Capo
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San Vito Lo Capo

A must-see during a holiday in western Sicily is San Vito Lo Capo, a pretty town nestled between the iconic promontory of Monte Monaco on one side and the rocky Piana dell’Egitarso on the other.

This ancient seaside village is one of the access points to the wonderful Zingaro Nature Reserve, with its paradisiacal hiking trails and enchanting beaches.

Nature is certainly one of the most attractive elements of the area, but also the buildings of man, such as the ancient trap, the Moorish chapel or the romantic Bourbon lighthouse, will fascinate you with the suggestions of ancient times and a deep connection between man and the sea.

Another pleasant note is the convivial atmosphere that offers another famous tourist attraction of San Vito Lo Capo: its succulent cous cous, to be enjoyed in a typical restaurant, maybe overlooking the sea, or during the Cous Cous Fest that takes place every September.

San Vito Lo Capo contains all the ingredients for a trip or, even better, an unforgettable holiday: what are you waiting for?

What to see in San Vito Lo Capo

Before or after a day spent on the beach, take the time to explore the pretty old town of San Vito Lo Capo, starting with one of its landmarks: the Sanctuary.

This imposing sanctuary-fortress was built around the chapel dedicated to San Vito Martire for defensive purposes, to protect the faithful from frequent pirate raids.

Inside the halls of the Sanctuary there is a museum, which houses an interesting collection of precious silver, paintings, wallpaper and objects donated by Italian countries related to the saint. From the terrace of the museum you can admire a wonderful view.

Continuing from the square of the Sanctuary, you reach Via Venza, a small street that has become a tourist attraction for its murals and the ancient drinking troughs transformed into flower boxes.

At the gates of the village, however, you can admire the small Chapel of Santa Crescenzia in Moorish style, built in the thirteenth century in honor of the nurse of San Vito.

For a romantic walk, you can reach the nineteenth-century lighthouse located on the tip of Capo San Vito, one of the symbols of the town and one of the most important lighthouses in Sicily. Its 43 meter high tower at night offers a light that can be seen at a distance of twenty nautical miles.

Another very suggestive place is the Tonnara del Secco, just 3 km from the center of San Vito Lo Capo. Built in the fifteenth century and closed in 1956, it retains the charm of tradition and the link of man with the sea. In recent years it has also become famous as a film and television location: for example, some scenes of the TV series “Il Commissario Montalbano” were filmed here.

San Vito
San Vito Lo Capo
What to see in San Vito Lo Capo
Zingaro Nature Reserve
Beaches in San Vito and surroundings
The cous cous of San Vito Lo Capo
How to reach San Vito Lo Capo from Palermo
Best hotels in San Vito
San Vito Lo Capo Informazioni

Zingaro Nature Reserve

The Zingaro Nature Reserve, located between San Vito Lo Capo and Castellammare del Golfo, is one of the most renowned trekking destinations in Italy.

Within the reserve, you can choose from different hiking trails, suitable for every fitness level, ranging from beginners to experienced hikers. Some routes wind along the coast, while others venture inland, where peaks reach 900 meters.

Beaches in San Vito and surroundings

San Vito Beach

The town beach of San Vito Lo Capo is a long stretch of fine sand, extended for about 3 km and quite wide, located in a beautiful location at the foot of Monte Monaco.

Immersed in a landscape of exceptional beauty, this beach is easily accessible from the historic center of the city with a walk of about 10 minutes: here you will find areas without beaches flanked by equipped areas equipped with all essential services, such as bathrooms and showers, rental of umbrellas and sunbeds, bars and restaurants.

Thanks to its shallow waters and the almost total absence of currents, it is an ideal beach for both less experienced swimmers and families with children, both for experienced swimmers and fans of diving, They can explore beautiful seabed going offshore.

Cala del Bue Marino

Just 4 km from San Vito Lo Capo is Cala del Bue Marino, which in 2015 was elected “the most beautiful beach in Italy” in a web contest promoted by Legambiente, surpassing the other competitors thanks to the beauty of its rocky landscape and its crystal clear waters.

Santa Margherita

An alternative to the beach of San Vito, which can be quite crowded during the summer months, is the bay of Santa Margherita, a small wild looking beach bathed by transparent waters, with a wonderful view of Mount Cofano and the cliffs of Cala Mancina.

The beach can be reached by the tourist train that connects Santa Margherita to the nature reserve of Mount Cofano, allowing you to visit the entire coast, with several stops in beaches and coves: the train ride will be fun for the little ones and fascinating for adults.

The beaches of the Zingaro Reserve

Do not forget the beautiful beaches of the Zingaro Nature Reserve, which has one of its own accesses to San Vito Lo Capo.

With a magnificent walk along the coast, considered one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Italy, you can reach coves bathed by pristine waters and surrounded by wild nature.

The cous cous of San Vito Lo Capo

The cous cous of San Vito Lo Capo

One of the main points of tourist interest of San Vito Lo Capo is its typical dish, a delicious couscous based on fish that you can enjoy in one of the small restaurants of the town.

This culinary tradition of San Vito is celebrated through an important international festival held every year in September: the Cous Cous Fest is an event that celebrates both traditional cuisine and cultural integration.

The festival program includes tastings, cooking shows with renowned chefs, cooking lessons, but also free concerts and meetings with famous guests.

Cous Cous World Championship

The most anticipated event of Cous Cous Fest is definitely the World Championship of Cous Cous, which follows the Italian Championship. It is an engaging gastronomic competition in which international chefs challenge each other by presenting their personal recipes of cous cous.

The cous cous masters are evaluated by a technical jury composed of professional chefs and journalists from the food and wine industry, as well as a popular jury.

You too can be popular judges who select the best cous cous in the world: just buy tickets for the semi-finals or finals on the official website of the festival, but hurry up because they sell out quickly!

Tempu Ri Capuna

Another evocative gastronomic festival not to be missed is Tempu Ri Capuna, a traditional festival dedicated to fishing and capune, the delicious blue fish of San Vito Lo Capo.

The festival precedes the Cous Cous Fest and is an opportunity to discover the traditions and legends related to the sea and to taste the scents and delights.

How to reach San Vito Lo Capo from Palermo

San Vito Lo Capo is located about halfway between Trapani and Palermo, but is not accessible by public transport.

With a rental car, you can easily get to San Vito Lo Capo from Palermo, following the A29 motorway to Castellammare del Golfo and then continuing along the state road SS187. The distance is about 110 km.

Best hotels in San Vito

San Vito Lo Capo is a popular seaside resort in eastern Sicily, located in the province of Trapani, set in the beautiful natural setting of the Gulf of Castellammare. From early summer to late September, the resort is crowded with tourists, especially during the famous Cous Cous Fest, becoming one of the main Sicilian tourist destinations. As a result, to cope with the high flow of visitors, many accommodation facilities of all types and categories were born.

The offer of accommodation in San Vito Lo Capo consists mainly of apartments, with over 140 options made available especially by the locals. These accommodations are ideal for those who want an independent holiday. Some of them are also in the form of residences, larger structures that usually offer only reception services.

For those who prefer the comforts of hotels, it is important to know that most of them are 3-star, many of which overlook the sea. These facilities offer different services, including swimming pool, restaurant, spa and the possibility of organizing private transfers. However, there are also cheaper alternatives, with 1 or 2 star hotels.

Very common in San Vito Lo Capo are also the Bed and Breakfast (B&B), which represent the perfect combination of the comforts of a hotel and the independence of an apartment. These facilities, often housed in small family buildings, offer services such as reception, parking and breakfast in the morning, while ensuring a family atmosphere.

Once you have chosen the preferred accommodation for your stay in San Vito Lo Capo and completed the check-in, you can start your holiday. The resort is typically seaside, famous for its wonderful and long sandy beach in the shape of a semicircle, with colors reminiscent of the Caribbean. Since it gets very crowded in summer, it is advisable to get there early in the morning or enjoy the sunset in the evening. North of the beach is the marina of San Vito, where you can rent boats and inflatables or organize excursions along the coast of Sicily.

San Vito Lo Capo is also the ideal base for exploring the Zingaro Oriented Nature Reserve, a protected area that can be discovered on foot. There are three trails available: the 7 km long coastal path, the 8.5 km long half-shoreline path, which offers breathtaking views, and the high trail, the most challenging with its 17 km.

San Vito Lo Capo Informazioni

San Vito Lo Capo is the third lowest municipality of the free municipal consortium of Trapani by altitude of the point where the town house is located.

Italian Version

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