Agrigento, valley of temples, concordia temple, Eraclea Minoa, Sicily

Agrigento

In order to get to Agrigento, we had to drive across the island. That´s why we started early. It took us about 2½ hours on the highway. First we wanted to take a look at the old part of town and try the Sicilian cuisine of this area. We abandoned this plan very soon because it was impossible to find any parking space on the outskirts of the old part of town. The city was a complete traffic chaos and even such a small vehicle like our Fiat was of no use when looking for a parking space. Thus we drove right away to the excavation sites in the "Valley of Temples" below the city.

We were lucky to find a parking space there (2 €). For visiting the excavation sites (without the Archaeological Museum) we had to pay 4,50 € per person. If you consider that there are no explanations to the objects, it´s quite a high price. Therefore we had to stick to our travel guides for information.

The "Via dei Templi" divides the valley into the western and the eastern district. From the two former monumental temples in the western district there are only a few ruins left. The extents of the temples are only conceivable with much fantasy. In comparison there´s somewhat more to be seen at the temples in the eastern district. The Concordia Temple belongs to the best kept Greek temples at all. Since its columns were connected with walls in the past, it could survive all earthquakes. If possible avoid the "Valley of Temples" around midday because the sun burns without mercy then and there´s hardly any shade. The eastern temple district is constantly open - interesting for a visit at night when the temples are being illuminated.

Meanwhile we had become quite hungry. Fortunately, we found a nice restaurant near the valley where they had real Sicilian cuisine.

After the cultural part the recreational part with the everyday swimming should follow then.

We drove north towards Eraclea Minoa (approx. ½ hour). Apart from the excavation sites, which we did not visit, there is a fantastic sand beach below the chalk cliffs. It can be comfortably reached with each vehicle and without a long walk. The area is, apart from a camping site and a few vacation homes, hardly touristic developed.

Therefore we only met a few vacationers at the beach. Here the sea drops flat and we could relax perfectly in the warm water. If you are in Agrigento, you should not miss this nice swimming place by any means. From Eraclea Minoa back to Taormina it took us about 3 hours

Our Tips

The main point of interest in Agrigento is the "Valley of Temples", one of the archaeologically most interesting places of the island. If possible, avoid visiting the temples around midday because of the heat.

A visit of the "Valley of Temples" is especially interesting when the night sets in. The temples are illuminated then and offer wonderful motives for photographs.

For a small swimming break the fine sandy beach of Eraclea Minoa (½ hour north of Agrigento) is just right. The seclusion and quiet at the long beach are perfect for relaxation.