After the Marsala Marathon: Mazara del Vallo

The Route: Marsala → Mazara del Vallo → Trapani-Birgi or Palermo Logistics: A direct regional train of about 20 to 25 minutes from Marsala. The town is compact, flat and walkable. Marathon Month: April Duration: 1 night

Marsala ──(20-25 mins regional train)──> Mazara del Vallo ──(taxi, bus or hire car)──> Trapani-Birgi Airport (TPS)
                                                                 └──(about 2 hrs by road)──> Palermo Airport (PMO)

Mazara del Vallo is the next town down the coast from Marsala, and it feels like a different country. A large Tunisian community has lived here for decades, the harbour holds one of the larger fishing fleets in Italy, and the oldest streets are painted with ceramic panels. The Marsala Marathon is run on a Sunday in mid-April, so the Monday train is a sensible way to move on. Check the timetable at trenitalia.com, and have a backup plan, because Sunday and holiday services are thinner. A bus link also exists.

April in Mazara: the days are mild and often breezy, the harbour is busy and the town is not yet crowded. The sea is cold. Seasonal produce is mostly seafood: red prawns are the local pride, and couscous is on many menus.

Night One: Mazara del Vallo

The station is on the edge of the centre, so allow a short walk or taxi ride with luggage. Streets are flat and paved. Start with the Kasbah, the old quarter of narrow alleys with coloured tiles on the walls, which is free to walk and which can easily take an hour. Close by stands the cathedral of Santissimo Salvatore in Piazza della Repubblica, founded in the eleventh century under Count Roger and rebuilt later. Entry is free.

The museum is the reason to stay. The Museo del Satiro Danzante sits in the former church of Sant'Egidio and houses a bronze satyr in mid-spin, recovered from the Strait of Sicily by a Mazara trawler in 1998. The figure is roughly life-size or larger and is mounted in a dim room at an angle that seems to catch it mid-leap. Allow an hour. A local guide quotes approximately €9 (a combined ticket); the regional parks website gives the current price and hours.

Walk the harbour front in the evening. The quay is flat and long, with seating at intervals and trawlers moored in rows. It is a gentle walk of about 1 km along the river mouth.

Where to stay. The Mahara Hotel is a modern hotel in the town. Al Mar Giardino di Costanza is a five-star hotel with a garden. Check the map for distance to the Kasbah before you book.

Where to eat. Alla Kasbah on Via Itria serves Mediterranean food at about €25 a head by one local guide's figure, and is a good place for couscous with fish. Order the red prawns where they are on the menu.

Getting to the airport

Trapani-Birgi (TPS) is the nearer airport, roughly 35 km by road. Check taxi and bus options in advance. Palermo (PMO) is about two hours by road and a better option if your flight is from there. A hire car collected at Marsala or Mazara is the simplest way to reach either.