After the Marsala Marathon: Trapani and Erice

The Route: Marsala → Trapani → Erice → Trapani → Marsala Logistics: A regional train or bus of about 35 to 45 minutes to Trapani, then the cable car to Erice. Trapani is flat and can be a full day on its own. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Marsala ──(35-45 mins train or bus)──> Trapani ──(about 10 mins by cable car)──> Erice
   ▲                                                                              │
   └────────────────────(same route back via Trapani)────────────────────────────┘

Trapani sits on a sickle-shaped spit of land with the sea on both sides, and the old town runs along it for about two kilometres without a hill. That is the first reason to come on the Monday after a marathon. The second is the line of salt pans between here and Marsala, which the train and the coast road both pass. Check the current timetable at trenitalia.com or with the local bus operator before you go, since Sunday and Monday patterns differ and the buses are run by several companies.

April in Trapani and Erice: the town on the coast is mild and often breezy. Erice stands at about 750 metres and is noticeably cooler, and cloud sits on the summit more often than the view from Trapani suggests. Take a layer, and check the cable car's webcam or status before you commit to the trip up. The line has been through a long programme of maintenance and cabin refurbishment, so confirm it is running normally.

Trapani on foot

Start at the old port end and walk the length of the old town along Via Garibaldi and the parallel streets. Pavements are mostly paved stone with a few worn cobbled stretches. At the western tip stands the Torre di Ligny, a seventeenth-century watchtower at the end of the peninsula; check its opening hours and any entry fee. If the legs are willing, the baroque churches and the fish market area are within a few hundred metres of each other. The local dishes are couscous with fish broth, busiate pasta with the trapanese pesto of almonds, garlic and tomato, and tuna. A salt museum at Nubia lies about 8 km outside the town if you want a second stop on the way back to Marsala.

Erice, if you want it

The cable car climbs from the edge of Trapani to the hilltop in about ten minutes, covering about 3 km. The lower station is not in the old town, so allow a short taxi or local bus ride, and check the opening days and hours (they differ between weekdays and weekends). A round trip is approximately €9, on one local guide's figure; check at the station.

The streets of Erice are stone-paved, narrow and in places steep. The main street, Via Vittorio Emanuele, is the easiest. The Norman Castello di Venere stands at the far end with a view over Trapani and the Egadi, and the gardens beside it are a gentler walk than the steps up to the castle. Erice is known for almond pastries, and Maria Grammatico's shop on the main street is the best-known source. A combined Erice pass for several sites is approximately €15 according to one guide; check the current price.

Going back

Plan to leave Erice with time in hand and take the cable car down. Check the last train or bus to Marsala before dinner. If you miss the last service, a taxi from Trapani to Marsala is the fallback, and it is worth knowing the likely fare before you need it.