Traditional trattorias and a go-slow harbour give you with a taste of authentic Italy on Castellammare del Golfo holidays.
Scenic setting
Castellammare del Golfo is pitched on Sicily’s northwest tip – if you’re looking at a map, follow the coast east from Palermo and you’ll spot it before your finger touches Trapani. Its name – more or less – translates as ‘Sea Fortress of the Gulf’, and you’ll soon see why once you spot the Medieval battlements that still stand alongside its harbour.
Old-time town
You’d need to skip far back through Sicily’s history book to find the first mention of this place. It was founded way back in the sixth century BC, when one of Sicily’s indigenous communities – known as the Elymians – built a port here for the nearby town of Segesta. It was invaded by Arabs in 827AD, who later built the fortress that sits in the front of the town. After that, in the 16th century, the fortress was rebuilt by the Normans, and that same structure still stands today.