San Vito Lo Capo: white sandy beaches and clear sea

San Vito Lo Capo is a small town located on the northwest coast of Sicily, 65 km away from the airport of Trapani and 100 km from Palermo. It used to be a simple fishing village, but in the last twenty years, San Vito has become one of the most popular summer resorts on the island, thanks to the beauty of its beach, which was recently rated the best of Italy and eighth in Europe by TripAdvisor.

The beach of San Vito Lo Capo is situated in a bay with shallow and quiet waters, between the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro and the one of Cofano. The sand is white and thin, while the clear water of the sea is tinged with different shades depending on the position of the sun, from light blue to green and deep blue. Other very nice beaches are in the nearby villages of Castelluzzo with numerous bays and coves for swimming, and Macari, characterized by breathtaking sunsets and pristine sea. In San Vito Lo Capo, you can enjoy many watersports activities, such as windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing, boating and fishing in apnea, and make fascinating underwater excursions in search of archaeological and natural treasures. The seabed around the cape of San Vito is rich not only in beautiful red coral, but also in evidences of an ancient maritime trade, as the wreck of a Saracen ship in the year 800, just 25 meters from the coast.

The small but beautiful historic center of San Vito Lo Capo also worth a visit, with the Torrazzo, the Sanctuary and the Temple of Saint Crescentia, all in Arab-Norman style. The Maritime Museum, which houses important relics recovered from the seabed of San Vito, is very interesting, such as Palace Gate, built in the nineteenth century that bears in itself the main features of the nineteenth century, as the beautiful floors tiled and foyer in paving.

San Vito Lo Capo is famous also for a cultural event organized during the last week of September, which each year attracts thousands of visitors (44’000 in 2013): the Cous Cous Fest, an international festival of culture and gastronomy of the Mediterranean. It is a culinary competition of couscous between chefs from around the world, accompanied by moments of analysis and shows by many world-renowned artists. The 17th edition is scheduled from September 23 to 28, 2014.