Taste itinerary

The Traditional Cuisine and Local Catch Itinerary

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Itinerario della Cucina Tradizionale e del Pescato Locale

Approximate distance: 30 km
Recommended duration: 8 h
Recommended period: All year round

Getting around: Car (+ cable car to Erice)
Towns: Erice · Misiliscemi · Paceco · Trapani

The story

There is a cuisine that does not appear in glossy guides: that of family homes, of trattorias that have kept the same name for three generations, of Sundays when grandmother made fish couscous in the ceramic mafaradda, the same one her mother used before her. This itinerary tells the story of the local catch not through the big ports, but through the everyday table of the Trapani coast: the one you find in Marausa as soon as you step off the boat, in the squares of Trapani and Paceco, all the way up to the terrace of Erice.

In Marausa, a hamlet of Misiliscemi facing the Egadi Islands, fish reaches the grill a few hours after being caught. In Trapani, the historic Fish Market Square keeps the memory of a daily ritual that for a century set the rhythm of the historic centre, while in the trattorias of the alleys the same recipes are still handed down today. In Paceco, between the town square and the salt houses of Nubia, the cooking becomes more rustic and country-style, with handmade busiate and a catch that mixes with products of the hinterland, such as red garlic.

The journey ends in Erice, which from its seven hundred metres of altitude looks over the whole coast this itinerary has crossed: here fish couscous and busiate with Trapani pesto are enjoyed with a view of the gulf and the salt pans, before giving in to the almond sweets of the Erice tradition. A route that is, above all, an invitation to sit at the table and listen to the stories each dish carries with it.

The stops

In order of travel. The stops must-sees are the ones not to be skipped, even if you choose a shorter version of the route.

1
Not to be missed Misiliscemi

Marausa Lido and the Torre di Marausa
Start of the itinerary
A fishing hamlet with a view of the Egadi Islands, where fish reaches the table the same day it is caught: here cooking is still an everyday gesture tied to the sea, not a show for tourists. It is also the point where the countryside of Misiliscemi meets the sea again, between the Torre di Mezzo, the old watering trough and the sunset over the Egadi.
- A walk to Lido di Marausa and the sixteenth-century tower.
- Lunch of fresh grilled fish in one of the restaurants on the seafront.
- View of the Egadi archipelago, a few minutes by hydrofoil from Trapani.
- A look at the old limestone watering trough and the Torre di Mezzo, also called the Torre dell’Alga Grossa.
- A stop at sunset, when the sun goes down between the outlines of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo.
Tip: Reach the coast in the late afternoon: sunset over the Egadi is the best moment to read the farmland and the seascape together.
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2
Not to be missed Trapani

Fish Market Square and the Trattorias of the Historic Centre
From Marausa Lido to Fish Market Square
The scenic nineteenth-century exedra that for a century hosted the daily sale of the catch: today the square tells the memory of that market, while in the alleys of the historic centre family-run trattorias carry the tradition on in the kitchen.
- Visit to Fish Market Square, with the fountain of Venus Anadyomene.
- A walk along the Tramontana Walls to Porta Ossuna.
- Lunch or dinner in a historic trattoria in the centre (busiate, fish couscous).
Tip: Sunset seen from the Tramontana Walls, right next to the square, is among the most beautiful in Trapani.
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3
Optional Paceco

Paceco Square and the Cuisine of the Salt Houses
From Fish Market Square to the Square of Paceco
A more rustic, country-style cooking, where the local catch meets the products of the hinterland: here the recipes become simpler and more homely, in direct continuity with the nearby salt houses of Nubia.
- A walk in the main square of Paceco.
- Lunch in a family-run trattoria in the town.
- Tasting of dishes that combine the local catch and the red garlic of Nubia.
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4
Not to be missed Erice

Erice — Traditional Cuisine with a View
From the Square of Paceco to Erice
From the seven hundred metres of the medieval village, the whole coast covered in this itinerary can be seen at once: the ideal place to close the story with a meal that looks down on the sea the catch comes from.
- Cable car up from Trapani, for a first panoramic taste of the route.
- Lunch or dinner in a historic trattoria with a terrace over the gulf.
- A walk in the medieval centre and a stop in a pastry shop for Erice sweets.
Tip: Book a table with a view in advance: at weekends the terrace seats sell out quickly.
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Itinerary map

Must-see stop
Optional stop
Approximate location, to be checked on site

Open the interactive map

To savour along the way

Busiate with Trapani pesto and fish couscous

Enjoy the local catch along the route, from the grills of Marausa to the trattorias of the historic centre of Trapani, all the way to the almond sweets of the Erice tradition.

Partner operators and restaurants

Fresh grilled fish on the Marausa seafront.
Historic trattoria in the centre of Trapani, with busiate and fish couscous.
Panoramic restaurant and pastry shop for traditional sweets in Erice.

Markets, wineries and businesses open to visitors

Fish Market Square — historic centre of Trapani.
Family-run trattorias in Paceco and the salt houses of Nubia.
Traditional pastry shops in the medieval centre of Erice.

Practical information

Getting there and getting around

Starting point: Marausa Lido, 5 minutes from Trapani-Birgi airport.
Travel between stops by car recommended (~30 km in total).
For Erice: cable car from Trapani (recommended) or car to Porta Trapani.
Booking recommended for restaurants with a view, especially at weekends.

Useful contacts

Trapani-Erice Cable Car station, Via Capua, Trapani.
Fish Market Square — historic centre of Trapani.
The relevant IAT / Tourist Office.

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