SHORE
EXCURSION: ERICE & SEGESTA
SICILY TOUR: 8
Hours
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RESERVATION FORM • PRICE
SHEET
 Includes: Private "driving guide", private
transportation to and from Palermo, taxes,
tolls and parking.
Note: Entrance tickets not included.
Your first stop on this tour of Western Sicily
will be the magnificent Temple of Segesta,
the first Doric-style Greek Temple, set among
gently sloping hills of yellow-ochre and brown.
The temple was built by the Elimians, one of
the most important Greek colonies in Western
Sicily. The temple’s 36 columns are still intact
despite several major earthquakes. You will
also visit a typical Greek semi-circular-style
theatre, set on the rocky slope. Its seats
face west towards the hills, beyond which you
can catch a glimpse of the Bay of Castellammare.
tour photoYour private tour will then take
you to the medieval town of Erice, situated
nearly 3,000 feet above sea level and surrounded
by ancient Elimi and Phoenician walls. In antiquity,
Erice was famous for its temple where the Phoenicians
worshipped Astarte, the Greeks venerated Aphrodite
and the Romans celebrated Venus, respectively.
Mount Eryx served as a point of reference for
sailors, who adopted Venus as their protector.
Erice’s hilltop twin castles of Pepoli, with
foundations dating from both the Saracen and
Norman eras, give the town a spectacular skyline.
Both castles have been modified over the centuries,
yet they retain their distinctively medieval
character. You will enjoy a breathtaking view
from the castle towers.
You will also visit a 14th-century Gothic
Catalan-style cathedral featuring the famous
depiction of the black Virgin Mary. You will
wrap up the day strolling along the town’s
charming old stone streets, stopping to taste
the almond marzipan cakes at a famous pastry
shop called Grammatico.
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