Some have said that we should keep San Vito our little secret, but this small seaside town in the province of Trapani in northwestern Sicily is far from being undiscovered, or at least by local Sicilians who descend in the peak summer season with a frenzy due to it being voted one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Sicily. Naturally, this is what drew Jamie and me here for our post-wedding minimoon.
As first-time visitors, the main attraction was the 3 km long stretch of sandy beach – and trust me, many beaches in Sicily are full of rocks, let alone pink (yes pink!) sand, so this is the first win. The water, crystal clear, with blue and green hues that flow into shades of turquoise and aqua-marine, is a sight itself. It’s such a great visual landscape, with the massive rock Monte Monaco towering over the awarded Blue Flag beach. It goes without saying that the best way to spend your time is sunbathing and taking a refreshing dip.
The vibe in San Vito is completely different to anywhere else we’ve been in Sicily. Hidden away from the mass tourist hot spots, this is a local’s playground. English is less common than in other parts of Sicily, and it’s not an easy spot for foreign tourists to get to without a car, which is highly recommended to hire. But what was most surprising was the architecture. I was expecting a full-on beach vibe but less so the Arab-Norman influence, square, flat-roofed and dust-collared buildings which felt like we were straight out of Casablanca or Indiana Jones (hint, scenes of Indiana Jones 5 were filmed there).
The beautiful San Vito beach is lined with a lot of beach vendors to rent sun beds and umbrellas from, or you have the option to find a free spot for your BYO towel. Renting a sun bed is more or less a similar cost at each unless you get a discount from your hotel, and be prepared to be approached by Thai masseuses who walk around offering 20 Euro full body massages. It’s not a bad deal, we actually asked the same lady to visit us 3 days in a row because she was so good. Just be careful to wash the baby oil (OMG I know) off immediately after.
There are many other beaches nearby if you have a car, many of which you’ll find quieter with just a handful of visitors, albeit no facilities, yet a special slice of heaven just for you. The suggested way to visit is to drive to the Riserva Dello Zingaro and then explore the 7km long coastal stretch from San Vito to Castellammare del Golfo(another place I highly recommend a visit!) – this is your chance to be one with nature and visit unspoilt and purely breathtaking beauty which can only be reached on foot.
Another way to visit is through a boat excursion. We opted for Marlin as it was suggested by our accommodation, Artemide Hotel (which we recommend for their roof top plunge pool!). The weather wasn’t great on the day of our boat trip, and our hotel suggested going in the morning as the sea can get very chopping in the afternoon. We headed on board with Captain Luigi and a few other families to explore the coastline along Zingaro, and not only was the natural scenery and little hidden coves an amazing sight, but we also spotted many ruins from old Torre’s (castles), random cows on cliffs, and a pod of dolphins. A highlight was sipping wine and devouring typical local sandwiches of anchovies, tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and goat cheese while overlooking the village of Scopello, known for its magical scenery.
What to eat in San Vito lo Capo?
Back in San Vito, the main artery of the town is Via Savoia where you’ll find plenty of choice for shopping, apertivo, snack bars and fantastic dining options – the menu you will find here is very local and different to what you’d expect if you’ve spent your time in Palermo or Catania provinces – it’s more expensive, yet also felt more gourmet and totally unique to other regional cuisines due to its N. African and Tunisian influence. But really awesome. When dining out, I’d recommend not to overlook getting lost in the side streets for some true gems.
A few dishes you absolutely have to try in the Trapani province.
- Cous Cous – this Northern African dish is also synonymous with Western Sicily, which some first-time visitors might find as a surprise. You may even want to visit during the annual Cous Cous Fest which takes place each September.
- Caldo Fredo (Hot Cold) is a sort of gelato known in the Trapani providence having originated in San Vito. It consists of gelato (traditionally coffee, pistachio or chocolate), hot chocolate sauce, and a medallion of sponge cake soaked in rum. A great spot to try this is at Caffè Savoia, right in the heart of town next to the main church.
- Busiate (or busiati),a long macaroni pasta shaped in a cork-screw which you’ll find on nearly every menu.
As you do in Sicily, for the week we spent in San Vito, each evening we’d wander throughout the town and have an apertivo before dinner. While we tried a few different places, our favourite was Ni Mia where we befriended a friendly, English-speaking waiter called Martin. He had a tattoo “Why Not’ across his chest, an inside joke to Jamie and me after our recent wedding, yet we became disappointed when we learned it was because he’s a big fan of the show Peaky Blinders. Ni Mia does great apertivo options with spritzes, craft beer and little complimentary croutons with salt and rosemary which were divine. We also recommend Pepper Jam right on the beach as a nice spot to grab a drink and listen to some groovy music.
Where to eat in San Vito lo Capo?
Ristorante Profumi di Cous Cous was by far our best cous cous experience. The options were varied and it was such a lovely atmosphere to dine in the open garden. They even offer a half-and-half version of their signature cous cous so you can try more than one. Jamie opted for the meat and pesto, while I went for the traditional fish and pesto options. We also had an excellent and reasonably priced raw fish platter to start.
Ristorantino Crik & Croc was a top favourite, the presentation was gorgeous and the menu was quite varied to many of the other popular spots that seemed to start to blend together.
La Zagara came highly recommended and their seared tuna and polpo (octopus) were among the top meals we had in the town.
Tasty Panioteco is in a great location on the beach which makes it perfect for snacks, granita and lunch on the go, plus the owner is hilarious and makes quite a spectacle for his customers.
Gna Sara is one of the most recommended restaurants in town. We enjoyed our meal, but it wasn’t overly memorable.
Syrah was recommended by Rita at Hotel Kalura in Cefalu who highly suggested we get the shared cous cous with traditional seafood and all the trimmings for 50 Euro. It was delicious and we were overwhelmed with the amount of food but the service faltered and for that reason, we likely wouldn’t return.
We didn’t eat here but I also had recommendations for:
- Le Barrique
- Disio Ristorante
- Ruggirello Carni Dal 1984
- Ristorante Rais
5 Things To Do in the rain in San Vito?
While I don’t have an exhaustive list, on the two back-to-back days it rained while we were visiting we found refuge from the rain by:
- Going for a run in the rain to the lighthouse (Faro). It’s one of the unique symbols of San Vito lo Capo with a beam that can reach 20 nautical miles. You’ll see it most nights!
- Visit a day spa. We spent the afternoon at Mira Spiaggia and highly recommend it, just book ahead. For only 30 Eur per person, we had access to the spa for 3 hours (jacuzzi, hammam, sauna), a relaxation room overlooking the sea, and reasonably priced messages as well.
- Do your laundry. There is self-service at Presto Pulito and Speed Queen.
- Pop inside the San Vito Sanctuary, in the heart of the main square, with sacred items dedicated to the faithful San Vito.
- Visit Trapani. We attempted this, but outside of peak summer season the buses are too infrequent and we were concerned would maybe get stuck so I’d only really suggest if you have a hire car.
- Take the cable car to Erice from Trapani – the historic medieval town set high on a hill overlooking Trapani.
To be really honest, we weren’t sure if we liked San Vito at first (gasp!) It was far too different than what we expected (whatever that was I can’t say), but after a week, it really grew on us. Rested in honeymoon bliss, from there we were off to Castellammare del Golfo, and I’d say def give it a visit too!
These Two Eyes! 