Page 462 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

Chiesa Madre and the Gothic Chiesa di San Salvatore, both wonderfully sited
against a rocky backdrop.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: CALTABELLOTTA

By bus Lumia buses run direct to Caltabellotta from Sciacca four times daily (not
Sun), the last one back leaving at 3.40pm.

ACCOMMODATION

Mulè Via Venezia 5 0925 951 145 or 329 377 6740, bbmule.it. The perfect
B&B for anyone interested in staying right off the beaten track. It’s set in a typical

village dwelling, close to the entrance to the castle, and the plain rooms share a
bathroom. You can also taste and buy local oil and other rural products, and view
changing collections of local arts and crafts. No credit cards. €50

Sambuca di Sicilia

The Arab past of SAMBUCA DI SICILIA, around forty minutes’ drive northwest of
Sciacca, atop a hill to the west of the Arancio lake, is just about discernible in its
convoluted old-town layout. A sixteenth-century church in Piazza della Vittoria, the
Chiesa del Carmine, is the home of a statue that’s reputed to be by Antonello Gagini,
and you can eat at two or three very cheap trattorias. In addition, a 10km detour north

enables you to see the low-key excavations (always open; free) at Monte Adranone,
a Greek city of the sixth century BC which fell to Carthage in the fourth.

< Back to Agrigento and the southwest

The Pelagie Islands

The remote Pelagie Islands (Isole Pelagie) are little more than dry rocks set bang in
the middle of the Mediterranean, over 200km from Sicily’s south coast and lying even

further south than Malta or Tunis. Throughout history they’ve been neglected, often
abandoned or uninhabited, although the largest island, Lampedusa, now makes its
living as a summer resort for an increasing number of Italians, who are attracted by its
wonderfully clear waters and remote, end-of-the-line feel. Tiny, tranquil, volcanic
Linosa is the perfect place most of the year for anyone wanting a few hours, days or
weeks away from it all. B&Bs and restaurants are all seasonal, but there are always

houses to rent for a song. The tiniest islet, Lampione, is uninhabited and mostly
visited on dive and fishing trips.

In 1943 the Allies bombed Lampedusa prior to springing into Sicily, and Colonel
Gaddafi of Libya nearly gave a repeat performance in 1987 when he retaliated against
the American bombing of Tripoli by targeting missiles at the US base on Lampedusa.