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Latest update: 19 March 2025
Erice is a remarkable town. It’s located right next to Trapani in western Sicily, on top of Mount San Giuliano. At the summit, you’re standing at 2,460 feet (750 meters) above sea level, which promises (and delivers!) breathtaking views. Erice is cozy, sometimes fairytale-like, and easy to explore on foot.
Legendary Erice!
Those who have followed me for a while know that I still bring a paper travel guide with me on trips. I took one to Sicily, too, and in the Lonely Planet, I read about Erice. The village sits on the “legendary top” of Eryx, and there’s a secret garden of the “legendary” Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico. So, the visit to Erice promises to be legendary. As a down-to-earth Dutchie, I take this with more than a few grains of salt, but the visit doesn’t disappoint!
Of course, I looked up why it’s considered a legendary mountaintop: Erice is where the ancient city of Eryx once stood. A famous temple dedicated to Venus stood here a long time ago. And Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico is a little shop selling pastries and sweets. It’s legendary because it’s still so authentic and because Maria learned to bake so well in the Erice convent. But it’s also Erice’s worst-kept secret. It’s been so “discovered” by tourists that it’s no longer such a charming experience.
Taking the cable car to Erice
The best way to visit Erice is independently from Trapani, although tours are offered from various cities. From Trapani, you can take the cable car (an experience in itself) to the 12th-century walled village. You can also go by car or bus, but your day trip really begins with this nerve-wracking ride.
We first take an Uber to the cable car station, as it’s a bit too far to walk from downtown Trapani. A round-trip cable car ticket costs €11 ($12) (2024). The cable car is quite slow and fairly noisy. With my fear of heights, I’m not entirely at ease, but I try to enjoy the view as much as possible. I must admit I’m a bit anxious about the return journey.
When you arrive at the top, check when the cable car stops running so you can return to Trapani.
Oh, and by the way, you pronounce it “eh-ree-cheh” (not “eh-reese”).
And Trapani is “trahp-pah-nee” (not “tra-pah-nee”).
Fun things to do in Erice
Erice is larger than expected. It’s an old village with winding streets and beautiful views. The small center has souvenir shops and restaurants. The attractions are scattered around this area. I read in the travel guide that you could make a day trip out of it, which seemed excessive to me. But now that I’m walking around, I do believe you can keep yourself entertained here for quite a while by wandering through the streets and visiting the attractions. There are plenty of fun things to do in Erice. Add a long lunch, and you’ll easily spend several hours here.
The Erice Card: worth it or not?
You can purchase an Erice Card for €15 ($16.50) (in 2024) at the cable car station in Trapani, in Erice itself, or online. With this card, you can visit all of Erice’s attractions and get discounts at several shops and restaurants. Paying for attractions individually costs about €2.50 ($2.75) each on average.
So it’s up to you. If you’ve set aside a whole day for Erice, I would definitely buy the card since you have the time. Because of our time constraints, we decided not to get an Erice Card and just wandered around, viewing the attractions only from the outside. And that’s actually a very enjoyable outing on its own.
What can you see in Erice?
Erice is a walled village where you can explore various churches and castles. The Cathedral of Erice (Real Duomo or Chiesa Matrice) is the oldest church in town, with a bell tower from 1312. You can climb it, and because of Erice’s elevation, there’s a good chance you’ll literally climb into the clouds. The residents of Erice call these clouds the “kisses of Venus.”
The Castello di Venere (Venus Castle) stands where the temple of Venus once stood. Inside the castle, you can view archaeological remains.
I find the most beautiful spots in Erice to be the Torretta Pepoli (here) and the viewpoint at Sant Antonio church (here). The viewpoint offers fantastic views of the coastline. And Torretta Pepoli is a beautiful, fairytale-like castle in Art Nouveau style. Somehow it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland – because of the checkerboard pattern, I guess. It was built in 1870 on the orders of Count Pepoli, hence the name. The castle houses a museum about the history of Erice. I admire the castle from a distance, and what a magical location it is! In the background, you can see Castello di Venere. As you can imagine, you walk quite a bit in Erice to see all the sights.
Also take a stroll through the beautiful Giardini del Balio garden. The outer walking path offers lovely sea views. There’s also a small café in the garden where you can rest on the terrace.
Finally, walk through the center past the souvenir shops. Since it’s my first day in Sicily, I have no trouble restraining myself from making purchases. There will be plenty of opportunities later. But you can certainly buy typical Sicilian souvenirs like ceramics. If you’re planning to visit Caltagirone, wait until then to buy ceramics. You can buy directly from the makers there, as Caltagirone is THE ceramics capital of Sicily.
Tip! Want a road trip? Check out the ultimate Sicily itinerary for two weeks.
How much time do you need in Erice?
I visited Erice in a bit too much of a rush and would have liked to stay longer to have a drink and a bite, for example. Or to try local products for free! So, I would plan for at least four hours (including the cable car). If you can, try to be in Erice around sunset so the stones get that beautiful golden glow from the sun.
Good to know about Erice
Because Erice is at 2,460 feet (750 meters) above sea level and sometimes disappears into the clouds, it can be colder than in Trapani. So bringing an extra layer of clothing isn’t a bad idea.
And keep in mind that (almost everywhere) in Sicily, shops close in the afternoon. Usually, you can still have lunch until 2 or 3 PM, but after that, restaurants close until around 7 PM.
More Sicily travel inspiration
Useful links for your Sicily trip
- Accommodation. Always handy is Booking.com. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. Book the best tours and activities at GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. Book “free” walking tours at Freetour or GuruWalk , and for bike tours, Baja Bikes.
- Attractions and museums. For 5% off museums and attractions, use discount code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Car rental. Compare prices and insurance coverage at DiscoverCars and Rentalcars.com.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Definitely Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale at Bol.com and Amazon.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Start your search at Expedia or CheapOair.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Yoga retreat. Or join a yoga retreat in Sicily.
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