San Vito Lo Capo

The town sits at the tip of a cape with Monte Monaco rising behind it and a wide crescent beach of fine pale sand and shallow water, unusual on a coast that is mostly rock. Couscous has been eaten in this part of Sicily for centuries, arriving through North African contact and made here with fish rather than meat, steamed in a perforated earthenware pot. The Cous Cous Fest, held each September since 1998, brings teams from several countries to cook and compete, and fills the town for a week. Rock climbing on the surrounding limestone has developed strongly since the 1990s.

What you actually see

• The crescent beach - fine pale sand with shallow water below a mountain.
• The fish couscous - a Sicilian version steamed in earthenware.
• The Cous Cous Fest - an international cooking event each September.
• The climbing crags - limestone walls developed since the 1990s.

When to go

May to June and September; August is extremely crowded and parking is severe. The festival falls in late September and books out accommodation.

Honest expectations

Much of the beach is occupied by paid clubs in season. August traffic on the single access road is heavy. The town is almost entirely seasonal.

Nearby

The Zingaro reserve begins south; Erice lies inland.