Free things to do in Erice

26 places in Erice with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Agro-Forestry Museum of San Matteo
Museo Agro-Forestale San Matteo
Set in a traditional rural baglio, the museum explores local agricultural and forestry traditions on Monte Erice.
Check seasonal opening (often closed in winter)Free or small donation
Do
Balio Gardens
Giardino del Balio
Public gardens near the Castle of Venus, with terraces, fountains, and Mediterranean plants. Landscaped in the 1870s by Count Pepoli, they are now part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani network. Offers panoramic views over Trapani and the sea.
Open dailyFree
Do
CAI 601 – Saint Anna Trail
Sentiero di Sant'Anna
5.5-km trail through forested slopes and picnic areas, ending at the Sant’Anna Sanctuary near the cable car base station.
Always openFree
Do
CAI 602 – Three Churches Trail
Sentiero Porta Castellammare–Tre Chiese
4.5-km loop with wildflower meadows, panoramic overlooks, and small chapels east of the town.
Always openFree
Do
CAI 603 – Pepoli Turret Trail
Sentiero Torretta Pepoli
2.7-km shaded loop with views of the Castle of Venus and wooded terrain. Good for birdwatching and photography.
Always openFree
Do
CAI 604 – San Matteo Forestry Trail
Sentiero Demanio Forestale San Matteo
6.9-km trail with pine woods, agro-pastoral landscapes, and educational signage. Ends at the Forestry Museum.
Always openFree
See
Chapel of Our Lady of Custonaci
Cappella della Madonna di Custonaci
This small chapel overlooks the countryside with distant views toward Custonaci, where the main sanctuary of the Madonna of Custonaci is located. It is dedicated to the Madonna of Custonaci, one of the most venerated Marian figures in western Sicily.
Free
See
Chiaramontan Aqueduct
Acquedotto chiaramontano
Historic Difali fountain that was part of a medieval aqueduct constructed by the Chiaramonte family to convey water to Trapani.
Accessible at all timesFree
See
Church of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Quarantors
Chiesa del SS. Sacramento dei Quaranta
Founded in 1765, this small Baroque church with an oval interior was later repurposed as a grocery store, political office, and eventually a private holiday home.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Coppola House
Casa Coppola
Former home of Cavaliere Giuseppe Coppola, a patriot and officer of the Crown of Italy, this house bears a 1910 plaque honoring his noble roots, role in Italy’s unification, and steadfast resistance.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Curatolo-Ragusa House
Casa Curatolo-Ragusa
Overlooking Erice’s main square, this elegant 18th-century residence features a crest with a crane, stars, and mountain, and encloses a small courtyard.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Elymian-Punic Walls
Mura Ciclopiche Elimo-Puniche
Ancient walls built from the 8th century BCE by the Elymians, later expanded by Punic and medieval builders.
Accessible at all timesFree
See
Former Hotel Igea
Ex Hotel Igea
Early 20th-century Liberty-style (Art Nouveau) building that once served as Erice’s grand hotel during the interwar tourism boom. The historic structure is now reused as residential accommodation for enrolled students of the local hospitality school and not as a public hotel.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
House of the Columns
Casa delle Colonne
A 16th-century house named for the pair of detached corner columns projecting from its façade. On the north side of the block is an unusual doorway carved from a single limestone slab.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Kardaky House
Casa Kardaky
A Liberty-style house from the early 20th century, that was built as a holiday residence for the Kardaky family of Cairo. It remained in their possession until the 1940s.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Laudicina House
Casa Laudicina
Overlooking the Balio Gardens, this imposing former residence of Trapani mayor Domenico Laudicina blends two historic houses around a courtyard, featuring ornate plasterwork with Art Deco touches.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Majorana House
Casa Majorana
This elegant 18th-century townhouse, once home to the noble Majorana family, is a refined example of barocchetto siciliano, a lighter, more graceful take on Sicilian Baroque.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Palazzo Burgarella
Burgarella Palace
Late-19th-century palazzo of the Burgarella family, whose wealth came from the salt and tuna industries. Family patriarch Agostino Burgarella Ajola established the famous salt works of Aden and developed commercial interests extending from Sicily to North Africa and the Red Sea.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Palazzo La Porta
La Porta Palace
A 17th–18th-century patrician residence built at the height of the La Porta family’s prominence. The austere Baroque façade is constructed from large squared blocks of tuff, with simple windows and elegant projecting balconies.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Palazzo Municipale
Erice Town Hall
This 19th-century municipio (town hall) bears a marble plaque commemorating the 875 men from Erice who joined Garibaldi’s 1860 campaign for Italian unification. Led by Cavaliere Giuseppe Coppola, they fought at Calatafimi. The plaque, installed in 1910, celebrates their role in Sicily’s liberation.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Palazzo Platamone
Platamone Palace
One of 17th-century Erice’s largest and best-preserved patrician homes, this palace—once owned by the Barbier-Stabile family and later by the Platamone marquises—features dual façades and spacious upper-level living quarters above service rooms.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Palma Savalli House
Casa Palma Savalli
A historic house with a notable Baroque portal, now in poor repair. It was once home to the Palma Savalli family, prominent in the city’s political and economic life in the late 16th and 17th centuries.
Free (Exterior visible)
See
Pool of Apollo
Piscina di Apollo
Ancient spring and rock-cut pool traditionally associated with the worship of Apollo and later linked to the medieval Jewish community of Erice.
Free
Do
Sacred Wood of Erice
Bosco Sacro di Erice
Historic woodland on Monte Erice associated with the ancient cult of Venus Erycina. The area preserves fragments of native forest and forms part of ongoing ecological conservation and restoration initiatives.
Accessible at all timesFree
Do
Saint Julian Beach
Spiaggia di San Giuliano
A long, sandy beach stretching for about 1 km along the Tyrrhenian coast below Erice. The water is generally calm and clear, making it good for swimming. Several beach clubs line parts of the shore, offering meals, sunbeds, umbrellas, and water sports, while other sections remain free and undeveloped.
Open all year (beach clubs seasonal)Free (public areas; beach clubs charge for sunbeds and umbrellas)
See
Sanctuary of Saint Anne
Santuario di Sant’Anna
17th-century pilgrimage sanctuary. It was restored for religious use in the late 20th century and remains active for retreats, prayer and pilgrimage activities.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Erice (CC BY-SA 4.0).