visit Terrasini

Terrasinus (land of the gulf).

The name of the town comes from the close promontory of Capo Rama. The latter, together with the opposite promontory of San Vito lo Capo, shapes the wide gulf of Castellamare.
Terrasini was a feudal possession of the princes La Grua – Talamanca of Carini, where you can still now visit the castle of the family, in which the baroness of Carini was killed by her husband in consequence of her adultery.

The La Grua – Talamanca family had acquired the fief from the baron Donato – Gazara, whose coat of arms is today present both in the emblem of the town and in the municipal building.
Another significant attraction in Terrasini is Palazzo Dumal, seat of the French Dumal counts. The palace today hosts the Museum of the “carretti siciliani” (the typical Sicilian carts) and the Natural History Museum.

Through walking few minutes from the Guest House you can easily reach three different beaches: Praiola, Ciucca and Magaggiari. However, if you love rock beaches, in few minutes you can walk to unique and charming places such as Cala Rossa and La Grotta Perciata, where you can swim and have relax. At the Grotta Perciata you can still see a rock shaped as a seat, where the Sicilian poet Giovanni Meli used to seat and watch the sea, looking for inspiration for his poems.
Moreover, from Terrasini you can also have boat trips for visiting the gorgeous coasts of the area. Finally, if requested, it is also possible to organise visits to Palermo, Trapani, Segesta and Erice.

Keep in mind that every year, during the Easter day, the so-called “festa degli schietti” (feast of the bachelors) occurs. The acme of the feast is a challenge among the participants, who are required to lift a 60 kilos orange tree with just one hand, holding it as long as possible. According to the local tradition, this challenge started in the 19th century as a competition between boys trying to get attention from girls. During the same day, the “festa degli schietti” occurs also in Detroit (United States of America), where a large community of people originating from Terrasini live.

Useful information

A kiosk-tobacco shop is located next to Palazzo Graziano; the pharmacy is just in front of the building (at around 20 metres of distance). There are a number of bakeries and supermarkets within walking distance. In piazza Duomo there are eight different non-expensive bars and restaurants, with live music during summers. No worries: all the rooms have double-pane windows!

The best restaurants in Terrasini are: Pierre-bar, il Pirata, la Ruota, Prima–fila, Arabesque. In Terrasini you can also find a very famous pastry shop, Cucinella, where you can have both Sicilian pastries and ice-cream. Another very famous pastry shop is Palazzolo, which is in Cinisi, just 2 kilometres from Terrasini.