Province of Agrigento: Valley of the Temples and Coast

Agrigento is the capital of the province of the same name on Sicily's south coast. It is known for the Valley of the Temples: the archaeological area of the ancient city of Akragas has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and covers 934 hectares. The province also includes the white cliff of the Scala dei Turchi, long sandy beaches, a WWF nature reserve and the Pelagie Islands, Lampedusa and Linosa. In 2025 Agrigento was Italian Capital of Culture.

The city itself has its own page: things to do in Agrigento.

What is there to see in the province of Agrigento?

The province of Agrigento combines Greek antiquity, coastline and hill country. The following places have their own guide page.

Place	What to expect
Valley of the Temples	A row of Doric temples on a ridge above the sea, among them the temples of Concordia, Juno and Heracles; the Kolymbethra garden (5 hectares, run by the FAI) lies inside the site
Scala dei Turchi	A white cliff near Realmonte that drops to the sea in steps; check current access notices before you go
Favara	A town near Agrigento, known for the cultural project Farm Cultural Park

In the city of Agrigento, Via Atenea runs through the old town. The writer Luigi Pirandello was born here. Finds from Akragas are held in the archaeological museum at the edge of the temple valley. Allow at least half a day for the Valley of the Temples; the province as a whole needs several days, because the coastal sights lie far apart.

Which coastal towns and beaches are in the province of Agrigento?

The coast of the province runs roughly from Sciacca in the west to Licata in the east, with sandy beaches, rocky coves and white cliffs. An overview is on beaches in Sicily.

Realmonte: home of the Scala dei Turchi and the beach below the cliff.
San Leone: the seaside district of Agrigento, with a sandy beach a few kilometers from the Valley of the Temples.
Siculiana Marina and Eraclea Minoa: sandy beaches and dunes, partly inside protected areas.
Sciacca: a harbor town with a fishing port, thermal water from Monte Kronio and a long-established carnival.
Porto Empedocle: the port town where the ferries to Lampedusa and Linosa depart.

Lampedusa and Linosa form the Pelagie Islands. They belong administratively to the province of Agrigento but lie far out in the Mediterranean. Ferry timetables and journey times change by season; the ferry operators publish the current ones.

What is there inland and in nature in the province of Agrigento?

The Torre Salsa reserve near Siculiana is managed by WWF Italy. It has been a Sicilian regional reserve since 2000 and covers 761.62 hectares with about 6 kilometers of coast of gypsum cliffs, dunes and beaches. Walking routes lead down to the shore; more places of this kind are listed under nature reserves in Sicily. The almond trees in the Valley of the Temples bloom in late winter, and the almond-blossom festival in Agrigento (Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore) is tied to it; the city announces the dates. More monuments are listed under monuments in Sicily, and the UNESCO sites under UNESCO World Heritage in Sicily.

What is near Agrigento?

Agrigento was founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century BC and became one of the major cities of the ancient Mediterranean; the temples in the valley date from that period. Day trips from the city are easiest to sort by direction.

West of the city: Realmonte with the Scala dei Turchi, and Porto Empedocle, the ferry port.
Northwest: Siculiana with the Torre Salsa reserve, then Eraclea Minoa and Sciacca.
Northeast: Favara with the Farm Cultural Park.
Out at sea to the south: Lampedusa and Linosa, which together lie within the Pelagie marine protected area.

The Kolymbethra garden in the temple valley was originally a water basin of the ancient city. It has been looked after since 1999 by the FAI, the Italian national trust.

How do you get to the province of Agrigento?

On the main island the province has no airport of its own; Lampedusa has one. The nearest airports are Palermo (PMO) and Catania (CTA). From Palermo it is about 130 kilometers to Agrigento, and the drive via the A19 and SS 640 takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. From Catania it is 158 kilometers and about 1 hour 50 minutes (as of 2026, no toll). Comiso (CIY) in the southeast is another option. All airports are compared on airports in Sicily, and the roads are covered on motorways in Sicily. Coast and hinterland are hard to combine without a rental car.

When is the best time to visit the province of Agrigento?

Spring and autumn suit a visit to the temple valley, because the site has little shade. Summer is the season for the beach. Temperatures, sea temperatures and month-by-month guides are on travel planning for Sicily.

Anyone looking for a place to stay in the province of Agrigento will find vacation rentals in Sicily through Terra Mia Immobiliare.