The Salt Road is characterized by windmills, water basins that change color, piles of salt and hundreds of species of birds including the characteristic pink flamingos. This itinerary starts from Trapani and ends in Marsala, along the west coast of western Sicily. Discovering ancient crafts, extraordinary habitats, sustainable formulas of coexistence between man and nature and breathtaking sunsets.

The itinerary covers the road that from Trapani, passing through Paceco, reaches Marsala. A very particular territory, which has undergone various transformations over the centuries, mostly due to the action of man. The "salicultura" was born with the aim of obtaining salt from the sea. A technique imported first by the Phoenicians (and in particular by the Carthaginians) and then improved and refined by the Arabs. The salt pans are one of the historical resources of the Sicilian economy.

The favorable climatic conditions such as low water, high temperature and constant wind favor the evaporation of the water and help to create the suggestive and unreal scenery of the salt pans. A large chessboard with colors that go from greenish to pink. Here, patchy windmills stand out (introduced in order to exploit the force of the wind to transfer water from one tank to another and grind the salt) and piles made of salt collected at the end of summer.

A panorama to be enjoyed, even at sunset, when everything is red and the tanks are transformed into mirrors, giving unique color contrasts in the world.

Salt Museum of Nubia

Coming from Trapani, the first stop on the salt route is certainly the Nubia Salt Museum, inside the "Saline Culcasi". It is a 300-year-old salary house where the phases of salt processing are shown and some tools used for extraction and harvesting are preserved: mill gears, blades, cogwheels, pins, pinions. The information panels on the walls and the photos of the salt workers at work contribute to immerse the visitor in the world of the salt pans and to bring him closer to a work with its times and its rituals that was handed down from father to son. Before or after visiting the museum, we also recommend a walk along the banks of the salt pans, up to the coast and to the suggestive Nubia tower.

La Riserva delle Saline di Trapani e Paceco

The visit of the Riserva delle Saline begins at the Maria Stella Mill, an ancient mill now transformed into a visitor center, where the traditional salt extraction technique is told: from the function of the tanks (different in size and depth) to the mills "a stella" or "American style", used either for pumping water or for refining.

Walking along the edges of the pools in the hours before sunset, you can get in touch with a surprising and suggestive nature. The salty environment includes numerous herbaceous and shrub species that have adapted to the extreme environmental conditions of this area, such as the delicious Salicornia, Fiorancio marittimo, Enula and the Malta mushroom. But what most fascinates the visitor is certainly the variety of birds that find refreshment here.

In fact, the wetland hosts more than 208 species of birds, both sedentary and migratory, among which the large colony of flamingos stands out. In addition to the unique birds with pink plumage, here you can meet spoonbills, white and gray herons, egrets, black-winged stilts, cormorants, wild ducks and seagulls that offer a unique spectacle, especially when the sun turns pink and the birds gather emitting delicious cackles.

Le Saline della Laguna

Proceeding along the coastal road towards Marsala, between the piles of salt on one side and olive groves and vineyards on the other, you reach the Riserva dello Stagnone di Marsala, where you find the so-called "Saline della Laguna" (Ettore and Infersa salt pans).

The Saline della Laguna, with the Ettore and Infersa salt pans, the Infersa mill, the Isola Lunga, represent a context of very high naturalistic and landscape interest. In 2015 the Saline della Laguna were elected "Place of the Heart" by FAI, winning the special EXPO 2015 ranking. Over the following years the "park" has grown into a model of "saltourism". The Mill, a true jewel of industrial archaeology, has been made even more interesting and attractive thanks to the creation of a multi-media and interactive itinerary.

Among the activities and visiting experiences available,you can choose the guided tour of the salt pans, but also the "salt worker" experience, with the opportunity to enter the tanks and participate in the traditional salt harvest. The visit itinerary is made even more interesting by the possibility of accessing Isola Lunga (only at certain times of the year), where thematic itineraries and dedicated events are organized, such as a visit at sunset.

We also recommend the boat tour of the Stagnone Lagoon, with the possibility of disembarking in Mozia and visiting the island and the museum. An exciting experience, among paths, vineyards and archaeological excavations (which still continue today).

The containment and prevention rules adopted by the Municipality of Trapani reflect national and regional guidelines, with specific customizations according to the characteristics of the urban fabric and the territory. Trapani also benefits from "natural protection", given by the environmental and weather-climatic characteristics, which make it "inhospitable" towards the virus.