Picturesque tourist center in the province of Palermo, the city of Terrasini is about 30 km west from the Sicilian capital (towards Trapani) and is characterized by a coastline that alternating rocky crags with steep precipices that are lost on the wide bay that from Terrasini reaches the Gulf of Castellamare. Terrasini is an important seaside resort on the island (do not miss absolutely a dip in the waters of Cala Rossa), and that is also a convenient and easy destination to quickly reach the airport "Falcone Borsellino" of Palermo. From Palermo, the town of Terrasini is just 13 km away and can be reached in about 20 minutes by car. But the city of Terrasini is appreciated also for the numerous historical constructions that embellish it. The The center of the town is Piazza Duomo, a large rectangular urban space, with in the background the majestic cathedral dedicated to Maria Santissima delle Grazie, patron saint of the terrasinesi. A few steps from the center, also recommended a visit to the Palazzo d'Aumale, which since 1984 is home to the civic museum of Terrasini.

Terrasini, Palermo (Source: Gilberto Gaudio - CC BY 2.0)

How to reach Terrasini

By plane

The town of Terrasini is just 13 km from the airport "Falcone e Borsellino" of Palermo-Punta Raisi, which offers national and international connections with frequency daily with both scheduled and low-cost airlines. From Palermo airport to Terrasini you can reach the beautiful coast of Terrasini by booking a transfer service on the portal Bravodriver.com, which will pick you up from the "arrivals" terminal and leave you at the address you want. By bus, from Palermo airport, albeit at a very short distance, there are no direct connections with the city of Terrasini. The recommended choice therefore remains the rental service with driver (NCC) or Taxi. Alternatively, from the airport it is necessary to first reach the central bus station (piazza Balsamo) and then continue with the city buses managed by the public company AST, which connect the capital with the city of Terrasini.

By car

The town of Terrasini is just 40 km from the center of Palermo. From Palermo take Viale della Regione Siciliana up to the entrance with the A20 motorway in the direction of Trapani (no toll), exit Terrasini.

By ship or ferry

The fastest destination to reach the city of Terrasini by sea is the port of Palermo, which is directly connected to the cities of Cagliari, Genoa, Naples, Salerno, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Tunis. Among the companies that carry out the service: Tirrenia, Grandi Navi Veloci, Grimaldi Lines and Liberty Lines.

Curiosity and history of Terrasini: the ancient defensive bulwark of the Island

The city of Terrasini appreciated by thousands of tourists for the enchanting coast and the crystal clear sea has been over time an important control center of Sicilian territory. In Terrasini, in fact, there are ancient and majestic sighting towers (Torre Alba, Torre di Capo Rama, Torre Toleda or Torre Paternella and Torre di Contrada) San Cataldo), which served to warn the population in time from attacks by pirates or the feared Saracens. The complex sighting system planned in the town of Terrasini (really ingenious), provided for the installation of a sighting tower at each strategic promontory of the territory: the various towers maintained a direct visual communication, in so that, in an emergency, the light signals from one tower to another are transmitted very quickly throughout the town, in particular, the tower of Cape Rama, (the oldest building in the Terrasini area), it was part of a larger defensive complex that included 11 towers controlled directly by the Senate of the City of Palermo.