The city of Trapani extends towards the sea, with its sickle-shape, thus allowing the it to be literally surrounded by water, on the north coast by the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the southern coast by the Mediterranean.
The presence of the port and industrial areas, makes the area south of the city not possible for bathing. In contrast, the north coast, thanks to a clever works which have included the containment of the waves and the replenishing of the sandy beach has been made accessible for bathing in recent years especially in the area of the old town where you can find some beaches and coves.
In the central area of the city, the creation of breakwaters has allowed the creation and maintenance of 2 sandy peninsulas, now widely used by citizens and tourists.
Finally, there is the "historic" beach east of the city, stretching for a couple of miles along the coast of the the two municipalities of Trapani and Erice with shallow, inviting waters.
The water quality is good. The sea is clear most of the year, especially during the days of the scirocco (warm south-easterly wind) when the water is clear and warm.
In this article we are going to describe the main beaches and coves of the city of Trapani.
Beach of San Liberale
Located in the westernmost tip of the city, under the tower of the same name, this "beach" is formed by smooth and flat rocks on which to lie sunbathing whilst admiring the charming views. In fact, being placed on the tip of the city, from this privileged location you can see the whole of the north coast of Trapani.
Beach of Port Ossuna and North Walls
This beach, like the other beaches of the old town, has also recently been restored and made accessible to locals and tourists. It is a strip of sand about a kilometre long which starts from the bastion called "Conca" and arrives under the massive walls of the former fish market square following the North Walls for the whole of their length. This beach is also in the historic centre area and is freely accessible by some openings on the same North Walls. The beach is shallow and sandy. The water is clean and clear. During the winter, when the beach is not used, it becomes a breeding area for the gulls that flock to these places in the summer making it a very picturesque and quaint small beach with their acrobatic flights and their chatter over the skies of Trapani.
Beach of Lido Paradiso and Piazza Vittorio
The placement of 2 stone breakwaters have given way to the creation of 2 spacious beaches in this area north of the city of Trapani. No longer subject to marine erosion, the 2 beaches are well maintained and are very popular today. The 2 bays are occupied by a public beach and an equipped beach (Lido paradiso with its quaint straw umbrellas). Here the water is also shallow and clear and on the days of the scirocco the water is at its best. The area is equipped with a huge parking lot which makes it very easy to then take advantage of this beach area a stones´ throw from the historic centre and literally immersed into the city. Like all beaches in this area, this area is quite safe with shallow water. The presence of the breakwater cancels the effect of the currents thus rendering the 2 beaches of Trapani very safe.
Area of equipped beaches and free beach
Proceeding eastward, on our journey around the beaches of the city of Trapani, we leave behind the 2 beaches of Piazza Vittorio and we arrive at the "historical" coast of the city. Located on the Dante Alighieri seafront, this sandy beach is about 1 mile long, interrupted by the promontory of the former tuna fishery of Trapani and resumes later in the territory of Erice with the beach of San Giuliano that we will see later) for about another 2 miles. It is a low and sandy coast, where in its first part, several lidoshave been installed and, in its second part, there is free beach that stretches for about a mile. The beach is shallow but windy, so you can expect some waves but they are never excessive. This beach has clean, white sand and is very long, making it spacious and comfortable.
Beach of San Giuliano
Although this beach lies almost entirely in the territory of Erice, we include it in the list as a direct continuation of what has been seen so far. With similar characteristics to the beach of Trapani, this beach is even wider and longer than that of Trapani therefore even more spacious. Here too we find a stretch of beach that follows an area of lidos equipped with cabins, beach umbrellas and deck chairs. Recently, a cycle lane has been created along stretch of coast for more sporty people to enjoy.
