Porto EmpedocleSicily · Italy

All About Porto Empedocle

Renamed in honor of an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the region, the area of Sicily around Porto Empedocle has been an important port town since at least the sixteenth century. This is because it was a major center for the trade in the cereal grains needed to produce pasta. Only made a city in 2009, modern visitors might better know it as the basis for the fictional town of Vigata that is the home patch of Inspector Montalbano in the books of the same name by Andrea Camilleri.

While its name may not roll off the tongue like Palermo or Catania, Porto Empedocle has a delightful array of attractions all the same. Not only is it just a short distance from the Valley of the Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site at Agrigento, but it also offers some unique coastal landscapes and no less than three kilometers of beaches.

Porto Empedocle opens out into the Strait of Sicily roughly midway along the island’s southernmost coast. Its location makes it an ideal departure point for reaching the Pelagian Islands of Lampedusa and Linosa. For ferry tickets to Porto Empedocle from the Pelagian Islands, there’s no better place than Ferryscanner. The Ferryscanner website helps you to compare ferry sailings, find the best prices and book your ferry tickets to Porto Empedocle in just a few clicks.
 

Routes and Ferries to Porto Empedocle

There are two scheduled ferry services that connect Porto Empedocle with the Pelagian Islands. The first provides a link between Porto Empedocle and Linosa, the closest island in the chain. The one-way journey usually lasts no more than three hours and is operated by Liberty Lines. Although Liberty Lines is one of the newest ferry companies with sailings around the Mediterranean Sea, it also operates one of the most modern and most environmentally friendly fleets.

It’s Liberty Lines ships that also connect Porto Empedocle with the island of Lampedusa. Perhaps better known than the neighboring island of Linosa, Lampedusa sailings generally take a few minutes more than four hours. Prices for adult foot passengers are less than €10 more than those to Linosa at €57. There are up to eight sailings per week to both islands, making it very easy to take advantage of the choice of ferry tickets to Porto Empedocle and vice versa.

Although no autostrada motorways make their way to Porto Empedocle, the city is still easy to reach from elsewhere in Sicily, with well-maintained roads linking it with Trapani, Syracuse, Catania, and Palermo. There is also a railway station at Porto Empedocle with regular services to Agrigento, with connecting services ensuring a link with Palermo in under four hours. There is no airport at Porto Empecocle, with those at Palermo, Catania, and Trapani all roughly the same distance from the port.
 

Ports of Porto Empedocle

The ports of Porto Empedocle are very easy to reach due to their location right in the center of the town. They comprise two main wharves or berths, the banchina Sciangula and banchina Todaro. Keep in mind, the Banchina Sciangula is where visitors will find the ferry terminal for the Pelagian Islands. The other is used for docking cargo vessels and is of little interest to tourists. It’s just a couple of hundred meters to the dedicated port railway station, as well as a good range of places to eat. This means you’ll waste a minimum amount of time when waiting for ferries to depart or arrive.
 

Best Beaches

It has taken visitors to Sicily some time to discover the delights of the best beaches in Porto Empedocle, where broad sweeps of golden sand combine with warm clear waters and a friendly ‘everyone’s welcome’ atmosphere.

Marinella Beach

One of the closest to both the ports of Porto Empedocle and the city center, Marinella Beach is a great option for those with only limited time in the area. But that doesn’t make it second-rate. In fact, Marinella Beach has excellent facilities and plenty of space to relax without feeling crowded.

La Caos Beach

If we were to rename La Caos Beach, we’d probably agree on a name such as ‘the beauty’ instead, and the residents of Porto Empedocle clearly agree, as it’s one of the most popular beach destinations within reach of the city. This dramatic length of the coastline is edged by cliffs, giving its sands a tranquil and secluded feel.

Lido Azzurro Beach

Lido Azzurro Beach is made up of free-to-access stretches of public beach and areas reserved for the various beach clubs that rent out sun loungers and parasols. During the day its bright blue waters can tempt even the shyest of swimmers. Come evening, the promenade that runs alongside it is alive with groups of family and friends taking in the sea air.

La Spiaggetta

Simply translating as ‘little beach’, La Spiaggetta stands quietly proud immediately to the west of the seawall that forms the ports of Porto Empedocle. Despite this, it offers visitors a fine area of clean sand, alongside shallows partially protected by the sea wall, and all within sight of the ferry terminal.
 

Places to Visit

While the majority of visitors with ferry tickets to Porto Empedocle use the city as a means of reaching either the Temple of Concordia at Agrigento or the natural bounty of Linosa and Lampedusa, it does have its own attractions well worth consideration.

Scali dei Turchi

The ‘Turkish Stairs’ get their unusual name from the time when pirates roamed the Strait of Sicily. Today you’ll have no such worries if you make the short journey west to this mesmerizing vista of dazzling white rocks rising out of the sea.

Torre Carlo V

This ancient structure is so old that its most recent name change, to the Charles V Tower, dates back at least 400 years. Built as one of the defensive structures that aimed to protect this southern coast of Sicily from pirate raids, the tower is open every day for an insight into the city’s past.

Chiesa Madre

A fine example of neoclassical and renaissance design, the interior of this church is beautifully decorated and quite a contrast to the plain exterior. Though small, every surface seems to have been covered in intricate moldings.
 

Transportation Around Porto Empedocle

A stroll through the easy-to-navigate center just north of the ports of Porto Empedocle is a charming experience that will get you to most points of interest in the heart of the city in just a couple of minutes. Should you want to travel further afield, such as to the Scali dei Turchi, there is a reasonable bus network within the city, although the number of services a day can sometimes limit its use. Therefore, taxis make a good alternative for those keen to make the most of every minute in the city. Fares are calculated by the kilometer and are not overly expensive given the proximity of most beaches and places to visit.