Destination
Discover Lo Stagnone
Sicily's largest lagoon: shallow water, salt, windmills, an island with a Phoenician past, and the light of the far west.
The lagoon
Lo Stagnone lies on the coast between Marsala and Trapani, sheltered from the open sea by Isola Grande. The water is shallow and warm, the horizon is long, and nothing much interrupts it except windmills, kites and the outline of Mozia.
Salt
The salt pans
Salt has been harvested here since antiquity. The pans are a patchwork of shallow basins divided by low walls, with white mounds of salt under terracotta tiles and windmills that once pumped the water and ground the crystals.
At the end of the day the pools hold the colour of the sky. It is the most photographed view in western Sicily, and deservedly so.
Island
Mozia
Mozia — Motya to the Phoenicians — is a small island in the middle of the lagoon, reached by a short boat crossing. Ruins, a museum, vineyards and paths through wild fennel. Half a day passes easily.
Town
Marsala
The nearest town is a compact baroque centre in honey-coloured stone, a working port and the home of the fortified wine that made the name famous. Morning markets, evening passeggiata, and cellars open for tasting.
Rhythm
Slow by nature.
This is not a resort coast. Days are set by the light and the wind: an early swim, a long lunch, a drive to a hill town, a sunset that lasts an hour. Outdoor life here is unhurried — walking the salt roads, cycling to the lagoon, sailing to the island, or simply sitting outside until the air cools.
For those who want more movement, the lagoon is one of Europe's best kitesurf spots and the rest of western Sicily is within easy reach.
