Excursions Erice – Segesta – Saline

Set on the edge of a deep canyon amid desolate mountains there is Segesta, one of the world’s most majestic ancient sites. It was the principal city of the Elymians, an ancient civilisation settled in Sicily in the bronze Age. Segesta today saves its hilltop theatre and the never-completed Doric temple, yet the ruins’ remarkable state of preservation and the majesty of their rural setting combine to make this one Sicily’s enduring highlights. Not far from Segesta there is Erice, a mesmerizing walled medieval town whose mountains charm is enhanced by the unpredictable weather that can take you from sunny afternoon to foggy evening in the space of a few minutes. Along the coast between Trapani and Marsala lies the evocative landscape of saline (shallow salt pools) and decommissioned mulini ( windmills). The best time to visit it is summer, when the sun turns the saltpans rosy pink and makes the salt heaps shimmer. The most fascinating place is undoubtedly the Natural Reserve of Stagnone, with its white sand and crystal-clear water.
Part of this description belongs to Lonely Planet travel guide