The Local Beaches Santo Vito Beach - If its sunbathing & swimming your after then this beach is situated a minutes walk from the Villa you can actually see it across the road. Excellent for families. If you wanted to be more adventurous then Mazara Del Vallo main beach is situated 1.5km that is called La Tonnarella. The water is clean, if sometimes rather cold, and in July and August it offers the facilities of bars with deck chairs and beach umbrellas to rent. There are also numerous public beaches nearby. Activities - Kite Surfing at the Tonnarella Beach, Wind Surfing & scuba diving available. Upcoming Events Fiera mercato del Ponente dal 09 al 17 July 2007 (This is a local fair that funs all the way through the lungomare to the fishing port. Festino di San Vito dal 05 al 21 August 2007 U fistinu di Santu Vitu - normally towards the end of August, but not finalised yet. Normally 3 days of music & fireworks too. Other Information If you are coming from London Stansted, Ryanair do have some excellent prices, with hire car too. you can choose between Palermo or Trapani. (the more direct route is via Palermo) However from June 07 you will be able to fly out from Gatwick via Easyjet when they introduce their new direct route to Palermo. Supermarket - There is a local SPA, 1.5km away; you will need the car, as it’s a bit to far to walk. This is very similar to our local Champion. Fishing Port, Marina & Lungomare Santo Vito - Boat trips are available if you decided to go to Pantelleria for the day. The lungomare is great for a nice long walk to the marina. Restaurants - There are many restaurants along the Lungomare Santo Vito. A nice 10 minute walk from the Villa. Excellent choice of fresh ice cream & local pastries to wet your appetite. Set Menus are available a 3 course meal will set you back between 10 & 15 euros. The food is heaven & there is plenty of it. In this region the fish is wonderful, you could even try out the fish market in the early hours of the morning, if you fancied some fresh fish. So fed up with going to the beach then why not explore the town & venture out...... Mazara del Vallo - Italys major fishing port also has a charming seaside promenade lined with palm trees. The historic centre is a delightful example of seventeenth century Sicilian baroque. The main piazza has a magnificent cathedral and the town is crammed with beautiful baroque churches and civic buildings - even the remains of a Norman castle. Dont miss the extraordinarily beautiful bronze statue of a dancing satyr, a masterpiece of Greek art, discovered by a local fisherman and now housed in a special museum. There is a wide range of shops and good restaurants, where you can savour the freshest seafood and fish. Alternatively you can buy these from the fish market by the port. Sightseeing - The ancient Greek city of Selinunte, overlooking the sea, is less than a 40-minute drive away. After exploring the ruins you can go down to the nearby beach of Marinella, cool off in the sea and feast on delicious local fish at one of the little seaside trattorie. Half an hour in the other direction is the mysterious temple of Segesta, high up on a hill overlooking the valley. Nearby is the ancient Greek theatre. In 20 minutes you can reach Marsala famous for wine, and dont miss the Punic Ship on display at the museum. Just beyond Marsala is the lagoon with its saltpans and windmills. Visit the fascinating island of Mozia, once a Phoenician colony, and see the fascinating Punic remains and the beautiful Greek statue of a young boy. The medieval hilltop town of Erice with its Norman castle, site of an ancient temple of Venus, is an hours drive from Mazara. From Trapani or Marsala you can reach the lovely Egades islands. Palermo and the Greek city of Agrigento are easy day trips.