Agrigento

Agrigento (Sicilian: Girgenti or Giurgenti) is the capital of the eponymous province on the Italian island of Sicily.

Understand
Agrigento is primarily famous for the Valley of Temples, impressive remains of Greek Doric temples. Since 1997 the Valley of Temples and the other ancient sites in the area have been included in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

During the golden age of Ancient Greece, it was known as Akragas (Ἀκράγας). One of the leading cities of Magna Graecia, it was the hometown of philosopher Empedocles. Later on, it became Agrigentum in Latin, and Kirkent or Jirjent in Arabic.

Agrigento is the birthplace of the novelist, poet and playwright Luigi Pirandello who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934.

Climate
Similarly to nearby Gela, Agrigento has a semi-arid climate, with just enough precipitation to avoid being classified as a desert climate. It features hot summers and mild winters. The winter months usually present mild to warm daytime temperatures and the weather is mostly sunny. Summer presents a pronounced aridity in which sunny conditions are virtually assured every day.

By train
Frequent trains run from the station near the centre of town to Palermo and Caltanissetta, less frequently to Enna (but not that useful - the station in Enna is about 5 km below the town). The journey to/from Palermo takes 2 hours and costs (as of March 2023). Connecting with the east of Sicily by train is not easy, and takes a long time. The train station is at Piazza Marconi, on the southeast corner of the old town.



By bus
Frequent buses run to Palermo (Down the street from Stazione Centrale), Caltanissetta, Catania, Sciacca and close(ish) to Eraclea Minoa. A few also run to Gela and Trapani via Mazara del Vallo, Marsala in 2 hr 20 min | (Salvatore Lumia Bus) and Castelvetrano (for Selinunte).



By boat
There are daily boats and hydrofoils in summer (fewer boats and no hydrofoils in winter) from Agrigento's port 3 km away - Porto Empedocle to the islands of Lampedusa and Linosa. See SIREMAR and Ustica Lines. There are frequent local buses from Porto Empedocle into Agrigento.

On foot
The town centre and its medieval streets can easily be reached on foot from the train station.

By bus
Frequent city buses run from outside the train station, stopping at the Archeological Museum and slightly further downhill, the main entrance of the Valle dei Templi. Take buses 1, 2 or 3 for the Archeological Museum and slightly further downhill, the main entrance of the Valle dei Templi.



Valle dei Templi


The Valley of Temples is a string of five Greek temples stretching along a ridge to the south of the city. It is a sight worthy of comparison to the Acropolis in Athens. The temples are usually divided into two zones: the Eastern Zone and Western Zone each side of the main entrance and the road from the city centre. It can get punishingly hot in summer and there is little shade other than some olive trees along the ridge. There is a shuttle bus that runs through the site (€3 for one stop, Nov 2019). Parking costs €1 for 30 min to a maximum of €5 (Nov 2019).





An audio tour is available at the entrance to the temples. (Some ID is required as security for these, which means walking back the entire length of the site just to give the guide back).

To put all these sights in context, it is well worth visiting the Archeological Museum (half way back into the city centre) and the adjacent Roman Quarter (with a few nice mosaics).



Historical centre
The old centre of Agrigento is also worth a visit.

Events

 * Festa del Mandorlo in Fiore (almond Blossom Festival) towards the end of February is to be commended.

Eat
Sample the Greek-influenced cuisine, especially eggplant (aubergine) and olive oil-based dishes.



Splurge

 * Hotel Dioscuri bay Palace, Set in a very nice bay, on the promenade of San Leone. The hotel has 102 rooms, all with balcony over the sea or the hinterland. Bedrooms are decorated uniformly in soft colors. All rooms offer modern amenities such as hairdryer, frigo-bar, telephone, TV color and balcony. Bathrooms are provided either with bathtub or shower.
 * Hotel Dioscuri bay Palace, Set in a very nice bay, on the promenade of San Leone. The hotel has 102 rooms, all with balcony over the sea or the hinterland. Bedrooms are decorated uniformly in soft colors. All rooms offer modern amenities such as hairdryer, frigo-bar, telephone, TV color and balcony. Bathrooms are provided either with bathtub or shower.

Go next

 * Porto Empedocle – a port town very close by which forms a conurbation with Agrigento; also famous rocks of Scala dei Turchi and Villa Romana next to it
 * Heraclea Minoa – on the coast 25 km to the north-west
 * Caltanissetta – inland to the north-east
 * Gela – on the coast 64 km to the south-east