Porto Palo Di Menfi – Sandy Coast and Maritime History

Porto Palo Di Menfi is an old fishing village in the centre of a wide bay. The white houses have preserved the old character of the fishing settlement, while the coast consists of light-coloured, very fine sand. The beach at Porto Palo is indicated as having barrier-free access.

Coast, Nature and Harbour around Porto Palo

The harbour, used by both pleasure boats and fishing boats, is part of the village’s character. To the west of Porto Palo, the nature reserve at the mouth of the Belìce covers 129 hectares. There, dunes, typical marsh vegetation at the river mouth and evergreen Mediterranean maquis inland shape the landscape.

On the Solette coast west of Porto Palo, low clay hills slope gently down to the sea and form sandy coves with individual rocky outcrops. Submerged rocks and Mediterranean aquatic plants promote biodiversity there.

Choose a Holiday Apartment in Porto Palo Di Menfi Based on Your Holiday Priorities

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Porto Palo Di Menfi, the desired daily activities can be well aligned with the specific characteristics of the area. Those looking for a coastal setting will find different maritime impressions in the fishing village, on the sandy beach and at the harbour. Those wishing to combine nature and activity can include the nature reserve, the Solette coast and the cycle path in their personal selection. This makes it possible to consider the coast, nature and activity as different priorities when making a personal selection.

Watchtower, Chapel and the History of Selinunte

The coastal watchtower of Porto Palo is known as Torre anticorsara, stands on the hilltop above Porto Palo and overlooks a panorama. It was built in 1583 to protect the town from attacks by corsairs. A chapel dedicated to Madonna delle Grazie was built near the ancient watchtower around 1840. Porto Palo was also the ancient eastern landing place of nearby Selinunte.

A Punic-Roman shipwreck is located near Porto Palo di Menfi. It belonged to a Roman merchant ship that sank between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Its dominant cargo consisted of Punic and Greco-Italic amphorae. Residues of fish bones and vertebrae from small tuna remained in some amphorae in connection with garum. Amphorae recovered from the wreck were deposited in the premises of the Federico II Cultural Foundation of the municipality of Menfi.

Cycle Path, Sailing and Maritime Events

The Menfi cycle path was created by converting the former Castelvetrano–Ribera railway line for environmentally sustainable tourism and passes through the maritime district of Portopalo. The western section runs from the former Menfi railway station through Porto Palo to Vallone Gurra di Mare and is 7,943.95 metres long. Travel by all non-motorised means of transport, including bicycles and electric vehicles, is permitted on the cycle path.

The “Barcolana di Porto Palo” takes place every year. The Inycon Sailing Cup was held in Porto Palo for its sixth edition. Between 11 and 13 July, the fourth bio-snorkelling course organised by the Lega Navale Italiana also took place in Porto Palo di Menfi. During a festival, a procession with the small statue of Madonna delle Grazie, accompanied by a band, proceeds along the main street of the seafaring village to the pier and then continues by boat.

Getting There from Palermo

When travelling by car from Palermo, the route follows the A29 towards Mazara del Vallo, the Castelvetrano exit, the SS115 towards Sciacca and the Menfi (Porto Palo) exit.

More Destinations for Your Personal Selection

Other destinations for your travel planning include Aragona, Sciacca, San Biagio Platani, Lampedusa, Sambuca Di Sicilia, Borsellino, Burgio and Fiumenaro.

For the higher-level travel overview: Agrigento.