Balestrate

Balestrate originated in the 17th century around the tonnara of the Fardella's family. At first it was called Sicciara, that is the place where they fished cuttlefish (siccia in Sicilian). On March 29th 1820, thanks to the decree of king Ferdinand I of Bourbon, this maritime village took the name of Balestrate. The name derives from an anecdote: in 1307 king Frederick II of Aragon, fell in love with the beauties of its sea and beaches and reserved the sovranity of those places for a width as large as a pulling from a crossbow.

By plane

• Palermo-Punta Raisi Airport

  phone: +39 0917020273
  You can reach Balestrate, at about 45 km, through the A29 Motorway (towards Trapani, junction for Balestrate). The airport is linked by train or shuttle bus to Alcamo (at 12 Km from Balestrate). You can get the http://www.rome2rio.com/it/s/Aeroporto-Palermo-PMO/Balestrate-Italia train going from Punta Raisi to Balestrate railway station. From this airport there are home and international flights and several low cost connections; many touristic and charter flights in summer.

• Trapani-Birgi Airport

  phone: +39 0923 610111
  address: contrada Birgi, Trapani
  You can arrive to Balestrate through the A29 Motorway Trapani-Punta Raisi and going out at the junction for Balestrate. Shuttle bus services are carried out by Terravision and Salemi for Trapani and Palermo. From and to Trapani Birgi there are home, European and low cost flights. Seasonal touristic flights also in summer.

There are also taxi and shuttle bus services from Palermo and Trapani airports as far as Alcamo (for information phone: Gabellone Viaggi e turismo, Viale Italia, 31, phone: +39 0924 505955). .

By car

You can easily reach Balestrate from Palermo, at about 40 km, or from Trapani, at about 60 km, through the A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo. For further information see the link: Autostrade Italiane - Automap.it (http://www.automap.it/autostrade/)

By ship

• Grandi Navi Veloci

  phone: +39 010 2094591
  from Naples, Civitavecchia, Leghorn, Genoa, Tunisi.

• Linea Tirrenia

  phone: +39 0923 545433
  from Cagliari to Trapani.

• Linea Grimaldi

  phone: +39 0923 542470
  Tunisi-Trapani

• Linea Ustica Lines

  phone: +39 0923 873813
  Leghorn-Trapani

• Siremar

  phone: +39 0923 24968
  For the Egadi Islands and Pantelleria

• Traghetti delle Isole

  phone: +39 0923 22467
  address: via Ammiraglio Staiti, 23

• Ustica Lines

  phone: +39 0923 873813
  Hovercrafts for the Egadi Islands, Pantelleria, Ustica and Naples.

By train

You can go to Balestrate by catching a train on the line Palermo-Trapani (the railway station is in the town centre).

By bus

There are different bus services from Palermo, Alcamo or Castellammare del Golfo.

• Atlassib Italia

  phone: +39 0924 508758
  address: via Mazzini, 22 Alcamo

• AST

  phone: +39 0923 21021
  address: via Virgilio, 20 Trapani
  from Trapani

• Autoservizi Russo

  phone: +39 0924 31364
  address: Corso Garibaldi 210 Castellammare del Golfo
  from Palermo, Trapani, Castellammare del Golfo, San Vito lo Capo.

• Segesta autolinee

  phone: +39 0923 2006, +39 091 304106, +39 091 342055
  address: Via Libertà, 171 Palermo
  Palermo - Trapani and Roma-Trapani

Balestrate has a strategic position: in fact it is in the middle of the Gulf of Castellammare and between the provinces of Palermo and Trapani. It is few kilometres from places of great touristic appeal like Palermo, Monreale, Segesta, Erice, Mozia, riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, Oasi Capo Rama. West of the town there is a large beach with a promenade, with strips of free beach, but also bathing establishments with every comfort. East of Balestrate the coastline is made up of a large beach with fine sand, and again free beach and bathing establishments. There is a quite appealing Site of Community Importance, a wood which represents the only equipped area, where you can have healthy and relaxing walks being plungled into nature.

• Calatubo castle

• Chiesa di S.Pietro

• Chiesa di S.Anna

  phone: +39 091 8786135
  address: Piazza Rettore Evola,56

• Sanctuary of Madonna del Ponte

• Remains of the old borgo

  address: Tonnara Fardella

• Tiro a segno

  phone: +39 339 6578779
  address: Contrada Bosco Falconeria

Beach life

• Lido Copacabana

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Beach club

• Lido Ipanema

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Beach club

• Lido Lagoa

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Beach club

• Lido Le Blond

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest

• Lido Le Grotte

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Beach club

• Lido Lo Squalo Beach

  address: Contrada Foce Spiaggia Est
  Beach club

• Lido Oricao

  address: Lungomare "F. D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Beach club

• Banca Don Rizzo

  address: Via Roma, 90

• Unicredit SpA

  address: Piazza Rettore Evola, 1

• Bar Tabacchi Tropicana

  address: Contrada Forgitella Spiaggia Ovest

• Frutti di Mare da Giovanni

  phone: +39 091 8786605
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte Ovest

• La Perla

  phone: +39 091 878 7592
  address: Via P. Gesugrande, 40
  Sea food

• Sapori di Mare

  phone: +39 091 8786158
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte
  Sea food

Budget

• Bella Piazza

  address: Piazza Rettore Evola
  Spaghetteria.

• Carpe Diem

  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 76
  Rotisserie

• Cavallino Bianco

  phone: +39 091 898 7272
  address: Contrada Piano Tresca
  Pizzeria

• Dèjà Vu

  phone: +39 03807934429
  address: Via P. Gesugrande, 32
  Pizzeria, refreshments.

• El Tiburo'n

  address: Via G. Garibaldi
  Pizzeria an take away.

• La Capannuccia

  address: Lungomare "Felice D'Anna" Spiaggia Ovest
  Pizzeria

• Lo Squalo

  phone: +39 091 8786382
  address: Contrada Foce Spiaggia Est
  Pizzeria

• Onda Azzurra

  phone: +39 091 8786595
  address: Contrada Foce Spiaggia Est
  Pizzeria.

• Paramaribo

  phone: +39 334 3478101
  address: Via Libertà, 28
  Pizzeria and take away

• Piccola Palermo

  phone: +39 091 8787271
  address: Via P. Gesugrande, 22
  Rotisserie

• Pizza in Piazza

  phone: +39 091 8787601
  address: Piazza Rettore Evola
  Pizzeria and take away.

• Sabbia D'Oro

  phone: +39 091 8987319
  address: Contrada Forgitella Spiaggia Ovest
  Pizzeria

• Taxi Pizza

  phone: +39 091 8786535
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 36
  Pizzeria and take away.

Medium range

• La Sicciara

  phone: +39 091 878 7099
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte
  Restaurant, pizzeria.

• Oltremare

  phone: +39 339 169 3858
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 105
  Restaurant

• Rosa dei Venti

  phone: +39 091 8987497
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte
  Restaurant, pizzeria.

• Trattoria dalla Nonna

  phone: +39 091 8786574
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 82
  Restaurant, pizzeria.

• La Buona Forchetta

  phone: +39 393 979 2343
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 76
  A genuine cuisine and a cosy restaurant. You will find fresh and well cooked fish.

• La Balestra

  phone: +39 388 863 1351
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte
  With a wonderful view on the sea, there is a menu with a large choice of meat and fish dishes. the restaurant has also celiac foodstuffs. Moreover you will find a pizzeria with a wood oven and outdoor tables too.

• Bacco's Pub

  phone: +39 091 8987955
  address: Piazza Rettore Evola
  Pub.

• Black & White

  address: Via Repubblica
  Pub.

• Blanko Pub

  phone: +39 091 8787601
  address: Piazza Rettore Evola

• La Piazzetta

  phone: +39 091 8787830
  address: Via Della Repubblica, 74
  Pub

• Why Not?

  phone: +39 388 751 9148
  address: Via Della Repubblica, 90
  Pub.

Budget

• Casa sul Mare

  phone: +39 328 944 9872
  address: Via della Repubblica,13
  Bed and breakfast.

• Residence Valentina

  phone: +39 091 987142
  address: Contrada Giardini
  Every flat, recently furnished and with an independent entrance, has a living room, TV, free Wifi, kitchen and a bathroom with shower. There are also a garden, an open-air swimming-pool and a barbecue. Free car-park. The residence is at about 500 metres from shops, supermarkets and restaurants.

• Fattoria Manostalla

  phone: +39 091 8787033
  address: Contrada Manostalla
  The farm is an old baglio of the first decades of Ottocento, a property of Jesuits at the time and used as a place for praying: it is located in one of the most characteristic landscapes of rural Sicily and near the Calatubo Castle. The restaurant suggests its typical products: oil, milk, cheese, ricotta, vegetables and sheep and beef meat from its production. Old recipes of ancient tradition are prepared with these products.

• Residence "Eloisa"

  phone: +39 091 87 86 979, +39 331 10 84 572
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte 96
  Has flats with free Wifi, air conditioning, TV, kitchen, bathroom with a shower and phone. Sea view from the balcony. In front of it there is a bus-stop with services for Palermo and San Vito Lo Capo.

• Residence Villaggio Petruso

  phone: +39 091 8787572, +39 091 842 0462
  address: Contrada Sicciarotta
  It has a terrace with solarium and an open-air swimming-pool with a view on the Gulf of Castellammare. Free Wifi inside the flats and outside; you can also play darts, table-tennis and billiards. All the rooms have air conditioning, TV, fridge, kitchen and private bathroom.

Medium range

• Baglio Carta

  phone: +39 091 8789279, +39 339 4062869
  address: Contrada Bosco Falconeria S.P. 17

• Casa Ruffino

  phone: +39 091 8787114, +39 342 1507679, +39 380 1399314
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 49
  The bed and breakfast Ruffino is located in the 19th-century Palazzo Ruffino; the rooms have air conditioning, TV, private bathrooms and the hotel has free Wi-Fi and free parking for guests. Their typical Sicilian breakfast includes sweet and savory food.

• Costa Azul

  phone: +39 091 8786994, +39 3466557372
  address: Contrada Forgia Spiaggia Est
  Has rooms with air conditioning, veranda and TV. The rooms facing the sea or the swimming-pool have TV, minibar and private bathroom with phone and courtesy set. There are also a bar, reading room or solarium terrace, swimming-pool with a hydromassage area.

• Hotel del Golfo

  phone: +39 091 8786328
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 109A

Splurge

• Marina Holiday Hotel

  phone: +39 091 878 6401
  address: Via del Mare
  Located in three groups of buildings in the touristic port, the hotel has a fitness centre(with hydromassage bath and sauna), a terrace facing the sea and free Wifi. The elegant rooms have conditioned air and Tv, private bathroom with hair-drier and some of them have a hydromassage bath. At the restaurant you can taste the dishes of Mediterranean diet. There is also a meeting centre well equipped.

• Il Baglio Della Luna Relais

  phone: +39 0918789106, +39 3450736557
  address: Contrada Bosco Falconeria SS 113 km 318,200, Partinico, PA
  Located in a garden, the Bagliois inside a restored fortress. Very tranquil because it is far from the roads and at about 7 km from the sea. Free Wifi and car-park. All the rooms, furnished in an elegant way, are different; they include private bathroom, conditioned air,Tv, minibar, hair-drier. Breakfast is also included. Animals not admitted.

• Carabinieri's post headquarters

  phone: +39 091 8786141
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte-Est, 76

• Carabinieri's post

  phone: +39 091 8787500
  address: Via Libertà 15

• Farmacia D'Arrigo Antonina

  phone: +39 091 8786121
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 44

• Farmacia Zangara Gaspare

  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 10

• First-Aid Station

  phone: +39 091 8786790
  address: Via Giliberti,42

• Traffic Police

  phone: +39 091 898 0059
  address: Via Mattarella, 10

Post Office

• Poste Italiane Spa

  phone: +39 091 898 7381
  address: Via S. Giovanni Bosco, 27

Internet

• Blue Sky

  phone: +39 091 878 6170
  address: Via Madonna del Ponte, 84
  Restaurants and acitivity of mobile restoration, internet café.

• Simsalabim

  phone: +39 091 878 6781
  address: Via Madonna del ponte 45
  Tourists' assistance, info point, internet point, transfers from Palermo and Trapani airports, /Birgi, tour of Sicily, car and bike rent, tour by boat, holiday houses, hotels and restaurants bookings.

• Partinico
• Alcamo
• Alcamo Marina
• Castellammare del Golfo
• Segesta
• Scopello
• Monreale
• Palermo