Villa Medusa

Whatever style of beach you like – semi-deserted or dotted with bars and restaurants – you will find something that suits within five minutes’ drive. Tre Fontane is a quiet stretch of sand away from the hoi polloi, while trendy lidos like Monnalisa line the coastline further west. There’s also a tiny rocky cove immediately below Capo Granitola Lighthouse (15 minutes) that’s known for sunset watching. Stretch your legs and keep an eye open for birdlife on lakeside rambles round marshy Preola e Gorghi Tondi Nature Reserve (15 minutes), or scale the ever-shifting dunes of Orientata Foce Belice Nature Reserve (25 minutes), which is strewn with dazzling white lilies in autumn. Historic, ochre-coloured Campobello di Mazara (10 minutes) has a couple of handsome churches and a scattering of trattorias, while Mazara del Vallo (25 minutes) is known for its ornate baroque architecture. However, Selinunte Archaeological Park (25 minutes) steals the show here, making a fabulous day trip for all the family, as much for its clifftop sea views as for the spectacular remains of a 7th-century BC Greek settlement with numerous ruined temples, an aqueduct and clifftop acropolis.