Planning a trip to Selinunte
Visitor Information
The tourist office, Via Giovanni Caboto (tel. 0924-46251), near the archaeological garden, is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 2pm and 3 to 8pm and Sunday 9am to noon and 3 to 6pm. You can enter the park at two points, with ample parking near each: from Via Selinunte in the village of Marinella di Selinunte and from Via Mediterraneo in the village of Triscina di Selinunte.
Getting There
Selinunte is on the southern coast of Sicily and is easily reached by car. From Agrigento, take the scenic Route 115 northwest into Castelvetrano; then follow the signposted secondary road marked SELINUNTE, which leads south to the sea. From Palermo or Trapani, take the A29 autostrada and get off at Castelvetrano, following the signs thereafter. Allow an hour from Trapani and at least 2 hours from either Palermo or Agrigento.
If you prefer to take the train (tel. 892021; www.trenitalia.it) from Palermo, Trapani, or Marsala, you can get off at Castelvetrano, 23km (14 miles) from the ruins. The trip from Palermo to Castelvetrano takes a little over 2 hours (you need to change trains; cost is 7.40€); from Trapani five trains make the 1 1/4-hour journey and cost 5.50€; from Marsala, it's only 40 minutes, with trains leaving five times a day and costing 3.80€.
Once at Castelvetrano, board a bus for the final lap of the journey to Selinunte. Autoservizi Salemi (tel. 0923-981120; www.autoservizisalemi.it), which also operates a service from Palermo to Castelvetrano, will take you to the archaeological park in 20 minutes. Lumia buses (tel. 0922-20414; www.autolineelumia.it) run to Castelvetrano station from Agrigento.
Getting Around
Getting Around the Archaeological Park
At 270 hectares (667 acres), the ruins of Selinunte cover the most extensive area of Classical artifacts in Europe, including Greece. Given the enormity of the area, allow yourself at least 3 hours to visit, preferably in the early morning. Bring drinks for your visit, as it can get hot under the sun. If you’re not up to extensive walking, you can hop on an electric train that makes a circuit through the ruins; tickets cost 6€.
