Selinunte

My guidebook described the ruins of Selinunte as "some of the most impressive of the ancient Greek world and the site is one of the most captivating in Sicily." So why has no one heard of it when Agrigento only 90 minutes away is so famous? Well it is only really accessible by road - there is no rail station. But the Roman villa - see previous entry -  is in the same boat which doesn't stop it being inundated with coach trippers. I suspect much has to do with the age and agility of said coach trippers. The thing about Selinunte is that it is an enormous site (it is guessed that it could have been home to 100,000 people) and the main attractions are a decent walk (and uphill) away from each other. So basically it doesn't suit a group of elderly pensioners.

But that is also what made t the perfect trip for us on the way back from Agrigento to Palermo. While we didn't exactly have the site to ourselves, there were very few people about, and especially very few tour groups.

The most impressive site is actually very close to the entrance. It is the so-called Temple E (they don't know to which deity most of the temples were dedicated so rather than guess - as in Agrigento - they stick to giving them letters). It was built in the 5th century BC, but reconstructed just in 1958. Reconstruction was necessary as the city was destroyed by the Carthaginians in ancient times and what was left upright fell in a medieval earthquake.

What makes this particularly exciting to visit is that you can actually get inside 

The adjacent temples in the Eastern Temples complex are not quite in the same condition. You need a little imagination.

Reasonably nearby there is a modern museum, although most of the best artefacts have been carted off to the archaeological museum in Palermo (see later post)

Models of some of the temples

Then on to the long walk to the Acropolis. To be fair they do also provide little golf buggy "trains" which you can hire to get from one place to another, but we are fit enough to walk and it gives you a better feel of the place

Just to add to things, the acropolis overlooks the beach...

There are a few more sets of ruins as one walks further west, including a byzantine structure

And further ancient temples

There is also a little snack bar in the most gorgeous setting. That was lunch sorted.

A very memorable morning. Beautiful place. Could have spent all day there, but we had a car to return to car hire place before heading into Palermo.