I decided to anchor this tour between two big festivals. The first was the International Couscous festival here in San Vito Lo Capo. It is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Palermo so we did a day trip out.
We woke up that morning surprised by the wind and the rain. San Vito Lo Capo is known as an amazing beach town so we were a bit disappointed that we might not get a bit of beach time in. Undeterred we packed our beach clothes and towels and hit the road. The drive from Palermo was beautiful as it was along the coast and there are lots of cute towns along the way. Unfortunately the rain was coming down pretty hard so I decided to skip our site seeing tour to Castellamare del Golfo. This was a bit of a shame as it's a beautiful seaside town with an impressive fortress and Arab Norman architecture. We try to keep the days flexible so that we ensure our guests are happy, dry, and enjoying the experience. Sometimes this means we skip certain activities and add in others. The good news was we could see clear sky ahead of us.
It wasn't long until we were winding down the coastal road into San Vito Lo Capo, and low and behold the clouds had parted and this stunning beachside town was shining in the sunlight. The impressive Monte Monaco was towering over the city, and the bay of pristine water was sparkling invitingly to our group.
We arrived ahead of schedule so the festivities had not begun yet. The vendors were just starting to open their street shops along the main street. We decided to stop for a cappuccino at a seaside cafe and take in the beautiful cove. On the beach we could see the large stage that was set up for the free evening concerts that happened all week. The town was clearly ready to party, and things were already starting to get lively.
Tourists and locals starting to pour out into the streets and we found a spot in a tent near one of the couscous vendors to set up and eat. Tickets to the festival include tasting an amazing couscous dish of your choice. They include one tasting from any of the couscous houses and there are many different flavours to chose from. They serve generous portions and the food is amazing. It also comes with a glass of wine. Tickets were only 12 Euro so well worth it to taste some amazing food. If you spend a few days here during the festival you'll be able to taste creations from all over the Mediterranean.
We also decided to take in a demonstration at the Bia Theatre near the city centre. Here we were able to watch a master chef create a couscous dish to compete in the competition. Tickets were 10 Euro and included the tasting, a glass of wine and a gift bag from Bia that included a box of couscous, recipes, and some boxed water by a sustainable water sponsor. Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance, especially if you go later in the week and want to see some of the finalist competitions.
There were street vendors along the main street and along the beachfront street. Make sure to explore. There were lots of quality shops selling amazing art, street food, candy, and so much more. Since it was starting to get hot we stopped for some refreshing granite from a beachfront vendor.
The festival had so much to offer that I didn't even have time to go swimming. Luckily we had more swimming stops planned along the trip, but I will definitely go back to San Vito Lo Capo to enjoy the pristine waters. If you go to this wonderful event I highly recommend finding a beautiful hotel or vacation rental and staying a couple nights. The festival has so much to offer, and although we had a great time, we know we only experienced a small amount of what this amazing festival had to offer.
Check out my blog about the first few days in Palermo here.
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