Explore Agrigento like a local. Go beyond the storied temples and immerse yourself in its culture, gastronomy and traditions with our tips.
Ancient, luxurious, enjoyable and - of course - Sicilian. Agrigento, the Italian Capital of Culture 2025, is the city to visit now and in the near future. Famous everywhere for its Doric temples, a Unesco World Heritage Site, it knows how to amaze its visitors.
Millennia after its apex, a poignant, decadent, and majestic beauty still survives beyond the traffic and concrete rows. Whether you are interested in art, cuisine, nature, or nightlife, Agrigento has something for everyone.
In this article, we give you some tips and suggestions on how to enjoy Agrigento like a local: the most characteristic and fascinating places to visit, the unmissable events and traditions, how to meet and mingle with the locals, and where to eat typical Sicilian cuisine.
What to do in Agrigento like a local
Simple aperitifs at sunset, hiking in a natural reserve, amazing day trips, authentic and unexpected flavours and ancient traditions: that's part of our recipe to enjoy Agrigento like a local.
Founded in the 6th century B.C., it proudly preserves the remains of a glorious, multicultural, turbulent and splendidly unique past. It is a vibrant and dynamic centre offering its visitors unforgettable experiences.
Here are some activities that will make you feel part of this wonderful location, just like a local. From San Leone, Agrigento's most beloved beach, we will embark on a journey to the heart of the old city.
It will be easy to befriend the expansive Agrigentini: no one better than them can guide you on your trip. In the meantime, take a cue from our suggestions and get ready to visit Agrigento like a local.
7. What to do in Agrigento like a local: strolling through the historic centre
Among the places where you can breathe in Agrogento's millennial history, the historic centre is predictably the repository of its most authentic soul, the mirror of a passionate city home to art and artists, culture and cultures.
Begin your exploration from Via Atenea, the main street around which the major attractions are articulated. It will guide you to the most significant monuments and must-sees in Agrigento.
Follow the signs and walk the numerous narrow streets and stairways up the hill of Girgenti: they are an attraction in themselves. For example, the colourful Scalinata degli Artisti (artists' staircase) is one of the most characteristic and suggestive corners.
Churches and sumptuous palaces welcome visitors wrapped in their warm colours. The Cathedral of San Gerlando, the beautiful Piazza Purgatorio, la Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi e dell'Immacolata, and the church of San Pietro are among the stops on an itinerary to follow by strolling around and occasionally looking up to catch a glimpse of the Baroque balconies protruding from the buildings. The Pietro Griffo Archaeological Museum and the Luigi Pirandello Theatre are epitomes of a history that is difficult to condense.
Don't miss a visit to the Santo Spirito Monastery. In addition to admiring some of Agrigento's most exciting architecture, you can sample typical Sicilian sweets that the 'fairy-handed' nuns prepare with skill and dedication (and you'll eat the original sweet couscous only here).
Then reach Viale della Vittoria for a sublime vantage point over the temples of Agrigento.
6. What to do in Agrigento like a local: aperitivo in San Leone
The main seaside resort, San Leone, is a short distance from the centro storico. The wide, sandy, golden beach is among the most beautiful in Sicily. The destination is particularly popular with the locals, who flock to the area at practically every hour of the day in the summertime.
The lidos are frequented as much by families with small children as by sports enthusiasts (surfers in the lead) and, in general, by all those who wish to spend carefree moments by the sea.
You'll find along the beach courts where to challenge your friends at tennis or volleyball matches and play areas for the little ones. In addition, the seafront is crowded with clubs, bars and restaurants, making San Leone an ideal place to have fun late into the night with good food, cocktails, music and dancing.
If you are looking for what to do in Agrigento like a local, San Leone is definitely worth a visit for its sparkling entertainment by the sea.
5. Walking on the moon
Ever heard about Punta Bianca Natural Reserve? It's about 40 minutes from Agrigento, and you reach it by walking a short and impervious dirt road. A highly suggestive landscape welcomes you with an eye-catching view: a white cliff stretching towards the sea in smooth, soft 'moon-like' shapes.
The greens and browns of the hilly landscape, the blue of the sea and the golden hues of the beach, one of the main attractions of the Agrigento area, surround the glaring white of the rocky outcrop.
Trekking and hiking routes to the nature reserve, a hidden and uncrowded treasure, start from the beach of Punta Bianca.
It's a fascinating place where nature is both wild and gentle. An old military building, now no more than a ruin standing out from the white marl, contributes to the uncommon, special atmosphere of the location.
4. Organising a day trip
Visiting Agrigento is the perfect opportunity to discover its wonderful province, boasting fascinating towns, breathtaking landscapes, historical treasures and lively traditions.
Near Agrigento, many places (a short distance from each other) are worth a visit.
You can stop in Sciacca to admire its famous ceramics, discover the Roman thermal baths and experience the historic carnival.
Or in Favara, where the Farm Cultural Park, an innovative contemporary art project, has renewed the historic centre thanks to contemporary art, architecture and public design.
Then move on to Racalmuto and follow in the footsteps of one of Sicily's greatest writers, Leonardo Sciascia. And to Realmonte, to see up close the most famous and photographed cliff, the amazing Scala dei Turchi.
Naro stands out with the attractiveness of a medieval village rich in historic and artistic monuments such as the Baroque cathedral and the Chiaramonte castle. While in Comitini, you can rediscover the archaeological site of Petra di Calathansuderj and the remote and mysterious past of this land.
3. Eating (not the usual) couscous
Hints at the Arab culture are practically everywhere in Sicily, a deep-rooted contamination that has forged the most distinctive features of the island's identity. This characteristic is also reflected in the sumptuous, iconic cuisine, with couscous as one of the most representative dishes.
To savour Agrigento like a local, we suggest you rediscover this plate in its curious Agrintentina variant.
The couscous eaten in the shadow of the ancient Hellenic temples is an unusual dessert prepared with the addition of the most typical local delicacies: pistachio from Bronte or Raffadali, local or Avola almonds, chocolate from Modica, zuccata, and candied fruit.
According to tradition, the origins are to be found within the walls of the Santo Spirito monastery, where nuns still hand down a secret, ancient recipe dating back to at least the 18th century.
2. Shopping at the weekly market
An excellent observation point of the city's daily life, markets are always a privileged place for those who want to mix with the locals and live among (and like) them.
Agrigento's market is held every Friday in Piazzale Ugo La Malfa from 08:00 to 13:00 and offers a wide variety of products at usually very affordable prices. The space is ample, with stalls offering practically everything: fresh foodstuffs and local gastronomic products, but also and above all home and garden accessories and clothing.
Start making room in your suitcase because chances are you'll return full-handed.
1. Attending the almond blossom festival
This is one of the most exciting, delicate and utterly beautiful experiences to have in Agrigento.
Every year between February and March, it takes place to welcome the upcoming spring in a crazy setting, the Valley of the Temples, dusted with the white of almond blossoms in their full splendour.
Originating in Naro as a peasant festivity, it has been held in Agrigento since the 1950s with a much broader connotation than a classic popular festival. Folk music and many different languages resound throughout the city to create an international folkloric celebration that attracts artists worldwide. Groups performing in the streets, torchlight processions, shows, and tastings of typical products dictate the rhythm of a romantic, cheerful and multicultural occurrence.
Among the most expected and visually captivating events are the torchlight procession of friendship and the parade of folk groups on Sicilian carts in the Valley of the Temples.
Get your ticket for the Valley of the Temples❯
