Paceco: Salt Pans, Salt History and Culture

Paceco brings together a productive salt pan landscape, salt history and culture. In the Riserva Naturale Orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco, salt production and nature conservation continue side by side; the protected area extends across the municipalities of Trapani, Paceco and Misiliscemi. Nature watching and the history of a traditional trade form a shared theme here. Museums, historic churches and archaeological finds complement it. If you are looking for a hotel in Paceco, you can first consider whether you are most interested in the salt pans, salt processing or cultural history.

Salt Pan Landscape and Salt Production

The Riserva Naturale Orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco is one of the last salt pans in Sicily still in production. The coexistence of salt production and nature conservation shapes the character of the area: the salt pans are both a production landscape and a natural environment. Free guided tours must be booked online only via the WWF website at least one week in advance. Guided excursions last about two hours and cover natural features, including birdwatching, as well as salt production.

From July to September, you can observe the salt harvest either on a booked excursion or from the roads bordering the salt pans. For planning purposes, the options differ mainly in how you observe it: an excursion combines the experience with a guided tour and the topics covered there; from the roads bordering the salt pans, the focus is on the seasonal harvest. If you take a guided tour, allow at least one week in advance for booking. Also check local conditions before your visit.

Museums and Technical Evidence of Salt Work

The Museo del Sale is located in Contrada Nubia in the municipality of Paceco. It is housed in a 17th-century baglio, an old fortified courtyard complex used for grinding salt. The museum preserves tools used by salt workers, old black-and-white photographs of work in salt production, and original objects from the salt-working cycle. The equipment that is no longer in use is considered evidence of industrial archaeology. Together, the objects and photographs offer insight into various aspects of salt work, from the tools used to its documented history.

A large, well-preserved windmill stands next to the Museo del Sale. It was formerly used to lift seawater and grind raw salt. The museum is also part of the Via del Sale cultural and tourism project, which promotes the landscape of salt pans and windmills along the coast of the province of Trapani. The Torre di Nubia also tells a story of the region’s history: it was built in the 16th century, renovated in 1585 by the Florentine architect Camillo Camilliani, and later incorporated into the coastal defense system of Sicily initiated by the Spanish government.

Churches and Archaeological History

The Chiesa Madre del SS. Crocifisso was built in 1623 and rebuilt in the mid-18th century to a design by Giovanni Biagio Amico. Its furnishings include four large altarpieces from the late 17th or early 18th century, donated by Princess Maria Anna Fardella San Severino. A group depicting the Crucifixion, made of wood, canvas and glue, comes from workshops in Trapani. The same technique was used for it as for Trapani’s famous Misteri groups; the comparison reveals a shared craft tradition.

The Chiesa Maria Santissima del Rosario in Paceco dates from the 17th century. After restoration, it reopened to worshippers on April 1, 2022, and resumed religious services. This dated reopening describes the situation at that time. The Museo Civico di Preistoria displays materials dating from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, as well as original finds from Sicily and Africa. The finds have been housed since 1980 in the rooms of the Paceco municipal library. The museum also organizes guided cave visits accompanied by geoarchaeologists or archaeologists. If you are planning this activity, check its availability in advance.

Discover more destinations: Gibellina, Karuscia, Rilievo, Granitola Torretta, Calatafimi, San Vito Lo Capo, Tre Croci, Favignana.

For the broader travel overview: Trapani.