Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, Sicily

I recently visited the Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) in Agrigento in the south of Sicily. This amazing architectural site comprises 7 doric temple ruins of Greek origin dating from the 5th century BC. The most well known and well preserved are Concordia, Juno and Heracles and the complex itself is one of largest in the world situated in the (mostly) rural region of Agrigento.

From the parking area the valley is accessible only on foot. But the walk between the three main temples is doable. The entire visit takes a couple of hours so it’s good to take along some water and wear decent walking shoes especially if you are visiting in the summer months.

As you enter the Temple Valley, the scenery quickly changes to beautiful green rolling hills with thousands of little yellow flowers amidst scattered rocky areas.

The first major temple to be seen is Heracles – mostly ruins of what once was a proper temple. Nonetheless it is a taste of what is to come.

Next up you’ll visit Concordia – the most preserved of all the temples. At night this temple is most spectacular. It is lit up and visible from the surrounding area and the main roads – a very romantic sight!

Here’s a video where my tour guide and translator, Umberto Cilia, a local Sicilian tells me about the temple complex and why this place is so amazing:

From Juno, the final temple of my visit, there is a lovely view of the region and the temple complex itself.

Look closely below and you’ll see Concordia perched on the rocky outcrop – now you’ll get an idea of the distance between the temples!

I found the Valley of the Temples to be a highlight of my trip to Agrigento, Sicily and I highly recommend a visit if you have a keen interest in history, culture and ancient civilizations.

Let’s get #sicilying – follow the hashtag on Twitter and don’t forget to follow il Daily Slow and The Museum Times‘ Twitter handle. You can also visit the il Daily Slow website for additional slow travel stories (in Italian and English).