Can you only afford one day of vacation in Sicily and don’t know what to do in Agrigento? Well, then you just need to read this article to learn more about what to visit in Agrigento in just one day.
Plan your trip and set off to discover Agrigento, a small gem in the south of Sicily and the cradle of Magna Graecia, known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Valley of the Temples. We suggest starting your one-day visit to Agrigento with the magnificent Valley of the Temples, the largest archaeological area in the world.
Here, you can admire the ruins of Akragas, the ancient city of Magna Graecia, and the twelve Doric-style temples, including the best-preserved Temple of Concordia. Don’t miss the Temple of Hercules, the Temple of Zeus, and the Temple of Juno, which was unfortunately burned during a Carthaginian invasion.
The archaeological park is open daily from 08:30 to 19:00, and the full entrance ticket, including the exhibition “The Virgin of the Rocks and Leonardo’s Workshop,” costs €13 from August 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
Here’s what to visit in Agrigento in just one day
While in the Valley of the Temples, visit the Garden of Kolymbethra, a unique archaeological area where history and nature blend perfectly. This large space takes its name from the kolymbethra, a pool created by water seeping through porous stone, and it became a holiday spot for the tyrants of Akragas.
Be enchanted by the beautiful Mediterranean garden with citrus trees, olive trees, pistachios, and almonds, and relax under the shade of its trees while visiting the Temple of Hephaestus. A must-do experience is the tour of the hypogea, which is very interesting both archaeologically and naturally. The Garden of Kolymbethra is open from 08:30 to 19:00, and the combined ticket costs €19 (reduced to €13).
The third stop on this one-day tour of Agrigento is the beautiful Cathedral of San Gerlando, the largest church in the Sicilian city. The cathedral stands on the remains of the ancient Temple of Athena Lindia and Zeus Atabyrios. By visiting it, you can admire the Roman-era catacombs and the Byzantine-era construction with its characteristic Latin cross shape.
The fourth and final destination of the day is the Monastery of Santo Spirito, which housed Benedictine nuns until the mid-19th century and was later converted into an orphanage, a soup kitchen for the poor, and an arms depot during World War II.
Today, the building has become a civic museum, managed by the same Benedictine nuns, and it is a place where you can taste almond sweets made by the nuns. The monastery is open on Saturdays from 09:30 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00, and on Sundays from 09:30 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00.
