On a recent visit to the west coast of Sicily, I fully expected to see the traditional trappings of a Mediterranean coastline: rocky coves, dramatic cliffs and spectacular sunsets over deep-blue waters. What I did not expect to see were pink flamingoes and windmills, yet both were plentiful and easy to spot along the picturesque coastline near Trapani, a town of 70,000 on Sicily’s western coast. 

Both the flamingoes and windmills owe their existence to Trapani’s centuries-old tradition of sea-salt extraction, carried out today in much the same way as it has been for centuries. In fact, the coastline between Trapani and Marsala is known as the Salt Road.