Lido Zanzibar

Zanzibar occupies a stretch of the Plaia, the long sandy beach that runs east from Castellammare del Golfo, and it is one of the larger equipped beaches in Trapani province. The sand is natural and the bay opens onto a wide panorama, with the gulf's headlands closing the view at either end. The lido is set up for volume without feeling cramped: umbrellas are notably wide, loungers and deckchairs are plentiful, and there is a large car park directly opposite the entrance, which matters on a coast where roadside parking disappears by ten in the morning. Practical details are handled well, with solar-heated hot showers on a token system, changing facilities, wifi, a children's play area and step-free beach access. Food comes in two registers: a self-service snack bar for a quick lunch without leaving the sand, and a proper terrace restaurant and pizzeria above the water serving fresh seafood, wood-fired pizza and Sicilian dishes, open for both lunch and dinner. The rhythm of the week is worth knowing. Monday to Wednesday the place closes at eight, but from Thursday through Sunday it runs to eleven at night, which turns it into an evening venue rather than a day beach.