Via Atenea is the spine of Agrigento's medieval old town, a pedestrianised street running east-west across the ridge that was the centre of the ancient city. The street is lined with churches, bars, and pasticcerie, and fills with locals in the evening passeggiata. It is the right place to buy almond pastries and the sweet granita-style ice associated with the south coast of Sicily.
The old town around Via Atenea is compact enough to explore without a map: wander off the main street through narrow lanes that open onto small squares, past Norman-era churches and baroque facades. The neighbourhood feels genuinely lived-in rather than touristified, with vegetable sellers on corners and washing strung between buildings. Piazza Purgatorio and the surrounding streets are particularly atmospheric in the evening.