Porto Empedocle, whose name was in origin Marina di Girgenti, was the arrival point of all the cereal production of the area of Agrigento. It was a famous and charming seaside, located between Punta Piccola and Capo Leone. The actual name was chosen in honour of the famous philosopher from Agrigento, Empedocle.
In 2003, the town changed its official denomination to Porto Empedocle Vigata, after the name of the fictional town where the popular novels by Andrea Camilleri, famous Italian writer and native of Porto Empedocle, about detective Inspector Montalbano are placed.
The most outstanding monuments are the Quadrangular Tower of Carlo V, the Chiesa Madre dedicated to SS. Salvatore dated 1904, and the eighteenth century Chiesa del Buon Consiglio.