Balestrate is a lovely seaside, on the Gulf of Castellammare. In the past the place name was Sicciara, from the Sicilian word "siccia" (cuttlefish). In 1307 king Federico III from Aragon gave the territory of Balestrate to Partinico, but the monarchy kept State rights along coastal area for a deepth egual to a throw of crossbow: this gave it the name of Balestrate.
It is possible to visit here a Greek necropolis dated back to VI-V century b.C., Arabian tombs and the Calatubo castle (of Byzanthine origins and rebuilt by the Arabs), in addition to the Church of San Pietro, the Church of Sant'Anna, the Sanctuary of Madonna del Ponte and ethno-anthropological museum.