Yacht charter Sicily between Palermo and Egadi Islands - Italy
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picsHighlights: Marettimo, Levanzo, Marsala, Favignana
When to go: March through November
Suggested tour: Palermo - Capo San Vito - Marettimo - Favignana - Trapani - Marsala
Mileage (approx) : 120
Cruise length: 1 week
Difficulty : low
Weather: warm
Weather and anchorages: in summer there are only two dangers: westerlies (easy to forecast, and channel 68 is kind of reliable) and thunderstorms, that can bring sudden 40-knots blows in pitch black visibility They are easy to spot. You do not want to be in stromboli if one arrives. I sailed two years in Patagonia/Magellan strait but sicilian thunderstorms stand up the challenge. In westerlies, the best anchorages are Salina E side S of harbour, Panarea Milazzese (best overall anchorage) and even, with a line ashore, the E side of Stromboli, just under the grey slide mid island (surprisingly very calm). Both NW and SW tend to come more from W. In thunderstorm you might just have to switch side of any island for a couple of hours. Lipari is never a good anchorage for the endless ferry traffic. Vulcano E side nearly bottomless. Filicudi nice in good weather. Forget Alicudi altogether. Nice small anchorages if you can get into, some bays on the W side of vulcano and Lipari. The anchorage in Stromboli is just off the NE tip of the island. Acceptable holding in 15 metres. Watch for foul anchor in rocks in Ginostra, Cala Nave and Basiluzzo. Day anchorages for swimming, not to be missed: Panarea: Basiluzzo-NE corner, Lisca Bianca, and Cala Nave (NW corner of Panarea). Filicudi: rocks W of the island and cave. Salina: Pollara (W side, where they filmed 'The Mailman'. W sides of Vulcano and Lipari. Breezes: thermals from NE in calm days between 1 and 5. Good for sailing. Dangers: apart from the rocks, easy to spot but not at night, SE of Panarea and W of Filicudi, none whatsoever. You just need a long anchor chain, and possibly a delta-cqr
Harbours: small, crowded, noisy and unpolite. Forget them. To fuel up: Salina. Water: the island are now in deep water shortage, and to get water will not be easy. I hope you have a watermaker, otherwise slip a 50 euro note at the salina fuel dock. I spent two months without a harbour last year, it can be done. The deck will suffer a little but I explained the clients about the water shortages. Milazzo: a commercial harbour. No diesel (too shallow) and water at the marina if they are in good mood. DEFINITELY shop at the fish market right behind the barbour. Supemarkets deliver (just ask). Wine shop and excelent butchery between the first and the secon street behind the habour end (the marina end). Shop at the market: swordfish and tuna a must, and cheap. Just broil them fast or make sushi or tartare (good recipes on our website for the sicilian specialties). Mussels are safe and very good. Clams also. Prawns not to be relied upon.
The seven islands forming the archipelago are all volcanic, with Salina boasting two twin cones reaching 3,000 feet. Stromboli, itself over 3,000 feet, is very active and Vulcano mildly so. The 5-hour return night hike on top of Stromboli is something you'll never forget. The landscape is one of strong contrasts, black sands, small but very high islets with vertical walls and crystal clear waters, red lava forming small coves and deep caves, pillars of frozen rock jumping out of the sea. Each island has its own features and peculiarities, but all of them can embrace the voyager with that magic spell that made this area our favourite in the world, hands down.
Alas, not the area's strong point. Even if Lipari and Salina occasionally boast interesting venues, it's a shame to loose time into any building that does not serve food or booze. BUT never forget that Palermo and Catania are close by, and Reggio Calabria is the home of the world famous ' Riace Warriors '.
Gastronomy & Wines
You won ’t have shortage of surprises when you sit down at the table in this area. The locals like their suppers long and substantial, and you might experience a slight sensation of overfilling. When you eat around here, you understand the full value of a siesta and stop wondering why the locals close their businesses between 12 and 4… The variety of fish is very wide, the local specialties endless. Among the local ingredients we list Salina capers, Ustica lentil, Nebrodi provola cheese, Modicana cows, Minuta olives, Magghia Masculina fish, local tuna and swordfish (Pesce Spada) and Vastedda del Belice Cheese. Among the 'must try': Pasta alla Norma, Swordfish Rolls (involtini di Spada), involtini messinesi, cannoli (in Salina)
Local Wines: Wide variety, strong body, high alcohol levels for Sicilian wines. Alcamo, Contea di Sclafani, Contessa Entellina, Delia Nivolelli, Eloro, Etna, Faro, Malvasia delle Lipari, Marsala, Menfi, Monreale, Moscato di Noto, Moscato/Passito di Pantelleria, Moscato di Siracusa, Riesi, Sambuca di Sicilia, Santa Margherita di Belice, Sciacca, lemon liquors (called "Limoncello").
Restaurants: Ginostra (puntazzo), Stromboli (Barbablu), Panarea (Pina)
Destinations
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