One night in Salina (Aeolian Islands - Sicily)
Discovering the greenest Aeolian Island
Piero: Hi Alberto, here we are again!
Alberto: of course, I promised you I would take you with me around Sicily ...
Angela: how nice! Where do we go this time?
Alberto: I'll give you a clue ... we were in Milazzo and we will not go far from there. However, you won't be able to use your legendary van. You will need to take the hydrofoil!
Piero: it's easy then, we’re going to one of the wonderful islands of the Aeolian archipelago that you can see from Milazzo.
Angela: I only know a few of them.
Alberto: the Aeolian Islands are seven: Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Alicudi and Filicudi.
Piero: and which one will you tell us about?
Angela: come on, Alberto don't leave us on our toes. At least give us another clue.
Alberto: I can only tell you that this island has the tallest mountain of all the Aeolian Islands, about 962 meters, and I reached the top of it walking.
Piero: Let me think about it ... I'd say Stromboli!
Alberto: you didn't go very far. Stromboli is 924 meters high and it has the second tallest mountain (an active volcano, but I will talk about it some other time).
Angela: so… Salina!
Alberto: exactly. Pack comfortable shoes, swimwear, hats and sunscreen. The appointment is at the port of Milazzo to take the hydrofoil that will take us to Salina!
Piero: the ride from Milazzo to Salina takes about an hour and a half and the cost of the hydrofoil is not exactly cheap even if it is worth it for the destination. There is also a ferry boat, but it is very slow.
Alberto: Salina is an ancient volcanic island. The peculiarity is to have two mountains, also ancient volcanoes, one next to the other: Mount Fossa delle Felci, the tallest in the archipelago, and Mount dei Porri. From these two extinct volcanoes, seen from the north-east, derives its ancient ancient Greek name Didỳmē (from the Greek dìdymos, "twin"). The current name derives from a small lake in the village of Lingua, from which salt was extracted.
Visiting Salina main town: Santa Marina Salina
Angela: here we are then! What is the name of this town?
Alberto: we dock in Santa Marina Salina. There are two small ports in Salina: one, which is also the main one, it is in Santa Marina; the other one is located in Rinella, the village with black sand.
Angela: is the island big?
Alberto: well, bear in mind that in less than a couple of hours by car you can tour all the main villages of the island. It is not very big but we are on the second largest island of the archipelago. It has only 2,300 inhabitants.
Piero: I imagine that renting a car is essential.
Alberto: not necessarily. The first time I was there, I rented a villa with friends in Santa Marina and, to visit the other places, we moved by bus or taxi. Of course, for those who have kids and want to go around, I definitely recommend renting a car.
Angela: so I guess it's the first thing to do: how do you suggest to proceed?
Alberto: I must say that, as in many typically summer tourist places, renting a car is a bit of an adventure. You have to be careful with prices, check the condition of the car well to avoid surprises upon delivery ... it is certainly better to plan everything before arriving on the island to avoid waiting or worse, not finding availability.
Piero: thanks for the advice. What do you do in Santa Marina?
Alberto: during summer it is very active. There are events every evening, delicious restaurants, ice cream shops, bars, souvenirs shops ...
Angela: do you recommend any restaurants?
Alberto: I perfectly remember the Trattoria Cucinotta, which is located in the main street where there are all the shops. Apart from the location, with its wonderful veranda overlooking the sea and the island of Lipari, you should try the homemade squid ragù. Delicious.
Angela: yum! Marked on the list ...
Piero: what else would you recommend us to do?
Alberto: in the western part of the town, in a place called Serro dell’Acqua, it is possible to walk a path that leads, through a vegetation of olive trees and fruit trees, to the Saracen Caves.
Angela: what is that?
Alberto: they are caves dug into the tuff and hidden by dense vegetation, used as a refuge to escape the atrocious barbarity committed by the Saracens around 650 AD. They are made up of several communicating rooms inside which the cross engravings and numerous votive signs are still visible today.
Piero: very interesting! In Salina the Malvasia sweet wine is produced. What do you tell me?
Alberto: Salina is quite a fertile island, you cannot avoid to admire the vineyards. The Malvasia, as you mentioned is a sweet wine with a delicious flavour. It is obtained by drying and subsequently pressing the grapes produced by local vineyards. This is only the main of the other wines produced on the island: even if not from native vines, excellent white and red wines, both still and sparkling, are also produced. Because the island, as mentioned, is very fertile, there are also other crops. The other typical product of the island is the caper obtained from the flower of the plant of the same name: in Salina a particular, much larger caper is produced, the "cucunci".
Piero: wow! Where are you taking us now?
Alberto: we move to Lingua, a small village, which is about 10 minutes away by car. It is probably the place I have visited most often.
Angela: I guess it is because there is something good to eat.
Alberto: you know me ... in Lingua there is "Da Alfredo". I put it in my top 5 of Sicilian bars. Believe me, I've tried many bars ...
Piero: but it's just a bar!
Alberto: for us Sicilians the bar is part of the culture, it is a meeting place where of course we drink coffee but above all we eat his majesty the granita!
Angela: now I understand.
Alberto: and that's not all, at Alfredo's you must also try the typical dish for lunch or dinner: “u pani cunzatu”, which is a stuffed bread. It is a reinterpretation of an ancient recipe of fishermen who in the evening prepared a salad with the available ingredients - oil, capers, olives and basil - accompanied with toasted bread. Mr. Alfredo, with his sons, today prepare a loaf of homemade bread, toast it and dress it in all possible and imaginable ways. Clearly the advice is to try it with the typical local products.
Piero: it sounds like a tasteful dish!
Alberto: despite its extreme simplicity, it absolutely is. Probably what makes you appreciate it more is also the context of the restaurant and the square in front of it overlooking the sea. A practical tip: if you stop for lunch and don't want to weigh yourself down too much, just order half of it.
Angela: thanks. Is there any lighthouse on the island? You know how much I like them ...
Alberto: well, there is one a few hundred meters from the bar.
Off to Pollara: Troisi’s “The Postman” village
Piero: where are you taking us now?
Alberto: let's go to the other side of the island; you probably have already heard of it because of the cult Italian masterpiece movie “The Postman”.
Piero: it's true! The Pollara House is the only place, beyond Procida, where Massimo Troisi shot his last movie in 1994.
Alberto: exactly, but the place I would like to show you is the Pollara Beach. The name is misleading, there is no sand but large stones among the rocks. The space is a bit small, but this is what makes it unique and intimate, set within an amphitheater-shaped cliff. To get there you have to take a steep but beautiful path. On the way back, maybe we will struggle a little, but it will be worth it.
Angela: not a smart choice if you have kids ...
Alberto: it's not comfortable to spend the whole day there, but it's absolutely worth a visit.
Hiking on Monte Fossa delle Felci
Piero: you told us that you walked to the top of the Salina mountain?
Alberto: that's right. The path to the top of Monte Fossa delle Felci is a real adventure. Clearly, this cannot be done by organizing a day trip to the island. It is necessary to stay at least one night and that's exactly what we did: we woke up at 3am and we left around 4am to get to the top in time to see the sunrise and of course to avoid walking for several hours under the summer heat.
Angela: what did you do then?
Alberto: once in the car, we drove towards the valley from which the walk begins. It is still dark.
Piero: I hope you brought some torches ...
Alberto: no, but luckily we had the flashes of our phones. Try to visualize walking in the the woods and it is completely dark.
Angela: I imagine that for the hikers, this is not a big problem… they are more organized, understand what surrounds them and have the right tools.
Alberto: right! But we’re not hikers and we didn't have everything we needed ...
Piero: so how did you go on?
Alberto: we kept walking and every now and then we stopped to ask ourselves if we wanted to continue or go back. Every noise we heard in the trees, the recurring thought was "who made me do it?". In the end, however, pride prevailed: we had to succeed!
Angela: how did the walk go?
Alberto: I must tell you that, even if at times tiring, it was fantastic. The other thing that unfortunately we had not calculated was the humidity: in addition to making us sweat a lot, the morning mist, in fact, at the top, prevented us from seeing the view. However, it was a wonderful experience that I would absolutely do again.
Piero: how long did it take to reach the top?
Alberto: about 2 and a half hours for the ascent and an hour and a half for the descent. I still remember that while we were returning to the valley, we met the first hikers who asked us why we were going back. Every time we had to explain that we had left very early in the morning, that we had reached the top and that we were going to enjoy a nice granita and a swim in the sea.
Piero: are you already organizing other hikes?
Alberto: I would love to hike Stromboli … I hope to do that this summer.
Angela: wonderful! We can't wait to visit you in Sicily.
Rinella: the black sand village
Piero: you haven't told us everything yet: there's still Rinella!
Alberto: exactly. Rinella is famous, as I said, for its black sand beach, a destination especially for families and children who want to enjoy an easy access to the sea.
Angela: exactly what we need!
Alberto: that's right. The beach is located right in front of the seaside village and this gives it a unique physiognomy. Around the beach there are also numerous bars and restaurants that allow you to taste the various delicacies of the island.
Piero: it is a wonderful island. There are other six others ... how many have you visited?
Alberto: I set foot, for a short time, on all the islands except Stromboli. That’s the reason why I want to organize a nice excursion there.
Angela: with your drone I guess ...
Piero: not only! The DSLR, the lenses, the camera… an entire backpack dedicated to our great passion. Is that true Alberto?
Alberto: I usually travel a little lighter than you, but the passion is the same. Piero, when you have time we should discuss our backpacks and what we usually put inside them for our travels!
Piero: great idea!
Angela: oh gosh… you think about the backpacks, I think about organizing the next trip!
Alberto: the next story, then.
Piero: bye Alberto, see you next time!
Alberto: take a look at all the images, click HERE and watch this wonderful video!
Milazzo
Piero: Alberto, what a pleasure seeing you again!
Alberto: hi guys, I have an idea that I'd like to share with you.
Angela: sure, tell us everything.
Alberto: I would like to tell you a little bit more about my land, Sicily. What do you think? I could start with the Tyrrhenian coast overlooking the Aeolian Islands, and then bring you with me around this beautiful island.
Angela: it's a great idea! We can't wait to learn a little more and see the beautiful photos you took.
Alberto: we will start from Milazzo then: if we want to talk about the Aeolian Islands we can only start from there! Click HERE to see all the images!
Piero: it is a very ancient city founded by the Ancient Greeks with the name of Mylae (hence the name of the nearby river Mela).
Angela: the Ancient Greeks wanted to exploit its fertile plain, its strategic position and above all its natural harbor.
Piero: under the Roman empire domination, an important battle was fought during the first Punic War and then another decisive battle in the clash between Octavian and Pompey.
Alberto: over time its importance has remained intact and so with the Normans and Spanish dominations.
Angela: above all you can meet Milazzo in Italy history books because of a battle fought between the Bourbons troops and those of Garibaldi: this is an important battle, which laid the foundations for the Italian unification happened in 1861.
Piero: as many times happen, myths are intertwined with history: the waters in front of Milazzo are those of Homer’s Odyssey; Ulysses arrives there, driven by curiosity, to reach the cave of the most terrible of the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Many places, especially in Sicily, compete for the honour of preserving the home of the Cyclops met by Ulysses: clearly it is not easy to understand which place Homer was inspired by in his poem. However, the Cave of Polyphemus in Milazzo is located under the fortress of the castle. It is a natural cave that was used as a weapons depot, where saltpetre powder was extracted and stored for the manufacture of gunpowder.
Angela: what a story! I'd love to visit it.
Alberto: it is not possible, I’m afraid. First of all because it is private property and it is currently closed and not open to visitors. I think it hasn't been open since the 70s, when it became a reception room where weddings and ceremonies were held.
Piero: what a pity. Who knows what it was like inside ...
Alberto: I know that there are a number of natural rooms. Others were excavated in medieval times. There were also a stage for musical performances and a dance floor.
Angela: I'm a little sorry for Polyphemus, he is now left all alone ...
Piero: let's hope that someone will intervene soon!
Alberto: history and myth that make this place even more fascinating!
Piero: it all began in the VIII century BC with a small settlement right where you now see the ruins of a castle.
Angela: very nice! Is it open to the public?
Alberto: sure! Just imagine, it is the largest fortified citadel in Sicily. It is wonderful from the outside and stunning from the inside. Outside, in the charming old village, there are also some places that are worth spending a few hours in.
Angela: I think I read that a sea museum has also been opened a few years ago inside the castle ….
Alberto: you do know a lot of things! Yes, the MuMa. An experience that I truly recommend to everyone in order to understand how important it is to protect nature and the sea.
Piero: religion obviously goes hand in hand with history and myth.
Alberto: it's true! In 1221, a Portuguese missionary was traveling on a ship from Africa directed to Lisbon; due to a violent storm, the boat was diverted to Capo Milazzo and that missionary was sheltered for a few days in a cave: he was St. Anthony of Padua and the point where the cave is has become an enchanting church.
Piero: it is an important destination for pilgrims, especially on June 13th, the day on which the saint is celebrated. It was tradition to walk to get there facing the complicated climb to Capo Milazzo.
Alberto: how wonderful! The view from the balcony is beautiful and you can admire the whole promontory of Capo Milazzo, with Monte Trino, the bay and the Nebrodi mountains in the background.
Angela: what about the city?
Alberto: there is a very beautiful promenade along the eastern side: from there you can admire the entire gulf. Especially in the evening it is a meeting point for the people living in the area. There are several restaurants, bars and an exceptional artisanal ice-cream shop: it's called Sikè (visit his page: facebook.com/sikegelato). The master ice-cream maker is a really cool guy as well as one of the most renowned ice-cream makers in Italy!
Angela: anyway Alberto, you are guiding us through a beautiful seaside town, in Sicily and you still haven't told us where we can go for a nice swim in the sea!
Piero: you know that Alberto has to give us first the historical background and bla bla bla ...
Alberto: how nice! There are certainly many, but my favourites are three places. The first and most famous is the Baia del Tono or 'Ngonia del Tono. While the seafront promenade I mentioned earlier is to the East, the Tono is to the West. Words cannot be enough to describe this place, see for yourself from the photos.
Angela: how wonderful! I hope there are also some bathhouses, you know we are always traveling with children.
Alberto: of course, even if most of the beach is public, there are several bathhouses with some services available. They are all very nice, but in particular the Stone Beach and the Horizon are the most popular. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a restaurant with an hotel in the area, I would definitely bet on the “Ngonia Bay”.
Angela: I see some trails in the photos, can we walk?
Alberto: yes, of course! You can walk on the beach and then there is a trail along the promontory. One of the most characteristic walk trails is called "N’fennu e Paradisu", which means Hell and Heaven. It starts right from the West coast, near the Baia del Tono, and after several stairs you arrive at a point with a beautiful view of Milazzo and the bay. From there, it starts a trail that winds along the cliffs overlooking the sea until you reach the top of Trino Mount, from which you can enjoy a fantastic view over Capo Milazzo.
Piero: the other two places to go to the beach are still missing!
Alberto: are you in a hurry? The second place is located at the very end of the Milazzo promontory, Pool of Venus or Piscine di Venere. To get there you have to go first to Capo Milazzo, necessarily by car, then there is a trail. You will walk through an olive grove, admire a lighthouse and then you will down the stairs that will lead you to these natural pools.
Piero: the walk to reach the sea is an experience that it is worth doing it in every season of the year.
Angela: I am sure it would be nice spending the holidays in Milazzo ...
Alberto: yes, I would say. I know how much you like to eat and enjoy a beautiful view, so you will be definitely interested to know that Capo Milazzo is also a place full of night life. There are several restaurants and lounge bars. Maybe we'll have a lunch at the “Bellavista restaurant”.
Angela: why not! You are organizing the tour, I guess you will also pay for it …
Alberto: I'm just your guide ...
Piero: forget it, Alberto. Please, tell us what is the third and last place to go to the beach.
Alberto: it is a little bit off the beaten path, therefore it is not always crowded: you have to stop along the road that leads to Capo di Milazzo. It can be reached walking down a few stairs in the middle of the green. I'll show you some photos, maybe next summer I'll be able to take you there myself ...
Angela: that would be amazing. You’re in Sicily now, correct?
Alberto: right, I'm at your disposal.
Piero: thanks Alberto and… don't worry, we will buy you lunches and dinners.
Angela: I used to think Milazzo only as a port for the Aeolian Islands, thanks to you I now discovered that it is a land of sea, culture and history!
Piero: to summarize everything we just said, let’s watch this short video!