Sicily

Logbook

You can't understand Sicily without being familiar with the history of the Mediterranean. At the crossroads of routes between Greece, Italy and Africa, the Mediterranean's biggest island has often stirred up envy.
Throughout the centuries, this land has thus been dominated by no less than fourteen different peoples, from the Carthaginians to the Bourbons, the Arabs to the Romans, via the Phoenicians, Aragons, Normans, Greeks, Moors and many, many others...  
These invasions have given this island something unique, and the Sicilian population is a very diverse melting pot where you will find inhabitants with a matt complexion and Nordic blue eyes. This rich island has more than 1,000 kilometres of coastline, with beaches of white sand (on the south coast between Syracuse and Ragusa), black sand (on Vulcano Island), black rocks (on Lipari Island) and black volcanic cliffs (at Catane).  
Sicily offers everything a cruising sailor could ask for: fascinating scenery and anchorages, moderate breezes all the year round, 250 days of constant sunshine (from April to November), architectural and historic sites (from the Piazza Armerina mosaics to the Greek theatre at Taormine), incredibly tasty food...  

Practical info

Getting there:
Numerous charter flights or regular airlines allow you to arrive directly in Sicily, at Palermo, whose airport is about 25km from the marina where the charter companies can be found.
When:
Spring, summer or autumn: each season has its enthusiasts. The weather is  very good in Sicily, and the temperature fluctuates from a minimum of 11°C in winter to more than 25°C in the sunny season. The summer can be very hot, or even stifling, so it is an advantage to be on a boat....
Sailing conditions:
This is a really big island, conditions are therefore varied, depending on where you are sailing. Throughout the season, on the north and north-west coasts, the north-westerly or westerly breeze generally blows at between 10 and 20 knots. On the east coast, a sea breeze from the south (which can become quite strong) will blow during the day.
Practical tips:
Sicily is Italian; the official currency is therefore the euro. Credit cards accepted everywhere. Although the coasts are sumptuous, don't leave without good travel guides, so you can enjoy the interior of the islands...  

Itinerary

As the charter company, Moorings, points out: "the waters around Sicily are scattered with small islands, in groups or isolated: to the north, opposite the Straits of  Messina there are the Aeolians or Lipari (Stromboli, Panaréa, Salina, Lipari, Vulcano, Filicudi and Alicudi) and the island of Ustica. To the west, the Egades archipelago faces the port of Trapani on the west coast of Sicily. A maritime nature park, since 1992, it is made up of three islands with dissimilar charms:  Favignana, Marettimo and Levanzo..." In short, Sicily is a little paradise for cruising, especially in a multihull. Discovering the volcanoes, the black sand beaches and the ‘dolce vita' atmosphere will be really amazing for those who dare to take the step... 

The Pelagian Islands (opposite Tunisia)
 Lampedusa, Pantelleria and Linosa. These three very different islands offer a week's exceptional cruising, ideal for visiting the wonderful white sand beaches (Rabbit Island, Lampedusa), swimming in a salt lake (Vénus, Pantelleria), tasting the famous sal capperi and the award-winning Passito meditation wine, or admiring the luxurious Armani villa nearby. 

The Egades (Favignana, Marettimo, Levanzo) and Ustica 
These four islands shelter the most wonderful underwater scenery. They are part of strictly controlled marine nature reserves. On Ustica, you will find the only place 
in the Mediterranean where coral still grows. On Favignana, you can take part in the ‘mattanza', the famous ritual fishing for giant red tuna (whilst there are still some left...). A paradise for diving and underwater photography. 

From Syracuse to Agrigento: 
the South Coast 
This part of Sicily offers exceptional scenery (the fascinating little island of Streams, where the Ionian Sea meets the Straits of Medina, and you can contemplate an amazing sunset, and the white cliffs of Eraclea Minoa...), white sand beaches (Fontanebianche), historic sites (including the small town of Ortigia, which has recently been named a world heritage site by UNESCO);  Noto, the European capital of the baroque;  Agrigento: the Greek Temple valley, gastronomic specialities (the ‘bottarga' - salted tuna eggs dried in the sunshine of Marzamemi, a pretty and welcoming fishing village). 

The Aeolian Islands: 
7 islands in 7 days (with 3 hours sailing per day). These seven volcanic islands take their name from the god of the winds in ancient times: Aeole...