Milazzo Sicily Italy
Frequently Asked Questions
The quays occupy the base of the peninsula, a few minutes' walk from the centre. The day starts with no shuttle and no detour: on leaving the terminal, the Marina Garibaldi promenade runs past a row of palms and pale facades.
A narrow peninsula reaching into the Tyrrhenian Sea, crowned by a citadel and edged by two roadsteads. On clear days the Aeolian Islands take shape offshore.
On foot, about twenty minutes from the quays, by stepped lanes crossing the oldest quarters. The castle is among the largest fortified complexes on the island: Spanish bastions, silent courtyards and an old duomo.
Both bays at once, and the volcanic outlines of Vulcano and Lipari floating on the horizon. It is the best viewpoint of the call, and it costs only a twenty-minute climb.
The citadel in the morning, then Capo Milazzo by taxi: the two combine well without rushing. The Marina Garibaldi promenade and a granita at the counter round out the day.
The tip of the peninsula, about six kilometres north of the centre: a landscape of olive trees, prickly pear and coves. A path descends from the lighthouse to the Pool of Venus, a natural basin carved into the rock at the water's edge. The taxi ride takes about ten minutes.
Milazzo is the main departure point for the UNESCO-listed archipelago, and hydrofoils leave from the same basin as the calling ships. Vulcano is under an hour away. But let's be clear: this only works on long days in port, with a generous margin for the return.
At the Pool of Venus, at Capo Milazzo, when the sea stays calm: it is a natural basin popular with swimmers. It is not a serviced beach, and access is by a path from the lighthouse.
Grilled swordfish, caught in the nearby strait, and pasta with wild sardines in the trattorias of the centre. A slice of cassata or a cannolo closes the sweet parenthesis. The terraces near the basin let you eat without losing sight of the gangway.
The euro and Italian, with Sicilian. English is spoken at the hydrofoil ticket desks and in a few shops, less elsewhere: Milazzo is no tourist capital, and that is its strength. Keep cash.
