They are found mainly around the capital city the coves not to be missed: the others are good bases for seeing the great parks and Tindari.
Northern Sicily, bays and landings from the coves of Palermo to Milazzo
1. SCOPEL
38°04′ 70N – 12°49′ 50E
Bay positioned about 4 miles NW of Castellamare del Golfo and effortlessly recognizable by the conspicuous whitish square tower that stands on the coast and the two large rocks that emerge right into the sea in front, nicknamed “Faraglioni” by locals.
When the sea is calm, you can bottom out just behind the two tall rocks in front of the abandoned buildings of a tuna fishery.
2. MARINA OF CINISI
38°11′ 11N – 13°08′ 24E
Marina positioned E of Punta Raisi, promontory on which Palermo airport is located. Consisting of an elbow pier that protects some of the docks and piers, it can be used for a stopover, but only if the mistral does not blow too hard. Anchorage is regulated on special buoys: for information contact the Promarine company, which manages the landing at Marina di Cinisi
3. BAY OF MONDELLO
38°12′ 80N – 13°19′ 60E
This is the gulf that opens a mile S of Capo Gallo, before the resort proper in which instead there is a busy marina. Here, on the other hand, you can stay anchored in the bay as well, but be careful in maneuvering to the large submerged rock located in the NE part, just in the direction of Capo Gallo.
4. CELESI POINT.
38°11′ 50N – 13°21′ 10E
Positioned instead at the very S end of Mondello Bay itself is this small promontory hemmed in by a busy sandy beach. To dock, one can use the inner side of a small 50-meter-long pier that juts out from the coast in a NO direction. Beware of the seafloor depths, however: toward the root they are at most 1-2 meters, while around the headwater the depth of the sea reaches up to 3 meters. The landfall is ridged from the east.
5. CEFALÙ (OLD PORT)
38°02′ 25N – 14°01′ 08E
Located on the O side of the Cape on which the town of Cefalù sits, the town’s medieval harbor is now a pleasant site in which to drop anchor only when the sea is calm. You give bottom off the sandy beach in 2-5 meters of water on sandy bottom good tenor. An approximately 70-meter pier, no longer in use since the new Presidiana harbor was built on the E side of the promontory, also protrudes from the coast.
Beware of some semi-submerged boulders that are located just in front of the head of this pier.
6. SANT’AGATA DI MILITELLO
38°04′ 60N – 14°38′ 50E
Located 8 miles SO of Capo d’Orlando is the Nebrodi Port of Sant’Agata Militello, which is still under construction and will then likely be exploited by hydrofoils departing for the nearby Aeolian Islands. The large reservoir nearing completion will be one of the most important and complete in Sicily, the opportunity hoped for decades for the revitalization of the area’s economy and its tourism boost.
For those passing through the area it offers a fair amount of shelter even though it is exposed to winds from the NE. Give bottom in 2-6 meters on sand. At present and while the work lasts, there are no services of any kind, although there is a water fountain on the ground and there are stores and restaurants in the nearby village of St. Agatha.
7. TINDARI
38°10′ 05N – 15°02′ 60E
Positioned 14 miles W of Milazzo, Capo Tindari forms to the E a bay exposed only to the SE and well sheltered when the weather is clear and stable. It is also well recognizable from offshore due to the special presence of the silver dome of the Shrine of the Black Madonna of Tindari that rises above the Cape in the NO part of the bay.
Give bottom offshore on good sand tenor and do not approach shore with motor units. Along part of the bay in fact are the boundaries of the Marine Reserve of the Laghetti di Marinello. It includes an early inland lagoon area and several small lakes formed by the accumulation of sandy and gravelly materials pushed by the sea. Various species of migratory birds also find shelter in the Reserve. These include the white stork.
8. BAY OF ST. ANTONIO
38°13′ 50N – 15°13′ 80E
Just W of the tip of Cape Milazzo is this inlet well sheltered from E winds, less so from W winds. Give bottom about 100 meters from shore in 8-12 meters of water on sand.
9. RENELLA
38°14′ 00N – 15°14′ 10E
Positioned on the end of Cape Milazzo, a few hundred meters E of the lighthouse, the small and wild Renella inlet is an excellent site to make a temporary stop during navigation. The E part of the inlet is hemmed in by shallow rocky bottoms, so you have to approach the inlet from the NO and anchor in 4-5 meters on good sand and stones, staying about 100 meters off the beautiful sandy beach.
Don’t miss the other installments of Boat Holidays:
- Boating vacations, the best places to sail in northern Sicily
- Ports and marinas from San Vito lo Capo to Terrasini
- Ports and marinas in Sicily from Capo Gallo to Palermo
- Ports and marinas in Sicily from Palermo to Milazzo
- Bays and landings from the coves of Palermo to Cape Milazzo
- Sights ashore: walking through the island’s history
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