Marzamemi
This dinky fishing village on the east coast of Sicily is one of the island’s best-kept secrets. Home to a miniscule population of 263 people, this is the ideal spot to while away an evening in its lively Piazza Regina Margherita bordered by old fishermen’s’ houses, two churches dedicated to San Francesco di Paola, bars, restaurants and the Palazzo del Principe di Villadorata that houses a mêlée of chic crafts boutiques.
Once the site of one of the most important tonnara (tuna fishery) in Sicily, now the town main’s trade is tourism. It’s a great place to watch the sunset looking out over the small harbour populated by bobbing blue-and-white fishing boats.
As a place to stay, there are beaches nearby, but most of all this is a place to kick back, relax and people watch. During the summer, Marzamemi is where locals come out for a drink or a meal, and the town is still famous for its fresh and pressed tuna. It’s particularly lively during July when it is host to the Festival del Cinema di Frontiera film festival that sees the main square and the surrounding streets turned into open-air cinemas reminiscent of a scene from the movie Cinema Paradiso, and also in August during the festival of San Francesco regatta.
Useful links
Cala Malo bar
Marzamemi official website
Taverna la Cialoma
The Baroque Pearls of the Val di Noto
Added 2008/07/11 @ 13:03:04
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