Escape the final frontier
Late June, Early July and late August through early September are exceptional times to be in and around the Aeolian and Northern Sicily. The winds are often light and varied, perfect to escape the final frontier!
You may know that Aeolian Islands are named after the Greek god of the winds. The story of why the winds vary so much in the area is referred to in the myth of Odysseus’s voyages and his crew’s greed for gold. They literally let them out of the bag. https://www.theoi.com/Titan/Aiolos.html
This year we are basing our starts from Capo D’Orlando. https://capodorlandomarina.it. As is typical there is no escaping history. Though this is one of the most recently built marinas in Sicily, it is also one of the sites of ancient industrial heritage.
The Marina’s small lagoon at the back of the new building contains evidence of the production of mill stones. These works date back to the Roman and Greek era.
The history of the town is said to date back to around 1200 BC. Just down the coast is the site of a large Greek Theatre and perhaps one of the most impressive cliff top churches in Sicily.
Tindari also benefits from a wide spit of sand/gravel that forms a natural safe anchorage and the boundaries of a wildlife sanctuary. https://www.hitsicily.com/en/places-to-visit-tindari-greek-theater-sanctuary-lakes-sicily/
If you want to escape the final frontier, further East is Milazzo, home of the main connection to the Islands and to a large Norman/ Spanish influenced castle. Its history goes further back, as it sits at a major vantage point over the northern coast covering passage between the Islands and the Messina straights. Not surprisingly it has seen the influence of all the med’s civilisations and European powers including the English. https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/italy/sicily/towns-and-cities-in-sicily/milazzo
To the north are the Aeolian Islands. Vulcano, Salina, Lipari, Stromboli, Panarea, Alicudi and Filicudi.
These islands host treasures, vineyards, bays, coves, warm waters and plenty of marine life.
The seas are very deep, in places greater than 2000 metres and home to squid, dolphins, whales. tuna and swordfish.
The islands are volcanic in original and are shrouded in myth and history. Each has their own character, presenting fantastic opportunities to walk and explore. https://www.butterfield.com/get-inspired/sicily-land-myths-maidens-monsters
Find out more on WHAT to DO in SICILY
Frizzante plans and dates
The cruising weeks planned this year are from the end of June to the beginning of October, mostly around the Aeolian.
The week of the 8 to the 15th of July, if the weather allows, Frizzante will sail to Taormina to enjoy the sounds of Simple Minds as they perform live in the ancient Greek theatre. https://www.traveltaormina.com/en/