ENDLESS BEACHES AND PROTECTED AREAS.
IN SOUTH-EAST SICILY, BETWEEN ORTIGIA,
VENDICARI AND MARZAMEMI

One wonders how the wind manages to make them so alike and so different: the dunes. Long sand expanses stand between the deep blue of the sea and the rich green of the countryside, as well as bays, cliffs, fortified towers and tunny-fishing nets, the salty taste, mixed with the one of thyme and wild mint. It is on this part of Sicily, described by the Italian writer Andrea Camilleri and chosen as a natural theatre for the adventures of the Montalbano serials, that “Home Sud Home” suggests you to live.

The littoral zone of the province of south-east Sicily, runs from Siracusa to Portopalo, the last town where the Mediterranean and the Ionian sea meet in a hug of foam. Here it is possible to enjoy stunning sunset, a clear, but not aggressive, light which enhances the contour of everything and every house, and a quiet stillness, paced by the roar of the waves on the shore. In this almost African scenery – after taking a walk between the Greek reminiscences and jewellery from every era of Ortigia, the small island that became the historical centre of the city of Siracusa – on the road that takes from Noto to Pachino, appears, as a mirage, the nature reserve of Vendicari: a protected and untouched marvel.

Of the building dedicated to the tuna fishing, which stands among reeds, junipers and agaves, only the fascinating skeleton remains, which is enough to imagine what this building was like before being abandoned. On entering the rich Mediterranean vegetation, ‘Cala delle Mosche’ can be reached with its very fine sand and crystal clear water. A bit more in the south the small fishing village of Marzamemi with a few house, a sea view, a square and a small church that seem to be carried here from the late 19th century Mexico, can be found. By continuing, shore after shore, the town of Pozzallo, overlooked by the Spanish tower of the Cabrera family will be found.

The award of the “blue flags” guarantee here the quality of its sea and beaches. Then, by travelling along the countryside, which is adorned and bordered by dry stone walls, wheat fields, carob trees and prickly pears, the province of Ragusa will be reached. Here, the white sand catches the visitor’s attention, filling it with wonder, in contrast with the blue of the calm sea and the glare of the sun: a spell of time which lasts for miles!