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Southern coast of Sicily

Fishing boats line the docks in Sciacca. Italy
Fishing boats line the docks in Sciacca. Italy

We left Siracusa on May 18 intending to head west along the southern coast of Sicily stopping overnight in various places in order to shorten the final leg of our trip to our new home in Sardinia.  Our first stop was the large Marina di Ragusa near the city of Ragusa.  We spent only 12 hours there before heading for Licata where we spent three days at the Marina di Cala del Sole. It is a new and not yet complete marina set in a planned tourist development that came to a halt in the Great Recession.  Unfinished construction and idle cranes attest to the speed at which this project came to an abrupt end.  The marina had lots of space and is very well protected by extensive breakwaters.  The only problem for us is that wild dogs took up residence in the vacant land around the marina and they bark periodically throughout the night.  Not a good situation for sensitive sleepers like us. Licata is an interesting town and we enjoyed walking around and sampling its ristorantes and trattoria.  There is a Conad supermarket next door to the marina which proved very convenient for us.

Local people strolled along the quay of the marina in Licata every evening and all day on Sunday
Local people strolled along the quay of the marina in Licata every evening and all day on Sunday

On May 24th, we sailed 50 nautical miles west to the town of Sciacca, where a large fishing fleet is based.  We were able to med moor at the pontoon of the local chapter of “Lega Navale Italiana”, a national association of Italian boaters.  This is a charming town that dates back to the Greeks who enjoyed soaking in the thermal springs, as did the Romans who followed.  It architecture reflects its occupation by, successively, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantium, Arab North Africa, Normandy, and Aragon Spain.  It was once a great port for the grain trade.

View of Sciacca at sunset
View of Sciacca at sunset
The city is full with painted ceramic tiles. There are at lest a dozen at the Lega Navale dock. These are on the stairs from the harbor to the town up on the hill.
The city is full of painted ceramic tiles. There are at least a dozen large displays at the Lega Navale dock. These are on the stairs from the harbor to the town up on the hill.
We found our way into the old Jewish district and found the location of one of the 15th century synagogues. Jews were forced to convert or be expelled from Spanish-ruled Sicily in 1492, as in all Spanish lands. Licata and Ragusa also had Jewish communities before the Inquisition.
We found our way into the old Jewish district and found the location of one of the 14th century synagogues. Jews were forced to convert or be expelled from Spanish-ruled Sicily in 1492, as in all Spanish lands. Siracusa, Licata and Ragusa also had Jewish communities before the Inquisition.
The Lega Navale dock in Sciacca. Sabbatical III is closest boat.
The Lega Navale dock in Sciacca. Sabbatical III is the closest boat.
The Lega Navale dock as pictured in painted ceramic tiles. The building behind the boats are in the town center located up a steep hill from the marina.
The Lega Navale dock as pictured in painted ceramic tiles. The buildings pictured behind the boats are actually in the town center located up a steep hill from the marina.
Sabbatical III iat Lega Navale, Sciacca.
Sabbatical III at Lega Navale, Sciacca.

Tomorrow evening, Wednesday, May 25, we leave Sciacca for the 260 nautical mile passage to Carloforte, southwest of Sardinia.  We will be taking advantage of two days of (forecast) easterly winds to get to Sabbatical III’s new home marina without having to head directly into the prevailing westerlies.  We should arrive sometime during the day on Friday.

 

M.

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