- Off the beaten track
- Early/late season
- Cultural Experiences
Sicily presents a wonderful tapestry of culture, not least of all through its wonderful people, food, and architecture. The sailing area around Sicily is truly unique, fantastic sailing conditions combine with a breath-taking backdrop of erupting volcanoes, traditional island villages, black sand beaches and a historic cross-road of cultures best experienced through the wonderful and varied cuisine. The Aeolian Islands are formed of seven islands - Lipari, Volcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Alicudi and Filicudi. On the northern coast of Sicily, other than our bases, there is also the lovely town of Cefalu, which is well worth a visit, particularly to break up the trip to and from Palermo.
Premium
Capo d'Orlando, Sicily
Lagoon 40- Size: Compact
- Age: Mid-aged
- Catamaran
- 2020
- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£2,455was£ 3273Including Boat only-25 %
Premium
Capo d'Orlando, Sicily
Lagoon 40- Size: Compact
- Age: Modern
- Catamaran
- 2022
- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£2,638was£ 3103Including Boat only-15 %
Palermo, Sicily
Bavaria C50- Size: X-Large
- Age: Mid-aged
- Sailing yacht
- 2020
- 5 Cabins
- 3 Toilets
£2,529was£ 2975Including Boat only-15 %
Palermo, Sicily
Bali 4.1- Size: Medium
- Age: Modern
- Catamaran
- 2021
- 6 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£2,044was£ 3145Including Boat only-35 %
Palermo, Sicily
Dufour 430 Grand Large- Size: Medium
- Age: Modern
- Sailing yacht
- 2022
- 4 Cabins
- 2 Toilets
£1,721was£ 2295Including Boat only-25 %
Palermo, Sicily
Dufour 390 Grand Large- Size: Medium
- Age: New
- Sailing yacht
- 2023
- 3 Cabins
- 3 Toilets
£1,428was£ 1785Including Boat only-20 %
Premium
Palermo, Sicily
Dufour 470- Size: Large
- Age: Modern
- Sailing yacht
- 2022
- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£3,060Including Boat only
Palermo, Sicily
Bali 4.1- Size: Medium
- Age: Modern
- Catamaran
- 2021
- 6 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£2,044was£ 3145Including Boat only-35 %
Palermo, Sicily
Oceanis 46.1- Size: Large
- Age: Modern
- Sailing yacht
- 2022
- 3 Cabins
- 3 Toilets
£2,550Including Boat only
Capo d'Orlando, Sicily
Bali 4.2- Size: Medium
- Age: Modern
- Catamaran
- 2022
- 4 Cabins
- 4 Toilets
£3,794was£ 5058Including Boat only-25 %
What makes the Sicily so Special
- 1 Week - Aeolian Islands
- 2 Weeks - Aeolian and Egadi Islands
Vulcano's volcanic nature has long been impressing visitors – the ancient Romans believed it to be the chimney of the fire god Vulcan's workshop and the island is today celebrated for its therapeutic mud baths and hot springs. The main drawcard however, remains the Fossa di Vulcano, or Gran Cratere (Large Crater), the steaming volcano that towers over the island's north eastern shores.
Filicudi measures less than 10 square kilometres and is the most ragged of this group of islands. It’s a quiet holiday island and the two small villages lie on a small peninsula stretching out towards the south. Remains of prehistoric settlements from the Bronze Age have also been found here.
Salina is the second largest island in the Aeolian group. In stark contrast to the exposed volcanic terrain of the other Aeolian Islands, Salina boasts a lush, verdant landscape. Woodlands, wildflowers, thick yellow gorse bushes and serried ranks of grape vines carpet its hillsides in vibrant colours and cool greens, while high coastal cliffs plunge into the breaking waters below.
Emerging out of the blue haze like a menacing maritime pyramid, Stromboli's smoking silhouette conforms perfectly to one's childhood idea of a volcano. In fact, the island of Stromboli is just the tip of a vast underwater volcano that rises from the seabed 1476m below. The most captivating of the Aeolian Islands, it's a hugely popular daytrip destination as well as the summer favourite of designers Dolce and Gabbana.
The ancient island of 'Euonimo' is 3.5 sq km and is predominantly focussed on luxury tourism. The main village, Contrada San Pietro, consists of a picturesque group of white houses clustered along the eastern side of the island. The built-up area is crowned with olive trees and protected by huge walls.
The largest, oldest, and most densely populated of the Aeolian Islands, Lipari is an ancient Greek acropolis where you can immerse yourself in rich culture and history at the settlement of Castello. Feast your eyes on the exquisitely-preserved Norman architecture of the 13th-century Lipari cathedral. Visit the Aeolian Museum in Lipari Town and indulge in some superb local wine at one of the vineyards located on the eastern coast. Cruise over to the small uninhabited island of Basiluzzo to enjoy some spectacular snorkelling and a charming lunch spot.
As with much of Sicily there is always more to a place than meets the eye. Palermo is no exception and we recommend you take the time to explore the back streets away from the bustling town centre to really appreciate what this town has to offer.
21°C Sea temp: 19°C Warm days, cool evenings. Changeable weather improving
25°C Sea temp: 23°C Hot days, warm nights and generally calm conditions
28°C Sea temp: 26°C Beautifully hot, dry and generally calm conditions
28°C Sea temp: 26°C Beautifully hot, dry and generally calm conditions
26°C Sea temp: 25°C Warm days, warm nights, weather becoming changeable
22°C Sea temp: 22°C Cool days and nights with occasional stormy weather
18°C Sea temp: 16°C Cool calm seas and chilly evenings changeable conditions
We have three bases on the island of Sicily – Palermo, Cap d’Orlando and Portorosa. All three are located on the northern coast of the island and offer various benefits. Palermo is the largest and the capital city of Sicily. It has its own airport so the logistics of reaching the marina are straight forward. It is however a long sail to the Aeolian Islands. This can be broken up by visiting the pretty ‘mainland’ town of Cefalu. Cap d’Orlando is two hours drive east of Palermo, though is better (cheap and quickly) reached by train from the main Palermo station. A smaller village and marina, we believe the transfer east is well worth the effort as it does cut down on many, many hours of sailing time to get to and from the Aeolian Islands. Portorosa is located on the northeastern coast of Sicily, directly south of the Aeolian Islands. It is the closest base to the islands, though also the furthest from any airports. A picturesque little marina, Portorosa has all the amenities that you’ll need to start an enjoyable sailing holiday.
Fly into Sicily using Catania or Palermo Airports. Catania Airport is located on the east coast of Sicily, while Palermo Airport is on the north-west of the island. Our Sicily bases are on the northern coast of Sicily, so typically require a longer and more costly transfer than you may have experienced previously. Fortunately, the train system from either Palermo or Catania works well to all our charter bases and is much more affordable. When booking flights, ensure you leave enough time to train to the marina you are to board your yacht.
The prevailing winds around the Aeolian Islands during the summer tend to be easy breezes from NW or NE, although in calm weather sea breezes can be encountered from any direction blowing onto and between the islands. The climate when sailing in Sicily is typically Mediterranean, being dry and hot. Sicily is also quite far south in the Med, so enjoys a longer summer season as well, from April to October. Expect temperatures in the early 30s during peak season and temperatures in the early to mid 20s during May and October.
Mooring fees in Sicily are a mixed bag but you should expect to pay upwards of €400 per week on overnight stays. Prices are difficult to pin down at the best of times due to variable fees based on boat size, the time of year and sometimes your negotiation skills. This is an important point as we have heard of guests having lower mooring fee offers accepted. There is also the ability to anchor in some of the islands, (Porto di Ponente and Porto di Levante on Vulcano being two good examples).
Charterers in Italy need a minimum of an RYA Day Skipper. We recommend having an ICC certificate (International Certificate of Competence). If you are in any doubt, please contact Seamaster and we will advised you or even get pre-approval.