A day up in Tindari.
A drive to Tindari can include the Greek-Roman theatre, the sanctuary and the view down to the Marinello lagoons. The outing can stay on the hilltop.
Italy and Sicily · Palermo, Cefalù and the coast eastwards
Sicily’s north coast.
A few days in Palermo, then beaches, old streets and evenings by the sea in Cefalù. Several nights in each place leave time for both town life and swimming.
Seven to ten days around Palermo and Cefalù can be a whole holiday. With two to three weeks, more stays along the coast are possible, with some longer sailing days between towns.
Photo: Kondephy
Along the north coast
Choose a few places and stay a while.
Capo d’Orlando, Portorosa and Milazzo are a separate option for seven to ten days. With San Vito and Castellammare in the west added, three to four weeks give more room for the whole coast and long stays.
Northerly winds and swell matter on the exposed stretches. The towns offer days ashore between sailing legs. June or September may suit, with time for the return if the holiday starts and ends in the same harbour.
Palermo
Days in the city from La Cala.
From the waterfront at La Cala, the walk heads towards Piazza Marina and into the old streets. One day can be spent on Quattro Canti, churches and coffee breaks, another on the markets.
At Ballarò, stalls sell vegetables, fruit and street food. It is a place for lunch along the way and shopping for the boat, before going out again in the evening. Vucciria provides another area to explore; Palermo has enough for several days without moving the boat.
Photo: Effems
A morning at the market.
The market streets offer simple meals between visits to the larger sights.
Photo: Giorgio Galeotti
Cefalù
The beach and town beneath the rock.
In Cefalù, a walk can lead from the cathedral mosaics to the old washhouse and down towards the beach. Museo Mandralisca holds Antonello da Messina’s portrait of an unknown man. There is enough for several short outings, with swims and long breaks between them.
A meal by the sea can be followed by an evening walk through the streets. The small fishing harbour beside the old town is the place seen on postcards. Presidiana is a possible berthing option, east of the rock.
Photo: Einaz80
Two different places by the water.
The map shows the old-town beach at Porto Vecchio and the harbour area at Presidiana.
- Old town / Porto VecchioBeach, streets and walks.
- PresidianaMarina Yachting Cefalù is in this harbour area.
Westwards with more time
San Vito, Castellammare and Scopello.
San Vito Lo Capo has its long sandy beach with the town just behind. In Castellammare del Golfo, houses rise above the waterfront; it is a place for an evening by the water.
Scopello suits a drive from the coast: the village, a simple meal of pani cunzatu, bread with oil and toppings, and views over the sea. A walk in Zingaro can be added, depending on which paths are listed as open on the reserve’s updated map.
Zingaro: open paths and visits ↗
Photo: Superchilum
A separate holiday option
Capo d’Orlando to Milazzo.
Capo d’Orlando Marina lies at San Gregorio, with a beach and a small coastal community around it. The town itself is elsewhere; the marina offers a shuttle to the centre in summer.
Portorosa is a holiday complex with canals and a marina, a practical base for a stay and excursions in the area. It offers a different daily rhythm from berthing beside an old harbour town.
Milazzo on foot.
The fortress area and upper town offer a day of old walls, streets and views. A meal down by the waterfront can round off the outing. Milazzo is also a possible arrival city for a holiday in the east.
Photo: Wilson44691
Arrival and boat care
The journey to the boat.
Palermo or Catania.
From Palermo airport, trains run to the city. For Cefalù, an onward train connection and transport from the station to the marina are additional legs.
In the east, Giuntabus runs from Catania airport to Milazzo, followed by a final transfer to the berth. Capo d’Orlando and Portorosa can also arrange transport.
Capo d’Orlando as a base.
The Multinautic 2.0 yard inside the marina offers maintenance and storage ashore. This allows a holiday and boat care to be combined in Capo d’Orlando. The facility’s suitability for an individual boat must be confirmed.
Capo d’Orlando: lifting facilities
Multinautic 2.0 has a 110-tonne travel lift.
Capo d’Orlando: boatyard and services ↗A film from Palermo
Harbour and city life.
Harbour Life in Palermo, SicilyMosaics, evening streets and work by the harbour during a stay in Palermo.Photo credits and sourcesChecked 19 September 2026
Photographs and film.
Photographers, dates taken and licences are listed beside each photograph.
Image manifest with original sources and checksums ↗The Palermo film was assessed through selected frames at 5:39, 9:26 and 13:12, without sound. The berth shown has not been identified.
Maps.
The coastline in the overview maps comes from Natural Earth 1:10m. The Cefalù detail uses OpenStreetMap so that the town and Presidiana can be shown separately.
Natural Earth · free use ↗© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL ↗Place points, coastline extract and sources · ODbL ↗Map design: Sophie · CC BY 4.0 ↗Towns and excursions.
Visit Sicily: Cefalù ↗Visit Sicily: Tindari and Marinello ↗Visit Sicily: Scopello and San Vito ↗Zingaro: current visitor information ↗Holiday lengths are suggestions based on selected stays along the coast. Stops and time at sea depend on the weather and the journey’s start and end points.
Harbours and transport.
Links to the marinas, airport train and Giuntabus appear beside the relevant paragraphs. Berth availability, boat dimensions, transport times and opening hours vary.
Meteo Aeronautica: gale warnings ↗