East Coast Sicily Day 5 - Tindari and Laghetti di Marinello

The next morning finds us back on the bus but heading in the opposite direction towards the Sanctuary of Tindari. It's a local bus and it takes its time especially when there's a change of driver which perhaps involves time for a second breakfast for both and a bit of a wait for the passengers. Never mind, when it gets going again the stops and passengers are fewer and fewer and the road up to Tindari is increasingly panoramic. The bus goes past all the various car parks and forbidden entry signs and deposits us right at the top. We are the only passengers still left on the bus but there are quite a few people wandering around the sanctuary and grounds.

First of all the view. We are here for the view, in this case of the Laghetti di Marinello below. And the view of the sea lakes and narrow strip of beach surrounding them below is indeed spectacular.

But, yes there's a but, because the beach is not white as in the various photos one can find on the Internet, but rather an off-white light greyish colour, so, beautiful, but not the Caribbean effect. We also walk along the top of the hill until the viewpoint in the other direction, 

and have a look inside the Sanctuary too. 

The plan is now to follow the footpath down to Oliveri and the beach and lakes. We aren't quite sure where the path arrives at the bottom and we don't want to have to go back to the centre of Oliveri for food so we decide to get some arancini at the cafè just below the Sanctuary. It's really too early in the morning for arancini, but when we explain our walk and picnic plan they kindly start frying arancini specially for us, although mysteriously those with aubergines aren't available because out of season, odd, because on the markets and in the shops there are aubergines everywhere!

With lunch in our rucksack we are ready for anything and head down the path which is easy to follow and nothing difficult but definitely requires proper walking shoes because of the ground which is rocky in places. Don't try it with sandals or your toes will suffer!

Going downhill is quicker than expected and there's a shortcut under the railway and along the side of a campsite which quickly brings us to the beach. Here it's harder going, the sun is quite hot again and the beach is partly sand and partly shingle but we resist and make it to the far end where, given the hot temperature and that the beach is reasonably user friendly and that hardly anyone else has come this far I take a cautious let-me-check-I-can-touch-the bottom swim. Picnic ensues, the arancini are delicious, followed by a rest. 

We never sit on a beach for long, we are usually unequipped for long stays and the hot sun bothers us after a while, so by 2 o'clock we are walking back along the beach. We take the long way round to see the various lakes, there are more people nearer the town end, the breeze is pleasant and the place is beautiful but by the time we are dusting sand off our feet on the promenade we are decidedly ready for that perfect combination.... coffee granita. We walk towards the centre of the village because Oliveri is quite small and find the train station and check that the train we plan to take to Milazzo actually exists and then look for granita.

We find a sleepy bar in the centre which is bar on one side and Pensioners centre on the other with a single toilet squashed in the middle. Here we sit and relax in the shade partaking of a very decent coffee granita and brioche until it's time for the train. 

Everything is on time and we get back to Milazzo in time to get the bus from the station into town which is lucky because it's 4 kilometres. Laghetti di Tindari had been on my list for a very long time and was definitely worth a visit, even if it wasn't quite the Caribbean beach of the photos.