Milazzo Trip report September 2017

We stayed in Milazzo as a base to visit some of the lesser known areas of Sicily we'd been curious about for some time and in particular Capo Milazzo and the Piscine di Venere, Messina, Capo d'Orlando and the Laghetti di Tindari/Marinello.

We visited mid-end September and just used public transport which was generally very good. There is a direct coach from Catania airport to Milazzo and frequent coaches from Milazzo to Messina for visiting Messina and getting the train to other destinations. Milazzo is also on the railway line from Messina to Palermo but the railway station is 4 kilometres from Milazzo which is less than convenient. The bus service between the station and Milazzo centre isn't that frequent and doesn't take into account train delays. For a group of four however, a taxi, at ten euros, is probably the best option. We also used the local bus to go to Tindari.

We did not visit the Eolian Islands because a day trip would have been expensive and not in line with our slow travel desire to see things slowly. Nevertheless, including some walking and an occasional half day of relaxation there was plenty to see and do for a week.

Milazzo is a very pleasant town, we found people friendly. There's a lot of coming and going in the port area because there are the ferries to the Eolian isles but apart from that Milazzo in late September was quiet and untouristy. We stayed in an apartment and enjoyed doing our own cooking. The choice and quality of fresh fish and the skill of the fishmongers in preparing it for clients was excellent. Granita is a specialty in this part of Sicily and is excellent. For fruit and vegetables there's the weekly market and local producers at the end of the promenade near the amateur fishermen area.

On the other hand Milazzo is not a beach resort unless you hate sand and are a very good swimmer. The beach to the east is uncomfortable shingle and while the water is clear, clean and beautiful it quickly gets deep. The Piscine di Venere are justly well-known but therefore crowded.

All in all we spent a very pleasant week and have good memories of Milazzo and the surrounding area.