Its long history touches on a monk taking refuge from persecution and the myth of the Virgin Mary who appeared to the faithful after three rings of a bell in the s. To honor it all, one of the island's biggest festivals combining market stalls, a procession and fireworks takes place annually in July. Porto Bello restaurant, with a terrace overlooking the port, is unpretentious seafood dining at its very best. Or feast on octopus salad, caponata and the Sicilian classic of pasta alla norma at the casual Didyme.
Beyond the port, there are a few other sleepy towns to explore, including Lingua and the only sand beach at Rinella. But one town in particular is a humble gourmet gem -- Malfa. Famous for producing the white wine Malvasia and exporting it to the world, Malfa is a must-stop for wine lovers. The intense, delicately sweet flavored Malvasia can be found at every restaurant and bar on the island. Traveler's token.
When you're ready for a break from indulging in the island's gastronomic delights, head to the port area. Santa Marina Salina is the busiest part of the island, with boutiques, ceramic stores and other specialty shops lining the short main street of Via Risorgimento.
Shops include the chic concept store Le Signorine. Brainchild of sisters Marietta and Concetta, the boutique sells independently designed, handmade items from bags to jewelry to kids clothes. Stop in Salearancio for unique clothing and accessories. Along the same street sits the eclectic gallery, artistic space and bookshop Amanei.
A delightful stay. The spectacular property sits within the stunning, peaceful surroundings of five hectares of vineyard. The historic lighthouse and centerpiece of the property was the inspiration for owner Alberto Tasca. Of the property's tranquil setting, Tasca says, "Turn after turn with a landscape that takes your breath away, my wife Francesca and I arrived at Capofaro.
Tasca and his wife were "charmed by the slightly run-down lighthouse and the vineyard at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. Days at Capofaro are spent lounging at the pool, cocktail in hand, snacking on club sandwiches packed with capers of course and even caper mayonnaise. Wine tasting is also a fine activity. Cap off the day with dinner by chef Ludovico De Vivo.
On-site produced wine pairings are optional but highly recommended. Check the latest prices for Hotel Principe di Salina here. Or search for more places to stay in Malfa here. Salina lulled us into a languid pace. There are boat trips and hikes and wineries you can visit, but somehow our four days passed in a serene mix of long breakfasts, strolls around the village, and enjoying the views from the pool.
We drove along quiet roads past wildflowers and caper bushes, cacti and poplars, through tiny villages and up and down winding roads; the twin extinct volcanoes now covered in lush vegetation dominating the island. In the port town Santa Marina Salina we meandered past colourful houses and boutiques. In Rinella we perched on rocks at the end of the black sand beach admiring the colourful village, sunbathers lazing amongst the fishing boats.
You can reach Salina by faster hydrofoil aliscafo with Liberty Lines or the slower ferry traghetto with Siremar. From Milazzo to Salina the hydrofoil took about 1. The crossing can be rough, so if you get seasick take medication and sit at the back of the hydrofoil. We reached Milazzo by train from Naples, a 6.
This trip is often delayed and ours was about an hour late. Search on Trenitalia for trains to Milazzo. Or ItaliaRail is an easier site to use for English speakers. You can also read our guide to travelling from London to Italy by train.
Elsewhere, white-painted island houses are set among gardens and vineyards and agricultural terraces, connected by a slowly sweeping road and by the old mule lanes which still provide pedestrians with the most direct routes around the settlement. For those passing through in a hurry, there isn't much to see. But stay here a few days, or even a few hours, and visitors will begin to feel the mellow seduction of the scenery, the ambience and the hospitality of Malfa.
Tourism has come to Malfa, so far, in a gentle and classy way. Most of the buildings in Malfa are in quiet and traditional island style, and many along the oldest alleys are picturesque, ancient and sometimes crumbling. The current state of development, with an authentic rustic feel and a 'living' village atmosphere, combined with partial restoration of the historic houses and a certain degree of gentrification, is what makes Malfa feel so quietly special and attractive to visitors.
Perhaps it's a fragile equilibrium, as without its quiet corners, its picturesque decaying buildings and its rusting wrought-iron doorways, the village might become another purely tourist destination, with every building smartened-up for tourist accommodation. But for now, at least out of the peak July-August period, this is a village where tourists can live comfortably while being absorbed into the peaceful rural island atmosphere.
While Malfa doesn't have many specific tourist sights, it's easy to spend a couple of hours exploring lanes, taking photographs and admiring the scenery. Uphill from the centre, behind the church of San Lorenzo, is an interesting little museum of emigration, dedicated to the many islanders who headed to Australia and America in search of a better life check locally for opening times. In the opposite direction, Via Scalo, Malfa's most picturesque alley, leads downhill past handsome buildings, ruins, flowers, vines and agricultural terraces towards the sea.
Crossing the road by the panoramically-positioned Hotel Punta Scario, a lane descends around the cliffs to Malfa's small stony beach, known as Lo Scario. Here you can rent inflatable mattresses, parasols and sunbeds and enjoy the beach's beautiful surroundings. Climbing back up to the road by the hotel, turning left and then heading downhill will take you to Malfa's harbour, a small and curious place with a somewhat forgotten air, where old fishermen's houses cluster together and small pleasure boats rock at their moorings.
There's a finite but good choice of places to eat in Malfa. As well as a handful of take-away and convenience options - including a small supermarket where you can buy cheap picnic provisions and rolls made while you wait - visitors will find several excellent restaurants serving traditional island and Sicilian cuisine, often using locally-grown ingredients.
For drinks, the garden bar of Hotel Ravesi is a classy option for an aperitivo, where a choice from the cocktail or wine list can be enjoyed with substantial self-service nibbles. Island buses stop in Malfa's central piazza, and connect the village with Santa Marina and Lingua in one direction, and Leni and Rinella in the other.
If you're staying in Malfa and arriving by bus, ask your hotel or the driver which is the best stop. Another infrequent bus service runs to Pollara, so by planning around bus timetables, it's possible to tour the island and see Salina's other sights quite easily.
Lingua is a little settlement at the end of the coastal road south from Santa Marina Salina. It's a very pleasant place to stay for a few hours - or a few days, if you are looking for a laid-back seaside break. The salt pans here, now consisting of a single large pool, were in use in Roman times and gave the island of Salina its name. Overlooking the lagoon is the Museo Civico, an interesting museum of local traditions, with artefacts and exhibits relating to Salina's history and industries, from fishing to caper-harvesting check opening times locally.
Beneath the low wall of the promenade is a very narrow strip of beach, made of stones and large pebbles.
In front of the beach is a shallow stretch of crystal clear water, protected from the open sea by the giant blocks of a breakwater.
This tranquil area is ideal for novice swimmers, children, for wading, or for perching on a smooth underwater rock and relaxing in the cooling waters. A further stretch of pebbly beach, open to the sea, can be found further along by the salt lagoon. And past the lagoon along the seashore is a lido with sunbeds for a more comfortable experience.
There are several hotels, rooms to let and restaurants at Lingua. The most renowned eatery is Da Alfredo, famed for both its fresh fruit granita the classic Sicilian ice-slush, rated as one of the best in Italy and local speciality pane cunzato , a kind of seasoned bread piled high with local ingredients. There are tables in the square overlooking the sea, and a restaurant just behind the square.
Pane cunzato makes a good lunch or simple evening meal; the portions here are big, but they also serve half-portions on request. If you're visiting Salina, every Italian will tell you that Da Alfredo is an unmissable destination, and many travel here just for the granite , sampling flavours like fig, wild island blackberry, mulberry, almond, peach and prickly pear, sometimes combining two together.
Lingua is a good destination for an excursion, reachable by bus, taxi, hired vehicle or on foot from Santa Marina. The walk takes about 45 minutes and is scenic - but with the need to be wary of the occasional passing traffic on tight bends. Look out for an old bridge dating to an earlier incarnation of the road.
Take note of the bus timetables; although Lingua is a great place to visit for an evening meal on the seafront, you may find there are no evening buses, so be prepared to use a local taxi afterwards. At other times it can be very tranquil and although the centre is touristy, it is touristy in a very low-key and unpretentious way. For holidaymakers who are staying in Lingua, the day is spent going out on a hired boat or on an organised boat trip, lying on the stones of the beach some people use inflatable mattresses for comfort , swimming, cooling down with a granita , eating pane cunzato , and browsing the little artisan knick-knack stalls along the seafront.
Children play together in the sea pools, and in the evening they trundle up and down the pedestrian promenade on scooters, bikes and skates. At night, away from the lights of the seafront, the sky is full of stars.
If you're looking for more energetic activities, the rest of Salina is reachable by the bus, which starts in Lingua before heading to Santa Marina, Malfa, Leni and Rinella change in Malfa for Pollara; ask the driver.
A scenic footpath also starts in Lingua, beginning along the seashore past the salt lagoon. By La Salina lido, take a long straight alley uphill, turn left on the road to its end, then follow the signposted footpath I ignored a barrier and a sign warning of the lack of railings and slippery surfaces. This path, known as the Sentiero Brigantino, winds along the coast for around 45 minutes' walking before petering out in the Mediterranean scrub.
On the way it passes close to a picturesque isolated rustic house standing overlooking the sea among terraces of olives and capers.
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