Portopalo di Capopassero is with regard to its origins a fishing village just like Marzamemi. It might not be as widely known as the latter, but it is an appealing and attractive destination for both holidays and excursions.
This goes above all for the lively summer months, when you will find Portopalo to be by far a more tranquil place than much frequented Marzamemi.
Portopalo di Capopassero is with regard to its origins a fishing village just like Marzamemi. It might not be as widely known as the latter, but it is an appealing and attractive destination for both holidays and excursions.
This goes above all for the lively summer months, when you will find Portopalo to be by far a more tranquil place than much frequented Marzamemi.
Portopalo with offshore island Capopassero 'occupies' the southernmost tip of Sicily and therefore lies on almost the same latitude as Tunis. The village’s checkerboard-like roads, similar to those at nearby Pachino, more often than not end right by the sea.
Isola delle Correnti, where the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas meet, is not far off and neither is the famous fishing village of Marzamemi, which is only a stone’s throw from Portopalo. Along the beautiful coastal road connecting the two villages lie several beach bays. During low season the road is easy to manage also by bike.
When approaching Portopalo from the north, one of its landmarks catches your eye immediately – Castello Tafuri. The former castle was elaborately renovated only a few years ago and nowadays is a popular venue for weddings and similar events. In its immediate vicinity lie the ruins of the old tonnara – the old fish factory. As in many other places in south-eastern Sicily, the coastal inhabitants for a very long time made a living on catching and processing local tuna.
A little further on and right by the sea lies the large piazza of Portopalo di Capopassero. There’s a children’s playground, a walk along the seaside and – a bar which calls itself Europe’s southernmost bar and serves a great aperitif with sea view.
The restaurant right next door is one of many at Portopalo where you can enjoy local fish cuisine in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. More restaurants and bars are found a little further on, in a kind of small pedestrian zone, which is in general off limits to traffic.
Portopalo is, first and foremost, a perfect place for beach holidays without mass tourism and too much hustle and bustle on mild summer evenings. However, with the sea right at its door, with its lively village atmosphere and with all the sights in the south and southeast of Sicily not too far away Portopalo is an appealing and attractive place also outside summer season.
Smaller beach sections are found around the village and when heading towards Marzamemi. At the bays along the coastal road the number of lidi with good service and beach bars have increased in the course of the last few years. If you prefer free beach sections, you should head the other way, towards Isola delle Correnti. That’s where above all locals like to spend their Sundays by the sea.
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