A WEEK A FLOAT SICILY

The Aeolian Islands delight the senses, with delicious cuisine, charming bays and smouldering volcanoes, as Lu Heikell discovers

- Lu Heikell

DO YOU ONLY HAVE A WEEK TO SPARE?

For those of us who are time poor but who want to seize the moment, either on our own boat or on a charter, it is reassuring to know that there are plenty of cruising hubs from where we can enjoy some of the best of the region in only a few days. A Week Afloat, commissioned by Yachting Monthly and Imray, visits some ideal destinations and suggests a one week itinerary. Each article, complete with expanded information about cruising each area, will be available as a PDF download via Imray’s website or Google Play Books.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and although it is part of Italy, Sicilians consider themselves first and foremost Sicilian, not Italian. The north coast stretches from Capo San Vito in the west to the entrance of the Strait of Messina, some 140 miles to the east. The island’s name is derived from a somewhat forgotten tribe, the Sicela, who migrated here in about 1000BC. Soon after this the first Greek colonists arrived. One of the Greek names for the island was Trinacria, the ‘three-cornered island’. The flag of Sicily, the Bandiera di Sicilia, shows a Medusa’s head with three running legs, and has some similarity to the Isle of Man flag.