Portopalo di Capo Passero | Highly Attractive Land of the Southernmost Sicily

Portopalo di Capo Passero is a municipality in the province of Syracuse, the southernmost in Sicily, along a beautiful coastline with small inlets and an alternation of sandy areas and rocky spurs, 45 kilometers south-west of the provincial capital Syracuse.

The name of this Sicilian centre derives from the Latin Portus Palus which means marshy port while Capo Passero was added in 1975 to distinguish it from another Porto Palo existing in Sicily in the province of Agrigento.

Once in Portopalo I recommend starting the visit with the scenic Castello di Tafuri, today a very charming hotel erected between 1933 and 1935 by the Florentine architect Saverio Crotti for the Marquis Bruno di Belmonte and it became in the 50's a property of Tafuri family from which took its current name.

It is a fine architectural Renaissance replica highlighted by a beautiful fa?ade boasting refined arched windows and superb outlines with a magnificent high crenellated tower of medieval inspiration, a building which became very famous some decades ago because two notorious personalities as Michael Schumacher former F1 racing driver and the businessman Flavio Briatore wanted to buy it.

Continuation with the local Tonnara, tuna fishery built in the 17th century which remained active until 1969 which represents the year in which the red tuna fishing was suppressed. In the complex that was a pillar of the local economy today you can admire the remains of the church dating back to the 17th century, the loggia, the great furnace and the former warehouses.

Inside one of these former warehouses, a small multimedia museum has been developed that illustrates in specific details tuna fishing with its strategies, and the life of the “tonnaroti” the tuna fishermen.

Continuation with the Church of San Gaetano erected in 1927 with a beautiful stone fa?ade accentuated by symmetrical spires and a tympanum that gives an effect of grandeur.

To the side of the entrance portal there are ornate columns that support an arched tympanum and a circular window developed in the center to give light to the entrance. Interior with a single nave with a chapel on the right side, decorations with niches containing statues of saints and walls adorned with intertwined arches.

Close to the beach of Scalo Mandrie you can see the remains of tanks that were used for the processing of tuna in the Greek-Roman era discovered in the 80s which were an integral part of a tuna fishery dating back to the fourth century BC which were also used for the preparation of the Garum, a spicy fish sauce, very salty,with a strong taste much appreciated by Greek and Roman colonists.

In the 50s a small catacomb was discovered in this area and finds that are connected to a probable inhabited area.

Another attraction is the Isola di Capo Passero, consisting in a small islet with a surface area of 0, 37 square kilometres which was once a peninsula. It is just 1300, 0 metres long and with a width of approximately half kilometre.

On it was elevated, a small fort, built in 1599 by the architect Giovanni Antonio del Nobile under Spanish rule in the period corresponding to the reign of King Philip III of Spain and was then transformed into a military prison in the 18th century, in operation until 1866 with the interruptions of prison operations and later a lighthouse was built five years later which functioned until the 50s used by the Italian Navy.

In Portopalo di Capo Passero you can also visit the charming Isola delle Correnti, in the case you are interested I wrote an article about it.

In Portopalo di Capo Passero you will be delighted by delicious cuisine, as a superb tuna, fried fish and seafood of superb quality. Do not miss to try the exquisite Fish Soup alla Siracusana, a stew prepared with mussels, clams, prawns, mackerel, cuttlefish with an addition of green olives, capers, slices of bread, tomato, olive oil and chili pepper. ?

Absolutely excellent are the Calamari Fatti Fritti consisting in fresh squid which in the process of preparation are before fried then filled with fresh tomato and baked in the oven.

A further superb speciality, pride of the local culinary art I recommend you is the Tonno a ghiotta, fresh tuna cooked with potatoes, tomatoes, onion, garlic and pepper.

The Pisci Spada gratinato is another gastronomic emblem consisting in baked swordfish seasoned with garlic, lemon, parsley, black pepper, salt, potatoes and with a "gratin" of pecorino cheese or in alternative Parmesan on the top.

Two notorious dishes are in addition the delicious Caponata and a local Couscous inherited by the Arab-Berbers with an use apart of semolina and meat also pumpkin, chickpeas and potatoes and do not forget to taste the exquisite and famed Arancini.

You can find an ample variety of pasta plates prepared with different kinds of sauces and styles and try the Pizza Siracusana made with onion, fresh tomato, cheese with an addition of potatoes, ?

An endless list of different kinds of local baked bread products similar to stuffed Calzoni is another culinary highlight such as the delicious Cudduruni,? Mpanate, Vastedda, Pastizzi, Nfiughhiulate filled with cheese, sausages, salami, seafood, meat, vegetables and a further one which deserves a mention, very typical of that specific area is the Caiccu made with fish and potatoes.

Notable is also the quality of the local juicy tomatoes simply great in mixed salads or cut and seasoned with olive oil and salt on a toasted bread. You are in a geographic area well known for the production of the famed Pomodori Pachini, those little tomatoes absolutely excellent to garnish a wide range of starters and appetisers.

Simply outstanding is the quality of local olives with different kinds present on the local territory such as Zaituna, Biancolilla, Moresca, Nocellara and Tonda Iblea among. others.

An iconic speciality using that product is the tastefully Alivi Cunzati, seasoned with garlic, vinegar, pepper, salt, adding celery, carrots in slices red chili and conserved under olive oil.

The Airport Fontanarossa Vincenzo Bellini of Catania is situated at 114,0 kilometres north of Portopalo di Capo Passero and in approximately one hour and half driving you can reach that beautiful area via Siracusa by E18 motorway until the town of Noto, once there you have to follow the indications towards the provincial Road SP 19 in direction Pachino.

If you are planning a trip to Sicily, I recommend you a visit or why not stay close to that site, the eternally splendid Ionian sea, crystalline waters, a mild climate and a sun shining all year will delight your days in a magnificent environment in this highly attractive land of the southernmost Sicily.

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Link : https://www.comune.portopalo.sr.it/it/

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Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation

QuattroCuori Hotel Boutique & Spa

Castello Tafuri