Sicilia

update : Sicily 2014sizilien

Sicily 2014

This year I decided to spend my nudist vacation in the same places I did last year: on the Eastern coast in the province of Siracusa. In fact, in 2013 I enjoyed my stay in Sicily so much and visited so many beautiful places that I decided to get back.

In my opinion there are several opportunities for nudists in Sicily. Well, let’s make this point clear. I love naturism and I try to find out isolated places where I can be nude all the time. I don’t like crowded and noisy places. On the contrary, I like wild places, that cannot be easily accessed and where you can stay in touch with nature and listen to its sounds and smells.

So, if you search for large and official nudist beaches, preferably with services (bars, restaurants, facilities, …) in the surroundings, well, there are a few in Sicily, but that’s probably not the right choice for your vacation. If you like wild isolated places, well, just rent a car and you can really enjoy your stay! The weather in Sicily is wonderful and the summer season is usually long, so consider visiting the place in June and September: these months can turn out to be the best option for nudists.

Here are a few notes about my vacation and some more pictures. They are intended to be just an add-on to my last year’s Report. The pictures are about some of the wild places you can find on the coast and that I enjoyed so much: searching for such relaxing nude beaches takes the highest priority to me!

IMG_1705 IMG_1744
 IMG_1733  IMG_1772

IMG_1774

And last but not least, if you decide to go to Sicily, well, you can’t do without tasting wonderful local specialties.

IMG_1752

The cannolo is a pastry dessert consisting of tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta. They may range in size from “ no bigger than a finger”, to fist-sized proportions. Chopped pistachios, semi-sweet chocolate pieces, and candied citrus peel or cherries are often still included, dotting the open ends of the pastries.

 

IMG_1724

The granita is usually enjoyed in its classic flavors of lemon, almond and coffee but nowadays also in the variations of mandarin, pistachio and chocolate of Modica. It can be enjoyed on its own, more often in accompaniment of a brioche, a sweet sandwich of dough. This is the classic breakfast of the Sicilian summer, maybe, even better , in a little bar overlooking the sea 😉

 

 Naturism in Italy: the nude nature of Sicily  by Marco
titel_sizilien_nudist

Nudism for me represents the desire of being outdoors without veils, or censorship.

Just close your eyes and imagine wonderful beaches. A lot of beaches. Where the dress is optional. Nudism, as a way of life. Living in harmony with nature and practicing nudity to promote respect for others and for the environment. On the other hand, being nudist for the mere pleasure to be naked, and leave your swimsuit at home.

Not many people know that Sicily is a true paradise for nudists. Yes, because in the island, in addition to well-known beaches “for families” and places hit by mass tourism, there are also quite a few natural jewels, favored by lovers of naturism, those who like to implement a way of life dedicated to symbiosis with nature, to the point of living their moments of relaxation totally naked.

That’s why this year I decided to spend my summer holiday on the Eastern Cost of the island, very close to Siracusa. You can fly there using a low-cost air company landing in Catania airport. I recommend to rent a car at the airport upon your arrival, so that you are free to visit around and find out nude beaches for naturists. Also, I opted for an apartment in order to have more flexibility and fully enjoy my stay.

Nudism in Sicily

Sicily is the Italian region with the highest magnitude of coasts, including just over 1000 km of coastline on approximately 7500 km in Italy.

There are no authorized beaches, but there are several naturist beaches where the practice has become a custom for several tens of years.  Thanks to the mild climate and the many natural areas available, there are about a dozen or so tolerated naturist beaches on the island.

The web reports many beaches where you can practice naturism, but not all of them are reliable. In my opinion, naturist beaches are those where you can stay peacefully resting in the sun without the fear of having to play if you approached a textile, that is, the naturist beaches where the practice has been virtually accepted by public opinion.

Naturist beaches in the area of Siracusa

In the province of Siracusa you can freely practice nudism around Vendicari, accessible from the main city taking the state road SS 115 in the direction Avola-Noto-Pachino. There is possibility to practice naturism also on the beaches at the mouth of the Ciane river, close to Siracusa. A nudist creek is also located near the archaeological site of Eloro, not far from Vendicari.

00_siracusa_mapBesides the beaches listed above there are dozens of other beaches, bays, coves, cliffs where you can practice nudity in different periods of the year, but for the simple fact that they are rarely visited parts of the coast and not because the nudity was the almost accepted by the population.

 

 

Eloro

About 30km South from Siracusa, close to the excavations at Eloro (near Vendicari) there is a wonderful naturist cove with a long stretch of fine golden beach.

01_eloro_beach 02_eloro_beach

The place can be reached from Lido di Noto along a dirt road. The ancient city of Eloro was founded by Corinthian settlers landed from neighboring Greece in the seventh century. As soon as you reach the beach you can see a strange column called “Column Pizzuta”, which is believed to be a funerary monument of a family lived in the second half of the third century. The characteristic of this maritime place is its natural position with very large spaces both in length and in width. Although the beach is close to “Lido di Noto”, it is quite isolated and its dimensions allow to sea lovers to enjoy unique moments with ease. You can leave your car at the parking (free and paid). The beach is sandy and free (not equipped).

Marianelli

In the far south-east of Sicily, within the Natural Reserve of Vendicari, there lies a wild and unspoiled paradise where unruly dunes embrace a unique flora, and nature and freedom are still the master.

03_marianelli_beach 04_marianelli_beach 05_marianelli_beach

It’s the Marianelli nudist beach, known under the epithet of “La Praia do’ Iancu” from the local dialect. Starting from Siracusa, and continuing along the state road SS 115, this oasis of peace and beauty is achieved by moving in the direction of Noto Marina, up to the signs to the archaeological excavations of Eloro. There, with the scent of almond and lemon trees, you can leave the car, and then continue on foot for about two kilometers, following a path that leads along the Tellaro river. And it is precisely here, past the mouth, which will open to the curious gaze of the Marianelli nude beach. In the warm season, the place turns into a paradise of lightness and freedom of action, a quiet beach where you can chat and re-find yourself in serenity. With about six hundred feet of shoreline with soft golden sand, where walking carelessly up to dive in shallow water, whose waters are warm and crystal clear, the beach remains one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy open to everyone. A precious place, where you can sunbathe at the utmost respect also for the environment. Here nature in its pure state, in fact, is preserved thanks to the constraints of law. The rules of Vendicari Reserve speak for themselves: since leaving the beach clean, taking away all their waste, fires, disturb with excessive noise. Maximum respect for the ecosystem, then. To swim green, without prejudice and in total freedom.

Siracusa

You can find nudist beaches at the mouth of the Ciane river, close to the Temple of Jupiter and about 1 km after the Lido Sayonara.

This place can be greatly appreciated by those who want to experience the countryside. A small path between fields planted with vegetables and grains takes only a few minutes to the Nature Reserve of the Cassibile river, with its mouth and its golden beach, or the “Due Bolle” beach, a naturist beach excavated between two ridges of sandstone, at the end of a thick grove of acacias. Off the beach the famous springs of fresh water, karst phenomenon linked to the Cassibile river.

06_duebolle_beach

Vendicari

From Siracusa you drive South towards Avola, Noto, Pachino, along the state road SS 115. The main entrance to the reserve is located along the road Noto-Pachino and it is indicated as a touristic attraction. Leave the car at the parking lot, enter the reserve and follow the paths provided by the forest. The stretch of beach where you can sit in peace is reached after about fifteen minutes of walk: it is the area in front of the island of Vendicari readily apparent just reached the beach. I would recommend to avoid the weekends. The area is characterized by a spontaneous nudism, dictated somewhat by the wild nature of the place. Within the reserve I suggest to visit Calamosche beach too. At the entrance of the reserve there is always a garrison of the Forest Service.

07_vendicari_beach 08_vendicari_beach 09_vendicari_beach

Trip to the gorges of Tiberius (Palermo)

During my holidays in Sicily I planned a trip to the gorges of Tiberius, I had read about before leaving, and organized by drawing further information from the internet.

10_tiberius_gorges

These heavenly gorges, enclosed in the amazing landscape of Madonie Mountains, are one of the most appreciated site for nature lovers and naturists, and are included by UNESCO in the program “Global Geopark Network” for the promotion and conservation of the planet’s geological heritage.

Throughout their 1,000 feet of extension, the  paths have plenty of useful information plaques, some of them leading to a picnic area for visitors, where you can experience the peaceful silence of nature, hearing the sound of water every now and then.

The place is about an hour’s drive far from Palermo, in the small town of San Mauro Castelverde.  Take the highway to Messina (A20) and exit at junction Pollina-Castelbuono, until you arrive to SS 113; progressing towards Messina, 2 km beyond Finale you must turn right onto the SP 52 San Mauro Castelverde along the Pollina river to the junction Borrello. Taking the SP 60 to Gangi, after about a 1.5km, you enter right on a road leading to the village core.

At this point you come across a junction, where, continuing on the right, you have access to the nudist area.

If you like, you can enjoy a walk up along paths, where you can meet very old olive trees with strange shapes, citrus groves and have wonderful views of the park and the river.

Following the paths to the river, you can even decide to take a swim or even to inflate a dinghy (if have one). The river is usually quiet and deep, the rocks are smooth but they offer few footholds which makes it difficult to stop and rest, so the use of life jackets is highly recommended.

11_tiberius_gorges 12_tiberius_gorges 13_tiberius_gorges

At the end of the gorges the river widens, and you can find this sign on the shore …
and here you are! This one of the most famous nudist area in Sicily, a discreet and delimited zone that allows naturists to enjoy the pure and wild beach, while families and nature lovers go through the rest of the park without any kind of problem.