The harbour has silted up considerably with a beach now where the shoal apears on the map.
Good secure anchorage and a good kick off point for the Aeolian Islands.
We took the dinghy out of the port and down to the beach to the west.
The marina wanted €40 for 12 meters, but we were just as happy to anchor for free.
Howard and Jayne [ Just Imagine ] 24-May-2006
I have extensive knowledge for the port here as we are based here when not in the UK.
Small local port of mainly small fishing boats with pontoons run by a local boating society.
There is a refueling station for both petrol and deisel ,an outdoor shower and no toilets, chandlery or shops.
Pontoons have shore power and water.Couple of the chaps that run the port can dive .
.There are 2 small 70-80 ft ferries here that operate tours to the eolian islands.
The port is suitable for boats up to about 55ft..Bigger can get in to refuel but it will start to be a bit of a squeeze.
There is a small crane that can lift up to about 35 ft boat max.
August is very very busy and I have been told the prices can be higher.Up to late June and fromlate september onwards there always seems to be plenty of space on the pontoons.In the winter most boats are taken out.
Visitors moorings are usually on the pontoon nearest the entrance.
Larger boats can be put stern too the concrete harbourside to the east.
Sometimes they put them on the refueling pontoon.
Bring your own ropes and anchor for mooring.
I believe you can anchor to the west side of the harbour , towards the large concrete jetty but it gets shallow near to the shore.I have seen the odd 50ft yacht here,but that is pushing it.
The northern side of the port is silting up more in 2010 due to the 50 meter extension to the harbout wall.The sand is marked by a big green bouy with a light near the entrance.
They are starting work on a new marina along that side from october 2010 and the rest will be revamped to include restaurant, chandlery ,better facilities .Work should take 2 years,Im told.
No toilets inthe port but there is an outside shower.
Not much English spoken here unfortunately.
Nearest supermarket/ Shops are about 1/2 hour walk west along the coast road in Capo dorlando town, 10 mins by bike.
There are a couple of nearby restaurants but little facilities near to the port.
There is a fountain about 5 minutes walk along the front that we drink from regularly.Dont be shy to fill up water containers there if needed , many locals use these fountains that can be found on your travels for cooking and drinking water.
Nearest chandlery is a 10 minute taxi ride away in Brolo.They are Volvo penta dealers and I have found them to be helpful and professional.They also carry out repairs.
The port isnt pretty,and if you need facilities, you will have to go to Porta rosa to the east or Saint agata to the west.
If the wind is coming from the north east directly into the mouth of the harbour, It can get bumpy on the pontoons.Better off on the harbour wall.
Capo dorlando centre is worth a morning.Plenty of coffee bars, Fantastic cake shops and bakeries.
It can be dead in the winter and heaving in August.
Big local festival at the end of october.
There is a small roman villa about 2 minutes walk away.
Nearby Naso is well worth the bus ride from capo dorlando station.Worth a half day to explore ,have a granita/coffee.No restaurants there though.
I buy my local wine nearby.About E1.30 per litre.they have a choice of white red and very red,all direct from huge barrels. This wine is made of grapes and nothing else added!They are just east of the port about 5 mins walk along the road.They also process the olives for oil in the autumn .I often go down and watch for a bit.
There are some lovely little ancorages nearby and the nearest of the islands are about 18 miles out.
Hopefully by 2013 the place will be transformed into something resembling a marina.
Hope this information helps.
jane and andy [ firepower ] 24-May-2006
Dinghy ride to the beach (Excursion)
We took the dinghy out of the harbour to the beach and ate icecream at a resort along the waterfront.
Howard and Jayne [ Just Imagine ] 23-Jan-2008