Camping in Sicily

For our trip, we decided to travel by ferry (Naples - Palermo). You can find suitable connections directly via the websites of the shipping companies (e.g. GNV, Tirrenia, Grimaldi Lines) or via portals such as Direct Ferries.

The ferry from Naples is ideal if you want to combine the journey with a one-day city trip. We opted here for a Campsite in Pompeito take the train from there to Naples to get there. The train station is just a few minutes' walk from the campsite.

For the crossing, we chose an overnight connection including cabin. Most shipping companies specify a check-in time of approx. 2 hours before departure, so it is advisable to be at the port in good time. The vehicle must be left on the crossing, so it is best to pack all the necessary items for the crossing.

Duration of the crossing Naples - Palermo: 11 hours.

Camping Village la Pineta overlooks Monte Cofano and is located on the north-western tip of Sicily on the beautiful coast of the San Vito Lo Capo peninsula, also known as the "Sicilian Caribbean". This campsite has beautiful, shady pitches in a pine forest. The restaurant on site serves great pizza and there is a small supermarket and the option of getting coffee and croissants in the morning. Especially in the low season and in our travel period at the end of September, it is very quiet on the site, which we really appreciated. The cleanliness of the very simple but functional sanitary facilities and the friendliness of the staff should be emphasized.

The Lido Al Sabbione beach can be reached on foot in 8-10 minutes. The water is incredibly crystal clear and turquoise.

500 meters from the campsite is the lively and very touristy seaside resort of San Vito Lo Capo on a shallow sandy bay close to the cape with the lighthouse. There are numerous restaurants in the town (San Vito's cuisine is famous for its couscous with fish and seafood) and it's not easy to find a few more individual and less touristy places to eat. We were definitely won over by Ni Mia (great food & ambience). If you are looking for peace and quiet, you should avoid the village. For us, however, San Vito Lo Capo was the perfect end to our trip to Sicily and we really enjoyed our 4 days there.

An excursion to the nearby nature reserve Riserva dello Zingaro with paths to dream bays is definitely recommended.

The location of this Campsite is unbeatable and enchanted us right from the start. The Campsite is located directly on a kilometer-long, beautiful sandy beach on a chalk cliff and is a great place to spend a few days. You need a car or bike for excursions due to the remoteness, at least in the low season there is no possibility of using public transport, but once you're there you won't want to leave! The site has pitches right by the sea (without electricity), but the pitches in the second row have electricity.

In the low season there is no supermarket within walking distance and the small supermarket at the Campsite only has a very limited selection of food, so it is advisable to stock up on food for a few days before you visit this Campsite to get there. A beautiful walk along the beach takes you to a nice restaurant right on the water and if you continue walking along the beach for 30-45 minutes, you will find several beach bars.

The sanitary facilities on this site are very outdated and of a low standard in terms of equipment and cleanliness.

On the onward journey, a visit to the excavation sites in AgrigentoThe beach, high up on a rock, is highly recommended (although it can be very crowded in high season).

You should also make a stopover at the Scala dei Turchi, a rock with snow-white steps near Agrigento. To the west of the famous rocks are the beaches of Giallonardo and Pergole as well as Lido Rossello. Further east are Punta Grande and Porto Empedocle.

The city of Syracuse (Italian: Siracusa) in the south-east of the island has a lot of charm and anyone who is in the area should definitely pay it a visit. To avoid the traffic in the center, the parking lot "Parking Paradise Siracusa" is a good choice. The parking lot is monitored and has plenty of space, even for camping vehicles. From there, it is a 20-30 minute walk over a bridge to the winding old town on the "quail island" of Ortigia. Piazza Pancali and the side streets leading to the fishing port of Porto Piccolo are bustling with market activity. In the small osteria La Gazza Ladra there are antipasti with fresh vegetables from the market and fish salads.

The baroque cathedral square and the harbor promenade are just a few other highlights. Siracusa is also home to Sicily's largest museum, which houses spectacular finds from prehistoric, Greek and Roman antiquity.

For us, Siracusa was a great and somewhat more manageable and relaxed alternative to Palermo.