Catamaran CharterItaly
— Route · 7 days · one-way
Catamaran charter route · Sicily

Palermo
via Long.

Sail a 7-day yacht charter from Palermo through Mondello, Cefalù, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Ustica & return—hidden coves, volcanic isles & Sicilian charm.

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The route

Day-by-day route

Click any pin on the map or any day in the Route summary below to see the daily stop, narrative, and photos.

Mondello
Day 1

Palermo → Mondello

A gentle 5 NM passage from Palermo’s bustle to Mondello’s elegant shores. Anchor in clear turquoise waters, explore the Art Nouveau pier, and savour local specialities ashore as the sun dips below the horizon.

Distance

5 NM

Sailing

~1h at 5 kn

Route at a glance

Best season

May – mid-October (peak Jun & Sep)

Duration

7 days · Sat – Sat

Departure

Palermo

Sailing area

Sicily

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative, and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, restaurants, and route notes for every leg of the week — written by sailors who’ve actually run this passage.

Day 1 / 7
Mondello
1
Day 1

Palermo → Mondello

Depart Palermo mid-afternoon for the short five-nautical-mile sail west to Mondello, a graceful curve of sand fringed with Art Nouveau villas. The approach offers a clear view of Monte Pellegrino, a landmark for centuries. Drop anchor in the bay where the water is a startling turquoise over a sandy bottom, perfect for a pre-dinner swim straight off the stern. Later, dinghy ashore to the famous Antica Focacceria San Francesco, a Palermo institution, for a taste of their signature pasta con le sarde, the aroma of wild fennel mingling with the salty air. Mondello’s promenade offers a refined evening stroll, a stark contrast to Palermo's vibrant chaos.

Things to do

Swim in the clear turquoise waters of Mondello Bay

Stroll the historic Art Nouveau pier

Dine at Antica Focacceria San Francesco

Enjoy sunset views of Monte Pellegrino

Mooring tip

Anchor in sand in 5-7 metres; holding is good. Dinghy ashore to access the beach clubs and restaurants.

Cefalù
2
Day 2

Mondello → Cefalù

Depart Mondello mid-morning for the 30-nautical-mile passage east along Sicily's crumpled northern coast towards Cefalù. The approach is dominated by the Rocca, a dramatic limestone headland topped with ancient ruins, and the magnificent Norman cathedral. Moor stern-to in Cefalù's small harbour, a tight squeeze in season but worth the effort for the direct access to the town. Spend the afternoon climbing the serpentine path to the Castello di Cefalù for panoramic views of the terracotta roofs and your catamaran below, the scent of wild herbs on the breeze. Cool off with a swim at Spiaggia di Mazzaforno, a local favourite with smooth, wave-polished stones. For dinner, Bastione offers a prime position overlooking the water, where the distant lights of returning fishing boats create a magical horizon.

Things to do

Climb to Castello di Cefalù ruins for sweeping views

Swim and relax at Spiaggia di Mazzaforno

Explore the Norman cathedral's glittering mosaics

Dine at Bastione for sunset harbour vistas

Mooring tip

Cefalù harbour stern-to moorings are limited; contact the harbourmaster ahead for availability and confirm draft.

Lipari
3
Day 3

Cefalù → Lipari

Depart Cefalù mid-morning for the 30-nautical-mile passage east towards the Aeolian Islands, volcanic sentinels rising from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Aim for Lipari, the archipelago's largest island, and its main harbour, Marina Lunga. After securing stern-to on the quay, explore the Castello di Lipari, a fortified citadel housing Greek tombs and Roman ruins, offering panoramic views. Later, kayak north to the striking white Pumice Quarries, where the sheer cliffs radiate an almost ethereal glow. As dusk settles, join the passeggiata along Marina Corta, watching local fishermen mend nets and perhaps sampling totani rings with a glass of Malvasia.

Things to do

Explore the Castello di Lipari citadel and its museum

Kayak to the stark white Pumice Quarries

Join the sunset passeggiata along Marina Corta

Sample totani rings with local Malvasia wine

Mooring tip

Lipari's Marina Lunga offers stern-to mooring with lazy-lines; fuel is available on the north quay.

Salina
4
Day 4

Lipari → Salina

Today's 12-nautical-mile passage heads northwest to Salina, known as the 'green island' for its lush vegetation. Arrive at Santa Marina, the main harbour, and moor stern-to amidst pastel-coloured buildings draped in caper vines. After settling the boat, consider a hike into the dense cloud forest of Monte Fossa delle Felci, a dormant volcano and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, for panoramic views. Alternatively, relax on shore with a granita di gelsi (mulberry ice) at the famed Da Alfredo. For dinner, seek out a trattoria in the hills where spaghetti al nero di seppia is served under a canopy of stars, perhaps with the faint glow of fireflies adding to the enchantment as the Levantine breeze dies down.

Things to do

Moor stern-to in Santa Marina's picturesque harbour

Hike the cloud forest of Monte Fossa delle Felci

Enjoy mulberry granita at Da Alfredo

Dine on squid ink spaghetti at a local vineyard

Mooring tip

Santa Marina harbour offers stern-to moorings; arrive early in season as space is limited.

Vulcano
5
Day 5

Salina → Vulcano

The shortest leg of the week is also the most elemental. Twelve miles lie between Santa Marina Salina and Vulcano, sliding down Lipari's west coast beneath pale kaolin cliffs and past the faraglioni that guard the Bocche di Vulcano — and long before you round into the bay, sulphur on the breeze announces the island. Anchor at Porto di Ponente, where the black crescent of Spiaggia delle Sabbie Nere wraps the bay, and go ashore early or late for the Gran Cratere: a steady 391-metre climb of about an hour, rewarded by a smoking rim and a view across the whole archipelago. Carry water, wear real shoes, and check locally that the path is open — access is suspended when volcanic activity rises. Afterwards, the sea does the pampering: warm fumaroles bubble up through the shallows off the Baia di Levante, and the west coast hides the Piscina di Venere, a jade rock pool best reached by tender. Dinner ashore smells faintly of the earth itself.

Things to do

Hike the Gran Cratere rim trail early, before the ash slope bakes

Swim over the bubbling underwater fumaroles off Baia di Levante

Laze on the black volcanic sand of Spiaggia delle Sabbie Nere

Dinghy to the Piscina di Venere rock pool on Vulcano's west coast

Mooring tip

Anchor at Porto di Ponente in 3–6 m over dark sand with good holding, but arrive by mid-afternoon in high season and watch for NW swell, which rolls straight in. In easterlies, pick up one of the private fee-paying mooring buoys off Porto di Levante instead.

Cefalù
6
Day 6

Vulcano → Cefalù

This is the day the catamaran earns her keep. Forty-six miles of open Tyrrhenian separate Vulcano from Cefalù, so slip the buoy at dawn with coffee still warm in the cockpit, set the sails on a comfortable reach, and let the islands sink slowly astern. In summer the northwesterly usually builds through the morning; a cat at six-and-a-half knots makes the crossing in around seven hours, and the wide trampolines are made for exactly this kind of passage — keep a lookout for the dolphins that often work this stretch. Landfall is pure theatre: La Rocca, the great limestone crag, rises first, then the honey-coloured old town appears pressed between rock and sea. Once secure, walk the fifteen minutes around the headland into town. Cefalù's Norman cathedral, part of Palermo's UNESCO Arab-Norman circuit, holds a Christ Pantocrator mosaic worth the whole crossing, while the medieval wash-house and the fishermen's slipway at Porta Pescara reward slow wandering. Eat late, the Sicilian way, in the lanes off Corso Ruggero.

Things to do

Climb La Rocca to the Temple of Diana for sunset over the rooftops

Stand beneath the Christ Pantocrator mosaic in the Norman cathedral

Wander the Lavatoio Medievale, the old wash-house fed by a cold spring

Order a granita on Piazza del Duomo and watch the evening passeggiata

Mooring tip

Porto di Cefalù (Presidiana) sits just east of La Rocca with roughly 3–5 m at the pontoons; berths are scarce in July–August, so have your base or the marina office confirm ahead. In settled weather you can anchor on sand off the town beach west of the old harbour.

Palermo
7
Day 7

Cefalù → Palermo

Save an early start for the last leg — not out of duty, but because the coast west of Cefalù deserves daylight. Thirty-six miles of shoreline unspool past the Madonie foothills, the headland of Capo Zafferano and the fishing village of Aspra, until Monte Pellegrino — Goethe's "most beautiful promontory in the world" — announces Palermo. The morning breeze often arrives late here, so motor-sail if you must and save the genoa for the final stretch across the Gulf of Palermo. Aim to be berthed by early afternoon: check-out paperwork is quicker when the boat is settled, and Palermo rewards every hour you give it. Head for Ballarò or the Capo market and do the finale properly — panelle pressed into sesame rolls, sfincione from a street cart, an arancina eaten standing up, gelato before the flight if there is room. Toast the week on deck one last time; the Aeolians will still be smoking somewhere over the horizon.

Things to do

Graze through Ballarò market on panelle, sfincione and arancine

Tour the golden mosaics of the Palatine Chapel in the Norman Palace

Stroll from the Quattro Canti into the Vucciria's fading market lanes

Refuel, square away the inventory and toast the week at the marina

Mooring tip

Palermo hand-backs typically use Marina Villa Igiea or La Cala in the city centre — confirm your assigned berth and fuel arrangements the night before, as the fuel quay queues on changeover mornings. Both basins are well sheltered with ample depth for a catamaran.

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