Attractions
Tindari archaeological Area and antique Theater
Address: https://www.hitsicily.com/en/places-to-visit-tindari-greek-theater-sanctuary-lakes-sicily/ .Tindari, the archaeological area with Greek theater, as well as the Black Lady's Sanctuary and the Marinello Lakes
The town of Tindari was founded on 396 BC by Dionysius of Syracuse. Its name, Tyndaris, was attributed to the town in honour of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. Destroyed by a landslide and two earthquakes, Tindari saw the light again thanks to some archaeological excavations started in 1838 and resumed later on between 1960 and 1998. During these excavations Roman mosaics, sculptures and ceramics were found, which are now displayed in the local museum. At present,, dating back to Greek-Roman times, the remains of the ancient town walls are visible, as well as the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna.
The ancient town walls, restored during the late imperial and Byzantine era, extended originally for around 3 km over two parallel lines separated by a gap from which two square towers rose that conducted to the walls summit (a section of these stairs is still visible today). The main gate, on the south-west side, was sided by two towers and protected by a semi-circular pincer-style gate, the inner area of which was paved with pebbles. Other narrow passages opened up beside the main gate towers which were used for the defenders' exit.
The Greek theatre, which was restored later in Roman times, is situated on a promontory from which there are magnificent views over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Aeolian islands and the small lakes of Marinello. After years of neglect, today the theatre is the seat of musical shows and theatrical events during summertime.
The small lakes of Marinello, or "dried sea," are a spectacular and curious sand formation that contains at its centre small stretches of water. According to one amongst various legends, a beach would miraculously form following the fall of a little girl from the Sanctuary's terrace, who was later found safe and sound on the beach which had just been created. Following the miracle, the child's mother, a pilgrim coming from a far-away land, would have changed her mind about the true nature of the scuplture, about which she had doubts because of the Virgin's black colour. Another legend tells of the death of Pope Eusebio on this very beach, on 17th August 310, a few months after his election, on 18th April. The Pope had supposedly been exiled to Sicily from Massenzio. Furthermore, next to the beach a small cave opens up. According to a local legend, this cave was inhabited by a witch who attracted sailors with her singing to then devour them. When some of her baits renounced to continue because of the difficulty of reaching the cave entrance the witch unburdened her feelings by plunging her fingers into the cave walls: the numerous holes in the rock would originate from this.
The Sanctuary of the Black Madonna is situated at the very edge of the promontory. There lies a statue carved in cedar wood, that probably reached this coast due to Iconoclasm (a political-religious movement that developped during the Byzantine Empire arounf the first half of the VIII century). The church was destroyed by Algerian pirates in 1544 and was rebuilt a few decades later to be permanently enlarged in 1979. The Sanctuary festival occurs every year on 7th September.Portorosa
Address: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portorosa .Portorosa is a tourist complex characterized by villas, surrounded by greenery, overlooking navigable canals, along which the moorings that make up a prestigious tourist port are located.
It is located in the most receding point of the bay between the suggestive Gulf of Milazzo and Tindari.
It is the largest Sicilian tourist port, and among the most exclusive in the Mediterranean Sea.
The housing units are divided into lots, accessible at the front by internal roads to the complex, and at the rear by pedestrian lanes or directly by the suggestive navigable canals.
Hydrofoils and Ferries
From Portorosa, some direct connections are made with the Aeolian Islands. Among the closest ports are: Milazzo, with connections to Naples and the Aeolian Islands, which is about 20 km away, and Messina (with national and international connections), which is about 50 km away.The Montalbano Elicona Castle
Address: https://www.icastelli.it/it/sicilia/messina/montalbano-elicona/castello-di-montalbano-elicona .The Castle of Montalbano Elicona stands on a hillock which dominates and dominates the town of the same name. We are located about 900 meters above sea level, in one of the 19 municipalities of the island that are part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The thriving medieval village has become, for some years now, a must for tourists who want to discover the truest and wildest Sicily, both for the historical, architectural and landscape heritage, and for the folkloric and gastronomic traditions that it possesses. . In 2015 Montalbano Elicona was elected the "Borgo dei Borghi" by the Rai broadcast "Alle falde del Kilimangiaro".
Aeolian Islands
Address: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolian_Islands .The Aeolian Islands (/iːˈoʊliən/ ee-OH-lee-ən; Italian: Isole Eolie [ˈiːzole eˈɔːlje]; Sicilian: Ìsuli Eoli; Greek: Αιολίδες Νήσοι, romanized: Aiolídes Nísoi), sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands or Lipari group (/ˈlɪpəri/ LIP-ə-ree, Italian: [ˈliːpari]) after their largest island, are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, named after the demigod of the winds Aeolus.[1] The islands' inhabitants are known as Aeolians (Italian: Eoliani). The islands have a permanent population of 14,224 at the 2011 Census; the latest official estimate (as at 1 January 2019) in 15,419. The Aeolian Islands are a popular tourist destination in the summer and attract up to 200,000 visitors annually.
The islands include Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea.
Milazzo Castle
Address: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Milazzo .The Castello di Milazzo (English: Milazzo Castle) is a castle and citadel in Milazzo, Sicily. It is located on the summit of a hill overlooking the town, on a site first fortified in the Neolithic era. The Greeks modified it into an acropolis, and it was later enlarged into a castrum by the Romans and Byzantines. The Arabs built a castle, which was further modified and enlarged during the Medieval and Early Modern periods. It is now in good condition, and open to the public.
The castle was built as a result of the strategic importance of the Milazzo peninsula, which commands the Gulf of Patti, the body of water that separates Sicily from the Aeolian Islands. It also commands one of Sicily's most important natural harbours.[1]
