Tag: Palermo

Sailing in Sferracavallo: Not an Ordinary Experience

Sailing in Sferracavallo is centered on the Circolo Velico Sferracavallo, a club whose sporting direction is entrusted to Francesco Bruni, Luna Rossa helmsman. Courses and bookings are handled directly with the club, steps from Il Dammuso Palermo.

Sferracavallo has always had a natural vocation for sailing. In recent years the Circolo Velico Sferracavallo has brought the sport back to a bay that had gone without it for twenty years. The conditions of the bay (wind, thermal breeze and geography) have made it a sailing hub of international level. The club now counts competitive athletes (Optimist, O’pen Skiff and other classes) who train and race under Francesco Bruni’s guidance.

If you stay at Il Dammuso Palermo, the club is literally a few steps from the house: sailboats in the background, wind and salty air in your hair, a feeling I love and am sure many others will love too. I don’t run the lessons myself. Courses, schedules and bookings are handled directly with the club. But it is a sport that has always been dear to my family, and one I would recommend to everyone, even as a weekend taster during a stay with us.

When to go sailing in Sferracavallo?

  • Spring and autumn: steadier wind conditions, ideal if you are trying sailing for the first time.
  • Summer: the club’s busiest season, with courses for children and families. Book ahead.

At a glance

WhereSferracavallo (Palermo), steps from Il Dammuso Palermo
ActivitiesSailing (courses for children and adults), SUP, windsurfing, kitesurfing
Sporting directionFrancesco Bruni (Luna Rossa helmsman)
How to organize itDirectly with the Circolo Velico Sferracavallo (schedules, courses, bookings)
Best timeYear-round, peak season in summer

For the general picture of the area, see Capo Gallo Nature Reserve: the Sferracavallo entrance. If you are planning your stay in Sferracavallo, you will find where to stay and how to book on the apartment and rooms pages.

Dive in Sferracavallo: the Oil Cave and the Capo Gallo Coast

Dive in Sferracavallo, inside the Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area, means caves, vertical walls and a seabed that has kept its rich biodiversity despite the nearby town. Sferracavallo is not only the lesser-known gateway to the reserve. It is also one of the most rewarding stretches of the Palermo coast for divers.

What lies beneath the surface

How do you describe, before the dive, what you will see even at a depth of just 12 meters along this stretch of coast? It would be a shame to try. Better to keep the surprise for the day you book an outing with one of the local dive centers. The Grotta dell’Olio (the Oil Cave), the submerged tunnel and the ancient shorelines are waiting to be seen, and they remind us what nature can offer when it is protected rather than exploited and mistreated.

Diving rules in the Capo Gallo Marine Protected Area

The Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area is divided into zones, each with its own rules:

  • Zone A: diving is prohibited, except for scientific research programs authorized by the managing body.
  • Zone B: diving is allowed, but only with an authorized dive center or, for independent divers, with prior authorization from the managing body through the official procedure. This applies to the dive areas mentioned here.
  • Zone C: the area set aside for swimming.

For this reason we do not go into specific dive sites, depths or required certification levels. If you already dive, check directly with an authorized dive center based in the area, or read the authorization procedure on the official website of the Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area. If you have never dived before, ask about introductory courses: it is the easiest way to try it with no commitment.

When to go

  • May–June and September–October: the water is still clear and pleasantly warm, with fewer people around than in high summer.
  • July–August: visibility is generally good, but dive centers are at full capacity, so book well in advance.
  • Winter: the quietest season, for those who want particular conditions or simply want to avoid the crowds.

These are general suggestions only and do not replace direct contact with the dive center, which will give you the most specific advice.

At a glance

WhereSferracavallo coast, Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area
To seeGrotta dell’Olio (Oil Cave), ancient shorelines, submerged tunnel, marine life (vertebrates and invertebrates)
RulesDiving prohibited in Zone A; allowed in Zone B with an authorized dive center or MPA authorization
How to organize itA local PADI dive center
Best timeMay–October

For the general picture of the area (access, trails, climbing), see Capo Gallo Nature Reserve: the Sferracavallo entrance. If you want something lighter, without a tank, you will find the same sea from a snorkeling point of view in Snorkeling in Sferracavallo: the vermetid reef of Capo Gallo.

I live a few steps from this stretch of coast, and whenever someone asks me “is there more to do here than the beach?”, this is what comes to mind: a seabed few people know, a short walk from where you sleep. If you are planning your stay in Sferracavallo, you will find where to stay and how to book on the apartment and rooms pages.