Day 104 - The Crystal-Clear Waters of Isola Bella

Day 104 started the same way most of our mornings seem to now. We were all up around 7am, easing into the day with coffees, breakfast, work emails for me and schoolwork for the kids. That routine tends to take up most of the morning. By the time we worked through everything it was around 11 or maybe closer to lunchtime before we finally decided to head out.

The plan for the day was to visit Isola Bella, a small island and beach area just below Taormina. It’s one of the most well known spots on the east coast of Sicily and is often called the “Pearl of the Ionian Sea.” The tiny island sits just offshore and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of beach that appears when the tide is low enough, allowing people to walk across through the shallow water.

Before leaving we grabbed a quick bite for lunch and then jumped in the car. It’s only about a 15 minute drive from Giardini Naxos, but finding a park proved harder than expected. Eventually we found a car park up the hill that cost €7 for about three hours. From there it was a bit of a mission down to the beach, walking back along the road and then descending what felt like endless stairs.

This was our first proper beach visit in Sicily and it was definitely different to the beaches we’re used to. Instead of sand the shoreline is mostly made up of small pebbles and larger rocks. It gives the whole place a very different feel under your feet.

There was also quite a bit of visible damage from the severe storms that hit the area recently. Large piles of driftwood were scattered along the beach and a number of the little shops and beach structures were being repaired. Construction crews were working away in several places, trying to clean things up after the hurricane that came through earlier.

Even with the mess, the place still had a certain charm. The water was unbelievably clear, that deep Mediterranean blue that almost looks unreal. Plenty of people were still down there relaxing on the rocks and soaking up the views of the cliffs rising up behind the beach.

Kia and I found a spot to sit while the kids immediately made their way into the water. It was cold but manageable, and once they were in they didn’t seem to care. They found pieces of driftwood floating around and started turning them into swords, boats and whatever else their imaginations could come up with.

They stayed in the water for a good hour and a half, maybe two hours, just exploring and playing around the shallows.

Eventually they decided to make their way across to the island itself. I told them to head over and I’d join them once they were there. The water along the sandbar was only about knee deep so it was easy enough to wade across.

By the time I reached them though, Maddie had already decided she was done and headed straight back to the mainland. Emmett and I stayed behind and went exploring around the edge of the island for a bit.

The island itself is currently closed to visitors because it suffered quite a bit of damage during the storm. Normally there are walking paths and a small nature reserve you can visit, but at the moment everything is fenced off. So we just wandered around the outside edges, climbing over rocks and poking around the shoreline like a couple of explorers.

After a little while we headed back across the shallow water.

By the time we got back, Kia and Maddie were pretty well ready to move on. They packed up their gear and started the long climb back up the stairs to find a small café to sit at while Emmett and I stayed down a bit longer.

The beach stretches along the railway line there, and we noticed a few little cave-like rock formations further along that looked worth investigating. We wandered over to check them out, but they were pretty small and nothing too dramatic. Still fun to explore though.

On the way back we ended up having a few rock throwing competitions, seeing who could get the biggest splash.

Eventually we made our way back up the stairs and found Kia and Maddie at a small café overlooking the beach. They had already ordered some hot chips, which we happily helped them finish off.

Next door to the café was a small shop where Maddie had spotted an anklet she wanted. After a bit of browsing she picked one out, and of course Emmett decided he needed one as well. So they both walked away pretty happy with their new little souvenirs.

From there we headed back down the hill to the car and drove back to the accommodation.

We had already grabbed food earlier in the day so dinner was easy. While Kia cooked chicken schnitzels, Maddie took charge of making a Greek salad which turned out absolutely delicious.

After dinner Kia and I spent some time researching the next leg of the trip. We’re trying to decide whether we head to France after Bari or continue working our way north through Italy towards Lake Garda. At the moment we’re still comparing costs and travel options to see what makes the most sense.

It was a fairly cool day overall, and spending hours outside in that sort of temperature seems to drain your energy more than expected. In some ways the weather here feels harder to manage than it did in Austria.

By the end of the night everyone was pretty tired, so we turned in early and called it a day.

Now we’ll see what tomorrow brings.