Marzamemi

Marzamemi is a small former fishing village near Pachino at the south-eastern tip of Sicily, in the Syracuse province, that has become one of the island's most charming and atmospheric corners. Its name derives from the Arabic Marsa al-hamen, the bay of turtledoves, and its compact old core is built around the Piazza Regina Margherita, a wonderfully evocative square paved in pale stone, flanked by the low fishermen's cottages, the church of San Francesco di Paola, and the elegant palazzo of the Prince of Villadorata. Dominating the waterfront is the historic tonnara, one of the oldest tuna fisheries in Sicily, founded under Arab rule and expanded over the centuries; its weathered stone warehouses, now part-restored, frame the little harbour where colourful wooden boats still bob. The tuna industry has faded, but Marzamemi has reinvented itself as a destination for food and atmosphere, its old buildings and squares filled with seafood restaurants, wine bars, and artisan shops specialising in local produce such as bottarga, tuna preserves, and Nero d'Avola wine from the surrounding vineyards. The village is at its most magical in the evening, when the squares glow with lamplight and diners spill out under the stars, but it is lovely at any quiet hour. A visit of one to two hours suits a wander and a meal or aperitivo by the harbour, longer to linger over a long seafood lunch. Marzamemi is busiest on summer evenings and weekends; out of peak season it keeps a slow, timeless feel in this far corner of south-eastern Sicily.