Ferragosto in Italy Sicily

15th August is the Italian national holiday of Ferragosto. Strange that a national holiday falling on a Saturday is not compensated with say the Monday but hey thats Italy.

All the city centres of Italy become ghost towns as everyone heads to the italian seaside. Traditionally the whole month of August was a holiday as the northern italian factories shutdown but here too times have changed and now its principally the week before and after Ferragosto that offices, factories close for holiday. There are of course, in this globalised world, some unfortunate italians whom still have to work. Today Friday the 14th the motorways are jammed and ferries shuttling to italian islands full, many of you hopefully have already reached your destination and are now preparing for this evening’s festivities.

Ferragosto eve, that is, the eve and night of the 14th, the festivities start. People chill out on the beach during the day then the evening explodes into beach parties, music pumping across the waves, drinking, and that midnight swim in the Mediterranean sea. “Falo”, beach fires, are common practice as BBQs fire up across the beaches.

Here feragosto in Sicily we are on the beach at Alcamo Marina, near to Castellamare del Golfo in the province of Trapani. The water is warm, people soaking up the sun and catching up on that needed sleep before tonight’s parties. Later were having a bikini apertif party on my friends boat : destination Tonnara di Scopello…should be fun, followed by dinner down at the harbour on the port side of Castellammare del Golfo. Most of the restaurants around the centre of Castellammare del Golfo feature cusucu a pesce (fish coucous). We are booked in at La Cambusa the best of the harbourside restaurants, next door is the Salvinus restaurant (also good). Both similar prices and ambience, with a selection of the catch of the day displayed for your order. Advice: Arrive early or book for the best tables.

The evening should continue into the early morning as we move onto the Lido Zanzibar just out of Castellammare del Golfo heading towards Alcamo Marina….

If you are in Italy maybe Sicily, looking for property in Italy or your holiday home in Sicily then take a break and enjoy Ferragosto. Buon Ferragosto.

Here in Italy it’s the peak of summer. Tomorrow the 15th August is the ferragosto national bank holiday.

All of Italy comes to a grinding halt the week before and after ferragosto. Since 2 weeks ago businesses have been closing down per le ferie and the majority will remain closed till the end of the month.

If you are conducting business with Italy, forget it, as all the Italians have gone to the sea, to spend their hard earned holidays at the lido. With large traffic jams on the motorways, the Italian’s enjoy their annual migration, totting their horns as they impatiently want to get to their destination, where they will spend days squeezed onto the beaches paying extortionate rates for beach loungers, umbrellas and hotels. Yet they all still love it. With months of diets, the best swimming costumes and don’t forget those shades, they love strutting up and down the beach. This ritual continues into the evening as they dress up for the famous passagiata, walking along the main ports and town centres of the best Italian holiday destinations.

For the saner international holiday maker i would recommend to keep away from the beaches and head in land to the Italian Lakes. Still very popular with holiday goers and some discreet Italians they offer a good climate, spectacular views and fresh water. Particularly I like Lake Iseo. Located between Lake Garda and Lake Como it offers similar conditions but without the mass tourism. I have recently wrote a local English language newspaper called “The independent Lake Iseo View”. Click here to go to the website and download a copy. It discusses holiday venues, swimming pools, towns, holiday homes, Italian property, villa rentals and helps you enjoy your precious holiday time by reviewing these for you.

A tutti un buon ferragosto.

Ciao David