Capo d'Orlando Marina in Sicily: getting there, harbour information and cruising destinations

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Capo d'Orlando Marina lies on the north coast of Sicily at the eastern edge of the town of Capo d'Orlando, opposite the Aeolian Islands. Here you can read how to get to the marina from Palermo and Catania airports, where to park and shop, what to watch for with the weather, which islands you can reach in a day and how skippers berth in the marina.

Capo d'Orlando Marina: Location and marina at a glance

The marina lies in the San Gregorio district at the eastern edge of Capo d'Orlando, behind a long breakwater. The town centre is about three kilometres away by road.

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The marina opened in July 2017. The site covers more than 180,000 square metres with boatyard, hotel and a quayside shopping arcade. For a crew, this means you don't have to leave the marina grounds for your first provisions.

Arriving at Capo d'Orlando Marina for the start of your trip

The following sections accompany you from the airport to the pontoon. If you are joining as crew: which pontoon it is will be in your trip documents.

From Palermo or Catania airport to the marina

From Palermo airport it's around 184 kilometres, from Catania airport around 188 kilometres by road. The easiest option is a hire car or a transfer. The marina office can arrange taxi and hire car contacts as well as transfers to and from the airport.

By rail you travel from both airports with a change. Palermo airport has its own railway station, Punta Raisi. From there you travel to Palermo Centrale and change to a train towards Messina as far as Capo d'Orlando-Naso. From Catania Aeroporto airport station trains run to Messina Centrale, where you change to a train towards Palermo. Check connections and interchange times before your trip in the Trenitalia timetable.

By car or train

The A20 motorway from Messina to Palermo has two exits for Capo d'Orlando: Brolo-Capo d'Orlando est and Rocca di Caprileone-Capo d'Orlando ovest. The marina lies at the eastern edge of the town.

Capo d'Orlando-Naso station lies on the Messina–Palermo line in the town. It has two platforms, both step-free or accessible by lift. From the station to the marina you take a taxi or in summer the shuttle from the centre.

Parking

Parking and electric vehicles

Showers and sanitary facilities

The marina has 860 car parking spaces open-air and in a multi-storey car park, plus six charging points for electric cars. You can get around the premises with electric carts and hire bicycles.

Shopping for the trip

The nearest supermarket is the Despar Marine in the shopping arcade of the marina, just a few minutes' walk from most berths. It stocks fresh food and basic supplies for crews. It's perfectly adequate for your first shop and for bits and pieces during the trip.

Showers, shopping and eating

There are showers and toilet facilities for guests on the boats in the marina. There is also a self-service launderette, handy at the end of the trip.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

For the weekly shop it's worth driving to the centre. There you'll find several larger supermarkets of well-known chains. By taxi or hire car you're there in a few minutes and can drive the crates straight to the marina.

• If you arrive early you can pass the waiting time in the bar and restaurants of the shopping arcade. The marina also has a hotel if you arrive the evening before.
• 1530: Coast Guard emergency number for emergencies at sea, free
• At sea: VHF channel 16, monitored by the coastguard (Guardia Costiera) on

What facilities does Capo d'Orlando Marina offer?

Medical care and emergencies

Feature	Details
Position	38° 09′ 19″ N, 014° 46′ 23″ E
Operator	Porto Turistico di Capo d'Orlando S.p.A.
Berths	553, for yachts up to 50 m in length
Draught at the berths	3.5 to 5 m
VHF channel	09
Mooring	Mooring lines, electricity and water at the berth
Fuel station	Diesel and petrol, year-round
Boatyard	Travel lift 110 t, boat transporter 60 t
Car parks	860, open-air and covered parking
Contact	Contrada Bagnoli, 98071 Capo d'Orlando, telephone +39 0941 964512

WiFi is available throughout the site, the marina is guarded round the clock and monitored by cameras. In the quayside shopping arcade, alongside the supermarket, there is a bar, several restaurants and other shops. The marina also has a clubhouse for berth holders and its own boatyard. Since 2021 the marina has held the Blue Flag, the environmental award for harbours and beaches.

What do you watch for weather-wise between Sicily and the Aeolian Islands?

To Vulcano you sail about 20 nautical miles across open water of the Tyrrhenian Sea. What matters for the passage, therefore, is the direction the wind is coming from and how much sea state it has built up.

The islands lie north of the marina. With wind from northerly directions you will sail to windward and into the waves on the way there, whilst on the return leg it will be a broad reach. Plan the first leg so that you do not have to cross open water against strong winds, and keep an alternative route along the Sicilian coast in mind. In the marina itself you lie protected behind the extended breakwater.

From Capo d'Orlando people sail in autumn and winter too. If you join a trip during this time, the days are shorter than in summer: pack warm, weatherproof clothing and reckon that a leg across open water may sometimes have to wait a day. More about the Mistral, Scirocco and other winds can be found in our article on Good months for a trip through the region are April, May, September and October. The weather is mild, it's less crowded ashore and the midsummer heat is absent. You can read how the winds in Greece work in our article about.

Which cruising destinations lie near Capo d'Orlando?

From Capo d'Orlando you can reach the southern Aeolian Islands in a day's sail. The distances are rounded over-water distances on the usual course; for precise planning consult the chart.

The seven islands are of volcanic origin and have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sitesince 2000. You'll find ideas for walks ashore in our article on Sailing and walking on the Aeolian Islands.

Vulcano and Lipari

Porto di Levante on Vulcano lies about 20 nautical miles away; you approach it on the east side of the island. Lipari with its harbours Marina Corta and Pignataro you reach at about 22 to 23 nautical miles, passing east of Vulcano. Both islands therefore make a good first passage.

Salina, Filicudi and Alicudi

Santa Marina on Salina lies about 25 nautical miles away; you sail west past Vulcano and Lipari. Filicudi you reach at about 26, Alicudi at about 30 nautical miles on a direct course to the northwest. For the two western islands you need a full day's sail.

Panarea and Stromboli

Panarea lies around 33 nautical miles away, eastwards past Vulcano and Lipari. Stromboli with the village of Scari is about 44 nautical miles, a long day's passage. A navigation exclusion zone applies off the northwest flank of the active volcano; details are in the section for skippers.

Along the Sicilian coast

Without a crossing, you stay on the coast: Milazzo lies around the Capo di Milazzo approximately 28 nautical miles to the east, Cefalù around 37 nautical miles to the west. Both destinations are full day's sails. Another harbour portrait from the Tyrrhenian Sea: the Porto di Agropoli in Cilento.

What is there ashore in Capo d'Orlando?

Capo d'Orlando has a rocky headland with a pilgrimage church and castle ruins, a seafront promenade and two ancient sites right next to the marina. That's quite enough for a day in port.

Distances are as the crow flies from the marina; walking times are approximate.

Cave del Mercadante

The Cave del Mercadante lies directly by the marina, with a footpath leading there. Round discs hewn from the rock – millstones from Roman times – can be seen in the sandstone on the shore. At low water they stand out clearly from the sea.

Terme di Bagnoli

Around 650 metres west of the marina lie the remains of a Roman bathing complex from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Three rooms for cold, lukewarm and hot bathing can be seen. It's about a ten-minute walk.

The headland with pilgrimage church and castle ruins

On the rocky headland that gives the town its name stand the Santuario Maria Santissima di Capo d'Orlando from the 17th century and the ruins of a mediaeval castle, around 2.3 kilometres from the marina. Several hundred steps lead up. From there the view stretches from Capo di Milazzo to Cefalù and across to the Aeolian Islands.

Promenade and lighthouse

Below the headland stands the red lighthouse from the early 20th century, about 2.5 kilometres from the marina. There is a public beach along the Andrea Doria promenade.

Villa Piccolo

The Villa Piccolo sits on a hill just under five kilometres south-west of the marina and is now a museum. The Piccolo siblings lived here; their cousin Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the novel "The Leopard", often spent the summer here. The museum is closed on Sundays. Telephone ahead to announce your visit, and take a taxi or car to get there.

For skippers: Berthing and sea conditions at Capo d'Orlando Marina

At Capo d'Orlando Marina you report on VHF channel 09 before entering, are assigned a berth and make fast to a mooring line. Channel 16 is the distress and calling channel; for the marina itself you use channel 09.

Registration and Berthing

At your assigned berth a marinero will help you moor. The mooring line is a line attached to a heavy weight on the seabed. The marinero passes it to you, you lead it to the bow and secure it there, then make fast the stern with two lines to the pontoon or quay. Before entering, therefore, lay out two stern lines and fenders on both sides, plus gloves for the often fouled mooring line.

The pontoon team works round the clock and is coordinated by a control centre in the marina. The marineros also help when casting off if you call them on channel 09. In strong winds, check mooring line, stern lines and fenders regularly nonetheless.

After berthing you register at the marina office. Take your boat papers and identity documents with you. You can request and book guest berths in advance via the marina's website enquire and book online; the price list is also there. Daily rates depend on boat length and season. The most expensive months are July and August, followed by June and September, then May and October. From November to April the lowest rate applies. Catamarans pay twice the price of a monohull of the same length (as at October 2026).

Refuelling, boatyard and service

The fuel berth dispenses diesel and petrol and operates all year round. One pump has a high flow rate, which saves time when filling large tanks.

For work on the boat the marina has its own boatyard on around 7,500 square metres with a 110-tonne travel lift, a 60-tonne boat transporter, workshops for engine and electrics, and storage areas ashore. You order divers for hull inspections and underwater work through the office. You can store equipment and personal belongings in a secure room.

Exclusion zone off Stromboli

A navigation exclusion zone applies off the Sciara del Fuoco, the northwest flank of the active volcano on Stromboli. The distance is set by the coastguard in Milazzo according to the volcano's activity. Most recently a distance of two nautical miles from the coast applied between Punta delle Chiappe and Punta Labronzo.

Which shipping forecast applies off Capo d'Orlando?

The official shipping forecast for the Italian seas is issued by the Italian Air Force weather service, together with gale warnings. The forecast and warnings can be found on the weather service's website; the coastguard broadcasts them to shipping by radio.

The gale warnings apply from force 7, that is from 28 knots mean wind. They appear every three hours in Italian and English and, if necessary, in between as well, for instance when thunderstorms threaten locally. How the warnings are structured is explained by the Air Force weather service. At sea keep VHF channel 16 on standby.

In the marina, its own weather station with webcams helps with assessing conditions on site. But for planning across open water, the official forecast for the sea area north of Sicily is what counts.

Trips from Capo d'Orlando on Törnfinder

In October 2026 there are 22 sailing trip dates on Törnfinder over the next twelve months starting or finishing at Capo d'Orlando Marina. Most start in November, December and February; typically eight days on board. The trips come from two providers, sailing on catamarans and monohull yachts. All current dates can be found in the trip overview, offers on the Italian coasts and islands under Sailing in Italy.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from the airport to Capo d'Orlando Marina?

Easiest by hire car or transfer: from Palermo it is about 184 kilometres by road, from Catania about 188 kilometres. By train you change at Palermo Centrale or Messina and travel to Capo d'Orlando-Naso.

Where do I park at the start of my trip at Capo d'Orlando Marina?

Directly at the marina, on open-air car parks or in the multi-storey car park.

Are there showers at Capo d'Orlando Marina?

Yes, showers and sanitary facilities are available for guests on boats in the marina, as well as a self-service launderette.

Is there a supermarket in Capo d'Orlando Marina?

Yes, the Despar Marine in the shopping arcade on the quay. For a big shop you drive into the centre of Capo d'Orlando, around three kilometres away.

How far is it from Capo d'Orlando to the Aeolian Islands?

To Porto di Levante on Vulcano around 20 nautical miles, to Lipari around 22 to 23 and to Salina around 25 nautical miles over the water. Stromboli lies around 44 nautical miles away.

On which VHF channel can you reach Capo d'Orlando Marina?

On channel 09. Call them before entering and the marinero will assign you a berth. You can reach the marina by telephone on +39 0941 964512.