Should we stay or should we go now…

Five days ago, we made the much anticipated arrival into Licata for our winter berth. We made the decision to winter here based on recommendations, the low cost, and endless positive comments we had seen in our various Facebook sailing groups. 

We’d be lying if we didn’t admit we were initially terribly disappointed. Mainly in the town of Licata itself. It is a poor, dirty, run down town with trash, graffiti, broken glass, and smells everywhere. No one mentioned this beforehand. In full disclosure, I think it’s only fair to state. After our first day or so exploring, we were looking at each other going “What have we done?” and “Do we really want to stay here for 6-7 months?!” We actually considered a Plan B and a Plan C. Conor inquired with the marina in Ragusa to see if they still had a berth available. We probably even considered a Plan D. Our first day here we awoke to thunderstorms that lasted most of the day. We also had a dead battery because we had been unable to plug into the dock main electrical source the night before due to needing an adapter. Our spirits were low. We heavily debated. Ragusa even offered us a spot. It was tempting. We hadn’t really met any people here yet, so either place seemed a gamble.

However, in the end, we decided to stick it out in Licata and make the most of it. While Marina di Ragusa is aesthetically nicer and it’s a very nice beach town with a long sandy beach on your doorstep, it is just that – a holiday beach town that generally shuts down during the winter. So not much in the way of town amenities. Was moving worth that gamble? Who’s to say the community there would be any better. Licata is not really a tourist town, so it operates as normal during the winter and has everything you’d need.

Our third day in, I met Birgit, a lovely native German/Dane who has lived here in Licata for seven years. Thank goodness for technology that can help us connect with people. I hit the jackpot with her! She kindly offered to meet me for coffee and she gave me the rundown on Licata, the marina, the community, etc. She gave me contact info for a couple of fellows who organize a WhatsApp group, an email list, and a weekly BBQ. I reached out to them immediately. We also learned that the marina gang attends loose happy hours twice a week. And, apparently everyone has the same reaction to the dirt, but you learn to look past it and see the location for what it can offer. I felt much better after chatting with Birgit, and know I have at least one lady to connect with here. 🙂

So, to focus on the positive, this is what Licata and Marina di Cala del Sole do have to offer:

– A nice, well-protected, spacious marina with very decent, clean facilities. (Thankfully, we are close enough to the bathrooms that using them regularly is feasible. Now that we’re docked for the long haul, we need to use them as much as possible because there is no pump out station here. On our first thunderstorm morning, I felt like our most recent dog, Bandit, who would look out at the rain and refuse to go out. But I did it. 😉 )

– Incredibly friendly and helpful marina staff. They have been helping us and answering all kinds of questions, always with a smile.

– A nice space for walking about. The marina seems to be possibly the nicest area of town, so the locals regularly come down here to walk, jog, Sunday stroll, eye the boats, etc. There is a long pier (I’m calling it the Dún Laoghaire of Licata) that offers a long enough walk. 

– Convenient amenities. There is a nice restaurant and handy bar/coffee shop directly in the marina area. There is a self-service launderette (yay!), a great chandlery for Conor, and a great supermarket a stone’s throw away. (We’re talking a real supermarket, not like the mini markets we’ve been used to this season.) 

– Convenient location. The marina is directly next to the heart of Licata’s old town area. The happy hour bar that the mariners go to is super close as is a gluten free shop that’s handy for me. 🙂 The really beautiful cathedral is the closest church, and we stumbled upon a fancy wedding taking place there one afternoon. 

– Super friendly locals. Our first night we discovered a great pizzeria with yummy gluten free pizza and the nicest young waiters. We were able to converse in English and learn a bit about the town from them. I was then tickled one day in the supermarket when inquiring about something and five people came around to try and help me out. Birgit also told me that Licata is extremely safe. She’s had no issue walking around alone, day or night.

– A nice beach in walking distance (and supposedly many others in the vicinity). Once there, the all-natural sandy beach is quite nice. Conor plans to have many swims there. 

– Lots of history. We’ve explored a couple of the main sites so far so know there is much to learn about the area.

– Mild weather. We came south expecting a climate similar to what we were used to in Northern California. So far it’s fitting the bill.

So, is this our dream place? Nope. But, it’s all about perspective. We’re already starting to get used to things. It will likely become an experience we will not easily forget – trying to get stuck into a regular Sicilian town for six months. Something so different from what we are used to. It has everything you’d need and maybe things you didn’t know you’d like. I feel like we’ll learn to see that deeper second layer and appreciate it. We are going to do our best to find people wintering here – many do just leave their boats and go home for the winter – by finding the happy hours and attending the BBQs, getting plugged into the lists, and joining the yoga and Italian classes if we can. We’ll rent a car and explore the rest of the island. We will eat pasta and try to adopt the slower Italian pace of life. 

For now, it’s time to get Sabática cleaned up as we have our last round of visitors coming in a couple of days. Looking forward to having dear friends to explore Sicily with!