Your Visit to Marzamemi - the Tuna Capital of Sicily

Marzamemi is a small, historic seaside town on Sicily’s eastern seaboard. Just a 30-minute drive from Noto, it is the perfect day out.

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Marzamemi Sea Wall

My recommended parking location is off Via Corrado Deodato near the corner of Via Regina Elena and costs a few euros. So I recommend popping this street into your satnav to guide you. Please note that this differs from where the bulk of the traffic into Marzamemi will be heading.

Once parked, I recommend you walk the handful of steps onto the sea wall and begin the short walk south into central Marzamemi. Take your time and enjoy the view of the beautiful turquoise sea, where you will see fish enjoying the shallow waters and sunshine.

You will reach the end where you can walk on the sea wall, so step down and take an adjacent street heading in the same direction.

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Marzamemi Piazza

As you weave through the small streets, you will enter the main square, Piazza Regina Margherita. The beautiful piazza is adorned with colourful alfresco restaurants where you might like refreshments.

The Piazza has two churches - Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola and Chiesa di Piazza Regina Margherita - both dedicated to San Francesco di Paola, the protector of fishermen.

Look across the square. There are alfresco restaurants to the left and right, but there is also an alfresco cafe straight in front and slightly to the left. This is a great pit stop for a gelato, granita or ice-cold drink.

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Marzamemi Tuna

Marzamemi dates back to the 10th century when it was a bustling tuna processing hub, and it continues to be known as the tuna capital of Sicily.

Two historic family-owned tuna businesses worth checking out have been passed down through the generations. Walk from the Piazza to the street ‘Via Marzamemi’, and you will find Campisi at number 12 and Adelfio at number 7.

Both specialise in processing fresh tuna and preserving it in jars and tins. I recommend you buy some red tuna to make a salad for lunch or dinner; it is delicious.

Once you have made any tuna purchases, walk along the seafront far as long as you wish before returning the way you came.

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Marzamemi Harbour

In the middle of Marzamemi Harbour is Isola Piccola, a small, privately owned island big enough for a single home but nothing else.

As you walk back along the seafront past where you joined it, you will reach the harbour arm, which you can walk out to the end and back.

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Marzamemi Artisan Shops

As you will have discovered, Marzamemi is small, sometimes unstatedly described as a village and, on other occasions, perhaps overstatedly described as a town. There are lots of artisan shops, my three favourites are...

- Lao https://www.laogioielli.com @ Corso Nunzio Costa 160

- Vetopazzo https://shop.vestopazzo.it @ Via Regina Elena 1

- A N Other @ Via Ferruccio Francesco

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Marzamemi Beach

After exploring Marzamemi during the summer, you may feel like a refreshing dip in the sea. Thankfully, you have parked at the southernmost point of Spinazza Spiaggia or Beach.

Walk the sea wall north, and just beyond the car park, you will discover the tiniest of beaches and the perfect place to base yourself for getting into the sea.

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Enjoy Marzamemi; it is another one of Sicily’s gems!

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