Walk to Capo Zafferano

A wonderful half-day activity in good weather is a walk to Capo Zafferano! And that's also - or especially - in the off-season, when you can enjoy the warming sun on your skin.

The lighthouse at Capo Zafferano is located at the end of a beautiful car-free coastal walking path!

It's hard to decide: is the beautiful path the destination, or the lighthouse with the abandoned lighthouse keeper's cottage?

The abandoned house offers exciting views of the sea through its window openings and encourages one to imagine the former life in this secluded place.

The abandoned hut on the way to Capo Zafferano has a fantastic location - but unfortunately it no longer meets safety standards.

Small staircases or paths lead down to the sea from the main path at regular intervals. Swimming shoes are probably recommended for swimming there.

The coastal path offers not only stunning views of the sea and Porticello, but also a constant display of wonderful natural colors. In April, we spotted well-camouflaged gull chicks among the rocks.

There is no food available along the way - you should bring enough to drink and with provisions in your backpack you can have a picnic in a wonderful setting!

With this view, the focaccia and pizza slices we got earlier at "Panificio D'Amato di Lorenzo" taste even better!

And this is how you get to Capo Zafferano: from Porticello, walk via Santa Nicolicchia to Sant'Elia. There, cross the beach and walk along the Caletta steps.

Santa Nicolicchia and the Caletta Sant'Elia are the beautiful first stops on the walking path from Porticello to the Faro di Capo Zafferano, which can already be seen from the Caletta (last picture in the background).

Turn into Via Torre, then walk along Via Litoranea to Strada Provinciale 23. Turn and then walk along the main road for about one kilometer.

If you wish, after about 200 meters, opposite the parking lot, you can take the stairs down to the beach "Spiagga Kafara" for a view.

On the right-hand side, a staircase leads down to "Spiagga Kafara"; the descent is worthwhile for a view of the pebbly beach.

Directly behind the parking lot, on the left-hand side, you will find the entrance to the extensive circular hiking trail in the Monte Catalfano nature reserve.

Follow the main road until you see the sign for "Lido del Carabinieri," then turn right. If you have a car and want to avoid the main road, you can drive to this point and park on the side of the road. At the police beach, you can take a dip in the sea if you wish, before embarking on the panoramic path described above, which is often referred to on Instagram as the most beautiful road in Sicily.

The circular hiking trail into the Monte Catalfano nature reserve, whose entrance you pass, offers breathtaking views of Capo Zafferano from above. At the "Lido del Carabinieri," you can take an easily accessible dip in the sea before continuing your walk (here's a photo taken in December).

The path, approximately 900 meters long, offers stunning views and opportunities to stroll along the water's edge until you reach the Faro di Capo Zafferano lighthouse. The path ends behind the lighthouse, so you simply return the same way. But that's perfectly fine, as the return journey always offers entirely new perspectives – this is certainly one of the most beautiful ways to approach Porticello!