Scopello, a wild paradise in Sicily

Elena Braghieri is an Italian photographer with an inspiring Instagram account. A globetrotter and expert in hotspost, she agrees to reveal her best spots in Scopello, Sicily.

Tonnara di Scopello, through the lens of Italian photographer Elena Braghieri

Elena Braghieri: "Located in the northwestern part of Sicily, in the well known “Riserva dello Zingaro”, the Tonnara di Scopello is one of the Sicilian most idyllic sceneries: sheltered between two medieval towers that protect it, the Tonnara is an historical site combining the Sicilian tradition of tuna fishing with the art of hospitality - overlooking a crystalline sea as one of the best in Italy."

“In fact, the Tonnara is today a museum, collecting all equipment used for tuna fishing: boats, tons of nets and hooks, anchors and instruments together with a photographic gallery documenting one of the most important sources of economy for the local people (the last “mattanza”, that is the tuna fishing, took place in 1984).”

“Tourists can both visit the museum and sunbathe and take an impressive swim in the Tonnara area, but the real, most striking experience is to rent one of the 14 apartments distributed between the main reddish building and the former fishermen’s houses.”

“You can google it, you can have someone describe it to you and show you pictures, but, believe me, nothing compares waking up early in the morning surrounded by nature and isolated from the city, with only the sounds of birds and waves, nothing else.”

“Everything in the apartments is preserved to its original atmosphere - the real luxury here is authenticity. It’s a matter of respect of the place and its history. No tv, no air conditioning: the show is outside your window, the real breeze is when you open it. Although summer is the best season to live the Tonnara, it’s opened all year around. I guess New Year’s Eve won’t be less magic here.”

“Once you've spent a few days here, take the opportunity to go for a hike and another unforgettable swim at the Riserva dello Zingaro, a nature reserve winding from Scopello to San Vito Lo Capo: it's about 8 km long, so if you are not into hiking you can just walk a short distance and stop at Cala della Disa for a dip.”

“Finally, it’s one hour drive away but it’s worth the visit: Cretto di Burri is one of the most impressive works of land art, conceived by Alberto Burri on the ruins of the old town of Gibellina, destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. The Cretto was built between 1985 and 1989 and then completed only in 2015.”