Avola: Campsite and Town

We changed pitches after two weeks and moved to one overlooking the sea. These would be premium spots in high season but at this time of the year it’s almost deserted. We can sit in shorts between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm when the sun is shining and look over the beach to the sound of the waves.

There is direct access onto the beach where we have walked most evenings. It’s a nice sandy beach, but somewhat marred by litter, particularly at the far end which has been used as a dumping ground. They perhaps clean it up in season. In contrast, the campsite itself is immaculately tidy.

The access to the beach is through a steel gate set in the wall with the stout green railings on the mid-left of the photo so security is good, but looking directly up into the site from the beach you could think you were staying at Wormwood Scrubs-by-sea.

The headland in the distance makes a pleasant destination for the evening walk and is covered in wild irises.

The town of Avola is 2 miles from the campsite and about the size of Huntingdon. It is ambient but unspectacular in comparison with places like of Noto, and is laid out in a grid pattern of narrow streets with a fiendish one-way system. It is a true maze; it seems always to send you in the opposite direction from where you want to go, then round in circles so you lose orientation completely. Now “lost” becomes “totally lost”. Throw in for good measure erratic local driving and unpredictable pedestrians.

Avola isn’t really that sinister, it’s a regular town, as in the photo below of one of its many squares. Just go in by bus, or walk in, bike in, crawl in. But don’t drive in.

Our stay here has been very enjoyable. Tomorrow, Wednesday 15^th Jan, we leave for Montallegro on the south western end of Sicily. Or simply, we’re moving 100 miles to the left.