What to do in Capo d'Orlando

The house Saver 710, moored at the Marina di Capo d'Orlando: you cast off from the pier below the house and the islands are right there. Coves reachable only by sea, a swim offshore, back at sunset.

A gently shelving seabed and lidos alternating with free stretches: the right choice with kids.

Two steps from the main street: walk down after dinner or for a mid-morning swim, with every service nearby.

The clearest water on this coast: less suited to children, perfect for mask and fins.

Towards Brolo, wider and breezier: when the town beaches fill up, here you can breathe. Good if you bring your own umbrella.

Concerts in the square, open-air cinema, food festivals and author nights: from July to September the town's official programme — the Estate Orlandina — turns Capo d'Orlando into an open-air stage. The full calendar.

86,000 hectares of beech forest, lakes and pastures, with mountain roads that climb from sea level to 1,300 metres in an hour. It's the other half of the holiday, and almost nobody uses it.

Between coast and mountains everything changes in half an hour's drive: bluefish and citrus below, cheeses and meat above. A short guide to what to look for, in the right season.

Two nights are enough for a real taste of the archipelago — if you pick one base and don't chase everything.