Tindari Beach: A Relaxing Guide to Sicily’s Natural Aquarium & World's Best Gelato

Another side of Tindari Beach

Imagine standing in crystal clear, shallow water with a school of friendly fish swimming around your feet. This guide is not about getting carried away in 40-degree heat while hunting for monuments, but about relaxing in a shallow, pleasant lagoon with fish and delicious gelato at the end of the day as a sweet spot.
Today, I will tell you about a place you should definitely visit, especially if you have children, like snorkeling, or just love gelato and want to taste what is possibly the best ice cream of your life.

During our last visit to Sicily, my partner and I visited the natural aquarium, Tindari Beach. This place is absolutely amazing, and if you are planning where to go in Sicily and what places to see, Tindari Beach and the town of Oliveri should definitely be on your list.

Tindari Beach is located in northeastern Sicily. It is a nature reserve. It is located under the Basilica Santuario Maria SS. del Tindari. It stands majestically at the end of the cliff, offering beautiful views. But because my partner and I wanted wonderful experiences, we decided to relax in the lagoons of Tindari Beach in the nature reserve. The reserve is freely accessible, and if you go there, you will return with beautiful experiences. The reservation is for everyone. If you have children, you are definitely welcome here. Your children will enjoy the fish. They are already in the shallows, so the children can safely move among the fish themselves.

Laghetti di Marinello Guide: What to bring

Laghetti di Marinello is a reserve. It is a natural swimming pool with lagoons and live fish that swim around you. You are in real nature. No hotel with all-inclusive meals. Therefore, there are rules you must follow when visiting.
Water and snacks: bring your own. There are no kiosks in the nature reserve where you can buy snacks. If you are traveling with children, ideally bring some cookies or biscuits, because there is nowhere to hide food from the cold. Please bring enough water, because the sun in Sicily can definitely test you.
Please also remember that you will have to take all your "garbage" back. There are no trash cans in the reserve. So the rule is: "What I bring, I also take away."
Umbrella: Tindari Beach is beautiful. Clean, but there is nowhere to hide. So take an umbrella with you. It will really come in handy. You can stay here for an hour without an umbrella, and if you are traveling with children, they need somewhere to hide.
Toilets: There really are none here in this nature reserve. The nearest campsite is a 10-minute walk on the sand. So, if you can, do everything you need first thing in the morning so that this wonderful trip is not spoiled by having to look for a toilet.

How do I get to Tindari Beach?

You need to get to the town of Oliveri by car, motorbike, or train. There are two ways to get to Tindari Beach. The first is to park at the port and take a boat to the lagoon. It is a pleasant journey and, above all, great fun for children. Since we did not have children with us this time, we decided to drive and try the second route on foot. But I will also describe the boat trip for you.
Boat trip: This is such a nice hack. If you don't want to walk 15-20 minutes on the beach sand, take a water taxi.
Park as close as possible to the Lido Belvedere club in Oliveri. If you are already on the beach, just walk to this club.
There is a regular shuttle service from this club to Tindari Beach. The boats leave about every 10 minutes. They are marked Pellicano 1 and Pellicano 2.
You can buy a ticket from the captain on site or at the Lido Belvedere bar.
The price of a return ticket is 6-8 euros per person, depending on the time and season. You can then agree with the captain on when he will pick you up again on the island. Alternatively, you can adjust the time by phone after agreement. There is no app for this; it is a beautiful, classic way to communicate, like in the old days.
Walking: drive your car or motorbike as close as possible to Via del Sole. We managed to get to the end of this street, where we parked the car. There is not much space, so you may have to leave your car a little way off this road.
At the end of this street, there is a free entrance to the beach. If you park elsewhere, you can just walk to the beach. All roads lead to it. Turn left on the beach and walk along the water. You will see a familiar promontory from afar. That is your destination. Take everything you need with you. The road to Tindari Beach will first take you along the beach, then along a path between the trees in the reserve. There is a road that goes right and left. Go right. The road to the left leads to the lagoons, where there are protected animals. It is a very rare place where SWIMMING IS NOT ALLOWED. You can swim in the sea among the swimming fish. But not in these lagoons. So go right towards Tindari Beach, where you can swim and have a lot of fun with the friendly fish in the clear water.

The Natural Aquarium: Swimming with Fish at Laghetti di Marinello

Natural Aquarium: Swimming with Fish Next to the Marinello Lagoons
As I mentioned, this area is a nature reserve and swimming in the small lagoons is strictly prohibited. Those friendly fish I mentioned are in the sea. Tindari Beach with family is an amazing adventure. Your kids will love it here. It's one of the best snorkeling for kids Sicily. The beach is safe and calm, with enough space for everyone. This beach is among the calm beaches of northern Sicily.
When I stepped into the crystal clear water, it was a beautiful experience. There were clouds in the distance that day, and there was even a storm. But it had no effect on the beach's calm atmosphere. There are no currents or waves in the sea. It felt a bit like a safe playground. The whole area was very peaceful. There is enough space for everyone; you can stick your umbrella wherever you want. The only thing I was a little sorry for was that I didn't have a snorkel or a phone case in the water. I would have taken a better picture of the fish right away. Next time. The fish surprised me the most. They swim in the shallows, where the water is warmer, and they move around your feet because when you move and walk in the water, you stir up the seabed, where they look for food. You can say that if you walk in the sea, you help them eat. My partner and I had an umbrella, see the dot on the map. There were also fish here. I don't know if they are everywhere, but they are in this bay. If you have a snorkel, take it with you. A wonderful underwater world awaits you. I don't mean you need professional equipment; I mean ordinary snorkeling goggles or a mask, which you can buy in Sicily, for example, at Decathlon.
What struck me as a bit strange is that the water here is a bit saltier. I don't know what it was, but after swimming, my skin felt saltier than usual. But it wasn't an extreme difference.

Reward after swimming with the fish

Swimming at Tindari Beach is wonderful. When you're done swimming and getting ready to head back, stop by Gelateria Ritrovo Orchidea Messina. You can't miss this place when visiting Tindari Beach. My partner surprised me with this place. We were already leaving, and he said, "Let's have some ice cream here; there will definitely be some." Since I love ice cream and whipped cream, I said, "Sure." After a while, we stopped at a small blue house that looked relatively inconspicuous from the outside. We went inside, and I lost my breath. My head was racing to see where we had gotten to. It was a gelateria. The smaller interior was not luxurious at all, so anyone would feel comfortable there. In short, the usual equipment of a normal pastry shop. Everything was beautifully clean, but it was absolutely clear that we had reached some special place. The entire wall and part of the other side of the pastry shop were covered with trophies. Wow, I thought to myself. After a few seconds, I started to look at the individual cups in more detail, read what they meant, and my heart leaped with joy. Wow! I am now in one of the best gelaterias in the world! I really didn't expect that. All the awards and first places for gelato ice cream. Suddenly, our visit took on a completely different dimension. Cha Cha, I love my sweetheart! If you get near this place, definitely stop by for gelato. The lady serving us kindly asked what we would like. With joy in her eyes, we said, "For which ice cream do you get those cups?" The lady smiled and said, "For this one, for example," and pointed to the cocoa one.

Wow! I am now in one of the best gelaterias in the world!

So we had the cocoa-hazelnut one, and I had the cocoa-pistachio one.
Of course, after the whole afternoon without eating, we also had the right amount of whipped cream, like proper tourists. After we consumed the whipped cream, the selected flavors awaited us. It completely melted in my mouth. The pistachio had pieces of pistachio in it and some kind of pistachio paste mixed in. It was absolutely beautiful. The cocoa also literally melted on the tongue. It was a feast for our taste buds. It was absolutely relaxing. We didn't rush anywhere; we just enjoyed this luxurious surprise on plastic chairs in front of the pastry shop.

Family business and human values

As we sat there, I looked inside the pastry shop at all the trophies. It occurred to me that the people behind this work are fully dedicated to their craft. This business is a family business. It is run by brothers Alessandro and Vincenzo Squatrito.

Natural ingredients: I really don't know how they do it, but they make their gelato and granitas from natural ingredients. They grind their own pastes in stone mills, then mix them into the prepared gels (pistachio, hazelnut, almond). In addition to gelato and granita, they also have other typical Sicilian delicacies that they are happy to pack for you on the road.
The brothers are open practically all the time. From 5:00 am to 2:00 am (so yes, they are open almost all day), except Tuesdays, when they are usually closed. The entrance is barrier-free, and you can sit outside for as long as you like. Everyone relaxes here and enjoys the goodness, so no one will frown at you if you lick slowly.

Overall, if I may summarize, it was a wonderful day. We did not chase after sensations; we just fully enjoyed swimming with the fish and then delicious ice cream.
Do you know of any other place in Sicily where they have delicious gelato or where you can swim with the fish? I will be very happy to share.

Enjoy a wonderful trip.
Dana