Salina Caper Festival

Mullet fillets with capers and olives, pepper parmigiana with capers, Aeolian seafood salad: these are just three of the tasty recipes based on capers, which can be tasted Salina Caper Festival, in the Aeolian Islands, in the month of June.

When the Sicilian summer begins, a Pollara, a hamlet of the village of Malfa in the north-western area of ​​Salina, the best chefs on the island meet to offer visitors to the festival the tastiest traditional dishes, all based on the most important local ingredient, the caper. The dishes served at the party are prepared by volunteers and professional chefs, to delight every palate.

The food and wine event transforms the town's main square into a large terrace overlooking the sea, to be admired while tasting local products such as preserves and Malvasia, enlivened by music to eat and dance until late at night.

Naturally the protagonist of the festival is the caper, preserved in salt, but also with oil or vinegar, which grows in abundance on the island, especially in the Nocellara variant, the most widespread.

The history of the caper festival of Salina

The Caper Festival of Salina is a food and wine festival born in 1991 and now in its 31st edition. Traditionally the Festival took place on the beach, in a triumph of flavors and aromas, to greet the arrival of the warm season and offer visitors the best fruits of this island.

All three municipalities of Salina, Malfa, Santa Marina Salina and Leni, participate in the organization of the Caper Festival of Salina, making volunteers and chefs available to the festival, but not only: also the setting up of the stands and the whole location is managed by the island's volunteers.

Every year, at the Festa del Cappero it is possible to meet the major producers of the island and the companies in the food and wine sector who present themselves to visitors.

When the Salina caper festival takes place

The Caper Festival of Salina has been the first event of the island's summer for thirty years, which takes place on the first Sunday of June and begins at sunset, allowing participants to enjoy the magnificent view of the sunset.

Where the Salina caper festival takes place

Traditionally the party takes place on the beach, a Pollara, for the occasion also transformed into a dance floor, but alternatively the place to taste the best local capers in the month of June is the Piazzetta di S. Onofrio, in the small hamlet of Malfa.

What to do at the caper festival in Salina and its surroundings

Taste the delicious caper-based dishes, seasoned with simple tomato sauces or flavored with the precious fruit, taste the local wines and let loose to the rhythm of music: the Salina Caper Festival is an opportunity to get together and have fun, while also learning to learn about the main differences between the different caper varieties that can be found on the island and to closely observe the caper producers, who will be able to convey all their passion in the cultivation of this beautiful plant.

The Festival, thanks to the arrival of the warm season, can be the perfect opportunity to visit Salina, staying in the village for a few days of vacation. Pollara beach is wonderful, with cliffs that drop sheer into a transparent sea: ideal for taking a dip in the first heat of the season, or for enjoying a few hours of relaxation under the sun.

All of Pollara revolves around Church of Sant'Onofrio and to the small square where the Festa del Cappero takes place, where you can also admire a beautiful mural dedicated to Massimo Troisi, who chose Pollara as the location of his famous film Il Postino. From here it is possible to reach the cliffs simply by climbing the large staircase that leads to the Balate. The colors of the area, especially at sunset, are the best you can ask for in a romantic weekend.

From Pollara, with just 12 km of journey, you reach the eastern coast of Salina crossing the whole island. Here you can visit Santa Marina Salina, where you can admire the seventeenth-century Church of Santa Marina or spend nights full of fun in the numerous clubs in the town. From here it is easy to reach too Language, the small fraction of Salina which is famous for the lake and the Roman tanks of the salt extraction plant, a plant from the imperial era which also gave rise to the name of the island.

Those who love the mountains and trekking can instead take advantage of the beautiful hiking trails that lead to Caves of the Saracens, to discover the ancient shelters dug into the tuff at the top of the Monte Fossa delle Felci, about 600 meters above sea level.

On the island you can find several farms, where it will be possible to taste local products such as wines and cheese, have an aperitif overlooking the sea and buy local products to take home once the holiday is over, to preserve the taste of summer .

Among the many other attractions of Salina, the beautiful Spiaggia dello Scario 7 km from Pollara, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Terzito in the heart of the island, the Prehistoric Village of Portella, overlooking a breathtaking panorama.

Recommended activities for a tour of the Aeolian Islands

How to get to the Salina caper festival

To participate in the Caper Festival of Salina, you can reach the island by ferry leaving from Milazzo and disembarking directly at the port of Salina. Once on the island, Pollara can be reached by taxi or with the local bus service.