Deep water solo at Cala Firriato, Sicily

For my first time climbing outdoors on real rock I decided to do something I could do by myself, at my own pace, with little equipment and some encouragement from my girlfriend. I ended up choosing a deep water solo spot, where we could also swim and snorker. This allowed me to just mess around and if I fell, I would fall in the water.

How to get there

Cala Firriato is situated north-west from Palermo, you can get there by car or by boat. If you’re driving the easiest is to first go towards San Vito Lo Capo and drive south-east from there. Once there you could drive your car down to the waterfront. Beware it’s not the easiest route to drive down or up again. Some parts can be quite steep. There is also limited parking down at the waterfront.

You could also rent a boat in one of the nearby cities and make your way there along the shore. Look for boat rentals in Castellammare del Golfo or San Vito Lo Capo. Rent for a small boat should be around €70,- for a day.

Best time to go

The best time to go is between April and October, although it’s more comfortable during the summer, mainly because of the water temperature. From June until until October the average water temperature should be above 22°C (71° Fahrenheit) and comfortable to swim in.

The cliff itself only has sun in the morning, which is nice on a hot day. Note that there are not a lot of places with shade, so it might be handy to bring a beach umbrella and some sunscreen.

Routes / Topo

The limestone cliff offers some nice routes, varying between 5b and 6b+. There are 2 down climbs from where you can start, or you can jump in the water and get up on 1 of the 2 ledges and go from there. From what I could find the routes don’t have names, but here’s a list and below you’ll find an image with a nice overview.