Chris Caravella's Virtual Tour of Ustica

The Port

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The Port of Ustica is a hub of activity with passengers arriving and leaving, people filling their vehicles with gas, fisherman unloading their catch and tourists lining up for the Marine Reserve excursion and scuba charters. This is your first contact with Ustica and the view is breathtaking as the mountainside laden with homes rises steeply above the crystal waters of Cala Santa Maria.

The hydrofoil is the choice mode of trasportaion for getting to and from Ustica. This photo is from the port of Palermo. The hydrofoil rides on a cushion of air a few feet above the surface of the water. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to make the 35 mile trip to Ustica and costs $18. By conventional boat, a neccessity during foul weather or if you want to bring your car, the trip takes 2 hours and 20 minutes and costs $10.

Raffaele Petrossi at the dock. He and some partners were preparing for a three day fishing excursion.

Fisherman unloading their nets. That's a bucket of lobsters and to the side are some red scorfino and an odd silver fish. Crabs and beautiful tuna about 2 foot long were also common. Most of the catch is hauled up to Piazza Maddalena for sale.

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