Why We Chose Terrasini
I will be honest with you, I am struggling slightly to write about Terrasini. But it's not because the lack of words of photos, quite the opposite. I have started several drafts already that have somehow turned into a full on novel and choosing just a few from literally thousand of photos has proven to be a mission impossible.
We’ve seen a lot of Sicily at this point, driven across the island, stayed in different towns, spent time in places people move to and dream about. And yet, Terrasini is the one for us.
In our opinion, if you wish to move to Sicily, this is the best place for it.
Why here
I don’t have a clean explanation. There are places in Sicily that are more dramatic, famous and more “impressive” on paper.
But this is where the love of Sicily landed for us. And, as you might already know, there is no coming back from it.
Every time we go somewhere else and come back, there is this very quiet sense that things are right again. And once you find such a place, you do not let go, because, honestly, this feeling is so incredibly unique and yet I didn’t expect for it to matter as much as it does.
Daily life in Terrasini
What I love about Terrasini is how easy the day to day life is. You can walk to most places (and I say this as a foreigner, because Sicilians will not walk such distances on a daily basis). Neighbours talk to you, the owners of your favourite bars and restaurants greet you, life is slow enough to not feel overwhelming and yet fast and intensive enough not to be boring.
At the same time, we go to Palermo often. It’s close enough for an unplanned daily trip or simply a shop run if you feel for something bigger. As you have seen from my previous posts and videos, we visit Palermo quite often and are absolutely in love with it... but each time I am slightly grateful to come back to my much calmer oasis again.
Also, something that turned out to be more important than I expected - the airport. Just fifteen minutes from your house and you are there. No long transfers, no thinking about logistics, looking for taxis or hotels for an overnight stay if you fly in late. For people who travel as often as we do, it truly makes a difference.
Summer - the busy season of Terrasini
Yes, it gets busy. But for us, it never crossed the line of being uncomfortable, at least not yet. But I have to clarify that our threshold for busy might just be a little different than others as we have traveled so much and see places crowded to an absolute maddening level, Terrasini still feels calm enough for us.
There are more people, more noise, yes, everyone is excited about the sun, warm water and the beach cocktails, that is true, but it still feels manageable and, honestly, we have our fair shares of cheeky beach cocktails as well. At least so far in our Terrasini experience it still feels like a place you want to enjoy and disappear in rather than something to escape once the season hits.
Additionally, I truly enjoy seeing the cafes full and everything open, that just means that the town is booming and the locals are doing well, which, after living here for over 8 months, has become increasingly important for me.
The rhythm of Terrasini
Most days here are very simple. A walk along the lungomare, looking at the sea for a bit longer than necessary. Then stopping somewhere for a quick espresso and more often than not a pastry or two, because they are ridiculously good here and it has honestly become a problem for us. Is there a pastry anonymous? I think we have reached a state where we need that kind of help. :D
Additionally, on almost a daily bases, I get practically slapped with the feeling of "I am so grateful to be alive and to have the absolute privilege of living in a place like this". In my opinion, this feeling alone is incredibly unique and worth living here for.
Food and the granita hill I am ready to die on
For a town this size, Terrasini has a surprisingly good amount of places to eat and drink. Of course, it is not Palermo, and I’m not going to pretend the choice is the same. But for daily life, it works really well. There are cafés, restaurants, bakeries, seafood places, casual spots, and enough variety that even after around eight months of living here, we are still trying new places.
And then there are the places you don’t really “try” anymore because they simply become part of your life. For us, that place is Messer Granita di Sicilia.
This is where I have to be honest: I am emotionally attached to this granita. We have tried all the flavours, we have returned far too many times, and somehow it is always good. Not “good for a small town”, I am absolutely convinced this is the best granita ever!
It is almost a crime to come to Terrasini and not visit this place!
Terrasini even has its own brewery
One thing we didn’t expect when we moved here was how often something random turns into a really good evening. A great example of this is the Oktoberfest celebration at the Birrificio Bruno Ribadi. Yes, you heard me right, Oktoberfest in Sicily. Wild!
Birrificio Bruno Ribadi is a local brewery just outside Terrasini. But, as I have written way too much about Terrasini already, I will simply say that we have a full video on this Oktoberfest experience and the Birrificio itself already, so, if you wish to see more about what an Oktoberfest in Sicily feels like, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/J0QhQ8VbBRw?si=-uJMzQIzUT2Nm9eK
When you need to leave the town for a bit
Very close to Terrasini, you have Capo Rama Nature Reserve.
It’s a protected coastal area with really beautiful views. Cliffs, open sea, that kind of landscape where you can just walk and switch off for a bit. It’s one of the easiest ways to get straight into nature without going far.
One thing to be aware of though, dogs are not allowed there because it’s a protected reserve. So for us personally, we don’t go there as often. We usually head into the mountains instead when we want that kind of escape.
About “the best place”
I also understand that many people might not feel the same way. As I’ve said before, once Sicily steals your heart, the specific place where it happens becomes a bit of a ride-or-die situation. So please don’t come for us in the comments.
Let’s just appreciate that we get to love this island in our own ways, and be glad that we get to have the kind of lifestyle we want here. Somewhere between the sea, the mountains, the daily routines, and all the small things that are hard to explain, it just worked.
And once it works like that, you don’t really keep looking.
If you wish to see our life in Terrasini up close, the video is already on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AXGLn6XxP8I?si=3Nj1Rx-nuc3q-zHV
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Thank you for reading, and see you in the next one.
Ciao!
