Form of the festival: Official
Type: Highline & Waterline
Place: Cefalù, Sicily, Italy
Date : late August/ early September
Length of lines: 20-240m
Height range: 0-100m
Distance to spots: 20-30min on foot
Safety: daily checking of spots, one person from rigging team per spot, buddy check
Availability of spots: flip-flops
Additionally: pay attention to spots working hours. There is a break during the day; beware of the flies (midges)
You can search for such fabulous landscapes for years and won’t be able to find one. Once you find them and add the lines, the result is a slackline paradise. This is how, shortly, you can characterize the festival in Sicily – the first edition which took place is 2018. The slackline festival is a part of the bigger one THE VILLAGE SPORT, HEALTH & GREEN ENERGY
🚌 Transportation:
There are two ways to get to the Cefalù station from Palermo airport (~ 30km). You can go by bus that costs 6.5 euro or take a large taxi that costs 7 euro (there have to be at least 5 people). I recommend the second option, the taxi is faster and does not stop at bus stops. You can get to Cefalù from the station in Palermo by taking a train or bus. Both solutions take about 1 hour and cost less than 6 euro. It takes only about 20min on foot from the Cefalù train station to festival campsite.
🏕 Accommodation:
The campsite is located in the mixed grove that consists of cypresses and prickly pears. It extends from the back part of industrial warehouses (Via Borgese, 8, 90015 Cefalù PA, Italy) and ends at the down of the mountain, which makes it pretty steep. There are several flat places for tents and a lot of trees for hammocks.
During the festival, there are showers and portable toilets similar to ToiToi ones, located near the warehouses. You don’t need to worry about the alarm clock, in the morning the cicadas are starting their concert, which lasts until dusk. It is worth having a spray or something else that works against flies(midges) and mosquitoes as they can be quite bothersome.
Infopointcan be found at the base of the mountain(La Rocca), alongside entrance point to Parco della Rocca di Cefalù (national park). It is the only way to get to the highline spots.
🍴 Food:
If you own cooking equipment, you can prepare your meals at the campground. You can find several supermarkets in the city, getting groceries done is not a problem. The insane view from the kitchen maybe the only thing stopping you from cooking…
If you want to eat out, you can find various types of snacks down the city ( around 2 euro each), eg. sandwich with schnitzel, crescent rolls (large dumplings) filled with prosciutto and mozzarella (and many other things, depends on what do you prefer) or arancione (rice balls in breadcrumbs, with meat or veggie filling, fried on deep oil) – all served hot. Pizza in the restaurant starts at 4 euro. Most restaurants have a coperto (tip included in the bill) 1-2 euro per person.
Near the campsite, there is a shop and winery with tasty, local wines (Divino, Via Gibilmanna, 16, 90015 Cefalù PA, Italy). It will complement well a meal and bring relief during hot night. Well, unless someone doesn’t like wine … but who doesn’t like fine wine ???
🏞 Festival surroundings:
Cefalù is a historic town that was pushed by the Mediterranean Sea under the rocks of La Rocca di Cefalù (Cefalù Fortress).
La Rocca is a steep rock, 268m high, with the ruins of a medieval castle (dated on the turn of XIII/XIV century) and the ruins of the Temple of Diana from the 9th century. Both of the monuments are located at the top of the mountain, which is surrounded by defensive walls.
All of the above are part of Parco Della Cefalù (previously mentioned national park) and under strict protection – inscribed on the UNESCO list. 2 highline sectors are located in this area.
I Sector: Two of the spots are located here. First one has shorter highlines as it is located in lower parts of the mountain. When you are walking in that part, ruins of Rocca di Cefalù are under your feet.
The second one is located higher, which obviously influences the length of the lines located there. This time red roof tiles of old Cefalù will please your eyes when doing highline.
II Sector: Ideal place when looking for short lines (range var. 20-65m). Perfect choice for beginners. Views are equally beautiful as in I sector if not more(!). It is located around 15min from I sector, with a panoramic view of the harbor and look-out on the III sector.
Sector IIIis a fairy-tale bay, with turquoise water and beautifully carved rocks, which you can climb during free time (deep water solo). On the west side, the bay ends with a port that you will pass through when coming from the city. The water is crystal clear, which ensures good visibility, both under the water and above – you can see where the underwater rocks are and where you can safely jump.
It is generally warm but cooler and sweet at the surface which may indicate the presence of the mouth of the river in the area. Sea urchins are not that common here, but it is worth paying attention to where we are putting our feet.