- Geography.
- COAST AND ISLANDS Italy consists of a
peninsula jutting southeast into the Mediterranean for some 500 miles from
the Alps and so closely resembles a leg with a hoot on it that it is common
to talk of the toe and heel of Italy. On the west side south of Elba lies
the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the eastern coast the Adriatic. Between the French
border and the Tuscan archipelago lies the Ligurian Sea and along the south
between Sicily and the heel and toe of Italy, the Ionian Sea. On the western
side the Republic of Italy encompasses Sardinia
and Sicily, two of the largest islands in the Mediterranean, as well as
numerous small archipelagos lying close to the coast.
- The backbone of the Italian peninsula is the
Apennine range of mountains which terminates in the Calabrian massif and the
mountains of Sicily.
- Around Naples and extending southwards there
is an extensive volcanic area with several volcanoes still active, amongst
them Vesuvius, Stromboli, Vulcano, and Etna in Sicily. A fault line runs
through this area along the west coast of Italy To Sicily.
- The coast varies dramatically from region to
region, much is mountainous close to the coast where depths are considerable
a short distance off the coast. In other places, most notably along much of
the eastern seaboard, the coast is low-lying with shallows extending some
distance seawards. The climate and vegetation vary from the north down to
the south. Vegetation in the north is of the Mediterranean type near the
coast but tends to be greener and more diverse than the south which in the
summer takes on a burnt brown aspect under the hot sun.
Cruising Areas.
In effect all the coastal regions of Italy are
cruised extensively by local and foreign yachts, hut several areas are more
popular than others:
The Italian Riviera
between the French border and Tuscany. Here
there are numerous marinas providing every facility. This is geographically
and architecturally a beautiful coast providing much high class cruising.
Crowded in the summer.
The Tuscan archipelago and adjacent coast.
A delightful mix of anchorages, harbours and marinas. Also crowded in the
summer.
The Tyrrhenian
seaboard to Sicily. The harbours close to Rome are perennially full with
local yachts but south of Naples the coast is comparatively little
frequented. The off-lying Pontine Islands, the islands in the Bay of Naples
and the Aeolian Islands are crowded in the summer.
Sardinia. The north is popular but
otherwise it is comparatively uncrowded. An exquisite cruising ground.
Sicily. The
north is popular but the south is not.
The east coast. Not a popular cruising
ground. There are few attractive harbours and anchorages and most yachtsmen
choose to cruise in Yugoslavian waters.
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