The wonderful art deco architecture of Capo D’Orlando is all ice cream and alabaster; it works so well under a bright sun and glare from the blue sea. There are buildings where the relentless summer heat has peeled the paint and cracked the façade, but the town is being repaired and smart new apartment blocks added to the coastal estate. By mid-May, the beach bars are opening up and the vital summer season is within touching distance.

The coast at Torrenova is a complete contrast, only improved by a smart new road, but the surrounding coastal zone is untouched and supports a mix of colourful wildflowers, tall grasess and reeds; turtle doves purr from the nearby pine trees and squacco herons leap from the ditches.