The "vapuri" came at down. The boat with a red flag was there, in the Naxos' harbour, to indicate haw many "passi" it was deep the sea. They came from Great Britain collecting "u salatu", lemmons specially prepared for the english market. There was not even a jetty and those barrels was tied by ropes and after, by arms, towed towards the ships. Some time after things should change and this creek, destinated to become a commercial harbour, is now destination of the beautiful world's cruising ships. Domenico Di Guardo directs Giardini Naxos' customs and from many years is following the evolution of shipping tourism.

Mr. Di Guardo, from how long there is the customs at Giardini Naxos?
Historical news say that this office it was here during the borbonic period - with some breaks - till today. During this time the typology is changed because in the '50 years it was practically a commercial harbour, and today customs takes care exclusively of passengers.It's almost a half century that this splendid bay looks at the arrivals of many visitors. The first shy landings has been in '30 years, and they were ships with a few number of tourists. After a lot of U.S.A. warships choosen this harbour to have a break during the Vietnam war.

Apart from shipping turism wich had really many presences during the time in Taormina there was a casino, how is today the touristic influx of voyagers coming by sea?
We reach from seven hundred presences in 1970 up to sixty thousand in 1996. Giardini Naxos is the third touristic harbour of Sicily. Toghether with public administration we are working to promote Naxos to become the first.

In this bay there is not a passengers' harbour. Why it should become a very important harbour when Messina or Catania are not so far and offer a sure landing?
Etna and Taormina are great touristc attractions and Giardini Naxos and its splendid bay are the easier gate to reach them; imagine that the ship Sea Goddes II landed here 96 times, and the Ocean Islander - from 1984 up today - made total of 24,000 passengers.

The anchorage in this harbour could create some logistic problems?
Ofcourse. Sometimes we had five ships in the same day, for a maximum of 2,400 presences and, in the moment when the harbour is shelved, the landing of tenders has been problematic because there is only one gate for passengers. I have now notice that private operators will make a floating jetty in Taormina, with places for six tenders per side, facilitating all landing operations.

One of many sicilian paradox: a harbour which is not harbour, a lot of tourists landing in it; can we be optmist for the future, even if the bay - when the sea is bad - is not a sure harbour for the fishermen and the sportboats?
Even if the structures are lacking in, during the years has been made passengers' connections with the Eolie islands and atleast with Malta. Giardini Naxos could be a cruise's point really important, according with the few distance from the Catania's airport; neverthless to realize this ambitious project, it's need that the ships reach to the harbour. According to the contacts with important shipping societies, next year we should overcome 150 landings and increase the actual passengers' traffic - already of 750 yachts.

How many landings have been this year?
Till today we have been 71 landings, and other 28 we lacked because of negatives meteo conditions. There are prevision for other 22 until to the end of the season - wich is during from april up to end of october.

What about the future's perspectives?
The future, as I said, it sames good. I tell you a simpatic and in the same time emblematic story: the captain of Silver Wind, one of the most luxurious ships in the world, the italian Angelo Corsaro, has been carried on triumph by his passengers after seen the Naxos bay illuminated by fireworks. This captain, recently, has received the award " Kaligi d'oro". That's also a signal. Yes, at least I'm optimist.