A Sicilian Spring On Film

Carly Harshbarger is a student at Eckerd College and an ISA Featured Photo Blogger. She is studying with ISA in Madrid, Spain.

Just a short one-hour train ride from Palermo, Sicily, Italy, lies the small beach town of Cefalù. Home to stunning beaches, clear waters from the Tyrrhenian Sea, hiking in the mountains, and fresh seafood, Cefalù is certainly an underrated Sicilian treat. And if you’re a movie or TV critic, you might recognize its Italian charm in Indiana Jones or the show The White Lotus.

Upon arriving in Cefalù, my friends and I took a hike into the mountainside to first work up a sweat and cool off in the seawater later. Besides its amazing views while climbing, the trails lead us to old architectural ruins of castles and temples! For this day trip, I took my 1980s Minolta X-700 film camera to capture the magic of Cefalù. For me, film photography makes experiences more meaningful, and it’s the perfect combination of art and aesthetics.

The sights while hiking were certainly unmatched. But don’t be fooled – the bright blue water was actually freezing!
Through the peephole of the castle ruins. It makes you wonder if someone once lived here and experienced these amazing views every day.
Overlook of the town and the duomo (Italian cathedral) during our summit down! The browns and oranges of the buildings contrast with the blue water perfectly!

After hiking, we grabbed lunch to enjoy at the beach. Cooling off in the cold water was quite nice as well. Other beach-goers were sunbathing or napping in the perfect weather, and I just had to capture the life of the beach!

Che bello! (How beautiful!)
The other side of the beach, where you can see clouds and (still!) snow-capped mountains!
The most gorgeous street views while finding a spot to grab lunch!

After a relaxing afternoon at the beach, it was time for gelato (obviously!) and exploring more before going back to Palermo. Farther down the coast offered more shopping places, restaurants, and tourist attractions like renting paddleboats or touring the duomo. As the sun began setting into golden hour, the city’s colors shone just a bit brighter along the water…

Luce della sera (evening light): Possibly my favorite photo of the day – families enjoying walking along the water while fishermen dock their boats and come with fresh catch for dinner.
Another perfect contrast of oranges and blues… I wonder what books they’re reading!
Evening time at the beach. So many stories and memories in those buildings, while I make new ones.
A final glance at the water, beach, and mountains for the night… ciao, Cefalù!

Cefalù truly showed me the art of slowing down, enjoying life, and connecting with friends, family, and nature. Such a beautiful city full of amazing people and attractions to enjoy. Capturing this Italian beauty through film gave me a new perspective on photography and art – telling historical stories through the historical significance of film in modern day. Nothing cooler than that. Until next time Cefalù, ciao for now.

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