I don't even know where to start. Calampiso was, hands-down, the single worst travel experience I've had in five trips to Europe and Eastern Europe and twelve countries. Here are ten reasons NOT to go to Calampiso, ever:
1. No A/C (as advertised).
2. No beds, just futons and couches.
3. No potable water in the rooms. You have to buy it at the grocery store.
4. The on-site restaurant is prohibitively expensive.
5. Nothing to do. This may or may not be a big deal to you. If you like to veg out on vacation and just lie on the beach and drink margaritas, probably not. But we like to get out and about and see the sites, and this was nearly impossible using Calampiso as a base (see number 6). The only reason we chose to stay there, actually, is that we were getting the accommodations as a gift from my stepmother, and it was saving us a week of hotel bills. But the resort was so bad and so boring, we left after four days to explore the rest of Sicily.
6. The nearest town, San Vito Lo Capo, is twenty minutes away on narrow mountainside roads, and there is no shuttle service. Actually, the staff said that we could hire a driver for 6 euros per person per way, but this never worked out reliably. The first time, the driver, who was a member of their staff using his own car and who seemed to think this was a very unusual request, wouldn't accept the money, as if it were a tip rather than a fee. The second time, we were already in San Vito Lo Capo, and the "driver" was a rough-looking biker type who showed up in an unmarked white van, demanded 20 euro to take us to Calampiso, and then sped off when we wouldn't pay it. The third time was our last day there. The "driver" this time was the shift manager, who had agreed in front of several of his staff to give us a ride to the bus stop in San Vito Lo Capo for free, in exchange for all the trouble we had had at the resort. However, when we arrived, he wouldn't unpack our bags until we gave him 10 euros for the trip, then he nearly hit another car hightailing it out of there.
7. The staff speaks almost no English at all, so if you don't speak Italian you might as well not even try.
8. Awful customer service. I'm not particularly demanding, but the customer service here was abysmal. An example: On the paperwork we received, which we later discovered was out of date and innaccurate, we were told that we needed to purchase a club card for 50 euros that could be used at the restaurant, bar, grocery store, and so on, and that could be refilled at any time. Makes sense. But later, we found out that the club card turned out not to get you anything at the restaurant, bar, or grocery store, even though the paperwork said it would. So what did we pay 50 euro for? According to the resort manager, this was a convenience fee for the chairs and umbrellas on the beach, the shuttle service to and from the beach, and so on. So why wasn't this just figured into the resort fee? I don't know. I ended up in a shouting match with the manager, who called me a liar and refused to do anything to improve our stay, such as waiving the club card fee since they gave us innaccurate information in the first place.
9. I got stung by a jellyfish. There were no signs, no jellyfish washed ashore, and the lifeguard on duty didn't warn me (although he was scooping something I couldn't see out of the water with a fishing net, so if I'd had my thinking cap on I might've saved myself a nasty sting).
9. The resort is on a steep hill and there are no elevators, so it's not a great place for the elderly/out-of-shape/lazy.
10. Pests. It didn't bother me too much, but it nearly scared my wife to death when we found a snake on our doorstep devouring a lizard who was getting stung at the same time by a bee.
This was my first time going to Sicily, and probably my last. Although it is a beautiful island and full of historical treasures, the petty annoyances just mounted up and made it extremely difficult to enjoy our honeymoon. The traffic is chaotic and nerve-racking. The noise and pollution in the larger cities (Palermo especially) is unbearable. The service staff spoke almost no English at all and were constantly trying to overcharge us for one thing or another. The bus schedules were more often than not out of date and innaccurate, not to mention that both the buses and the trains rarely left the station when they said they would. Sometimes they left early and sometimes late, but rarely on time. The police were beyond incompetent (I lost my wallet on bus #385, and rather than calling the bus station to see if the driver had found it, they told to me to sit tight until the bus driver reported it. After filling out lots of paperwork and sitting in the station for an hour, we simply went back to the bus station, waited for bus #385, and asked the driver if he'd found a wallet. He had, it was mine, and he was happy to give it back to me -- minus the 20 euro bill inside.)
I know a lot of this must sound like a spoiled American traveler expecting to find America in Sicily, but that's not the case. I've been to Europe and Eastern Europe half a dozen times since I was eighteen, speak Spanish fluently, and have realistic expectations. And still, this was the worst travel experience I've ever had. I might go back to Sicily at some point, but only with a very highly recommended guide or travel group. Go to Spain, go to Budapest, go anywhere but Sicily!
-Review courtesy of Daniel Cotter
(stayed during Sep, 2007) |
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