The marina in Marsala holds a significant place in the history of our country—but that’s not all. This port has always attracted people from neighboring regions due to its strategic location in the Mediterranean, which has long facilitated trade. In fact, the town had been an important commercial center from the very beginning. Following the destruction of the Punic outpost of Mothia, the town’s inhabitants settled on the opposite promontory of Lylibeo and resumed their economic activities from there.

The Port of Lilybeo, north of the Town and to the right of Cape Boeo, became a key gateway to Africa as early as the first millennium B.C. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans all landed at Marsala: Julius Caesar took refuge in Lilibeo in 47 B.C., using it as a gathering place for his legions, as did Pontius Pilate in 31 B.C. during his journey to Palestine.

Its strategic location made it an object of contention between Carthaginians and Romans until the latter prevailed with victory at the Battle of the Aegates in 241 BC.

After falling into decline with the Roman Empire and being plundered by the Vandals, the port of Marsala flourished once again thanks to the interest of the Arabs, who valued its location and features so highly that they renamed the entire town “Port of Ali.” The town became Marsa Ali, from which its current name is derived. It was not until the 14th and 15th centuries that the ancient port of Lilibeo became a focal point of interest for the Spanish, French, Ottomans, and others—as well as pirates. Closed in 1572 at the behest of John of Austria, son of Emperor Charles V—who hoped to ward off outside interests—the port remained unusable for a long time.

A new surge in trade occurred as the British took an interest in the area’s wine-producing potential, thus making the port of Marsala the starting point for a new and intense commercial activity. In 1816, the English merchant J. Woodhouse, impressed by the excellent quality of the local wine, had an 800-meter pier built on the southern side of the Town to load the barrels onto his ships. Construction of this structure was later continued, first through a fundraising effort by the residents of Marsala and then by the Decurionato in 1847, with the support of the Bourbon government.

On May 11, 1860 in the ports of Marsala, among the many British ships, the ships of Garibaldi and the Thousand were also spotted, which landed here on the very pier built by Woodhouse.

The Port of Marsala is an artificial harbor enclosed by two curved coastal breakwaters and an outer breakwater, with a 200-meter-wide entrance. The eastern breakwater, where small ships can dock alongside, is 460 m long, of which only 50 m are equipped with docks. In the southern part of the harbor, there is also a marina capable of accommodating boats up to 35 m in length.

This marina has mooring space for 236 boats, 18 of which are for transit, and a maximum water depth of 4 meters. An important note for boaters is the presence of a buoy 5.5 miles to the north that marks the boundary of safe waters. The marina currently has a functional facility, equipped with docks, mooring rings, bollards, and boarding ladders.

In 2014, the final design for the construction of the new Marina di Marsala marina was approved. Developed by Marsala Yachting Resort srl, the project involves the creation of a facility that will accommodate 1,036 berths for yachts up to 75 meters in length and offer a wide range of tourist services. This project is intended to enhance the image that this region—and Sicily more broadly—projects to the world as a tourist destination.

The project also calls for the redevelopment of the entire port basin to reallocate adequate space to all existing port activities. In addition, the protective structures at the port entrance will be further extended, and the operating water depth in the cargo area will be increased to 7 meters.

Larger vessels will have access to a dedicated 8-meter-wide Mega Dock, equipped with amenities and safety features. The fueling station is located at the head of the breakwater pier, in a sheltered area that is accessible to vessels without detours. Among the marina’s additional services is a shipyard whose size and features are tailored to the mooring plan, with over 14,000 square meters of yard space, 800 square meters of warehouse space, and a slipway capable of handling vessels up to 9 meters wide. Work on the new port is expected to be completed by 2017.