Milazzo, Italy

Tindari: Some cruise lines offer a bus to this coastal town, just west of Milazzo. It’s the site of Greco-Roman ruins and the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna, a hilltop church that houses the famous wooden sculpture salvaged from the Byzantine Iconoclast era. From the sanctuary, you can get views of the sea and a curious sandbank shaped like a woman. Legend has it that a follower dropped her child over the cliff, and courtesy of the madonna, the life-saving bar rose from the ocean.

Castle of Milazzo: You can walk around the crumbling fortifications of this imposing structure, which was built high on a rocky outcropping. From this elevation, you can take for granted that the views are going to be far-reaching on clear days, when you can see out to the Aeolian islands and the Capo Milazzo.

Sant Antonio di Padova: This cavernous rock church on Cape Milazzo was where San Antonia de Padova took refuge after a shipwreck in 1221, and the building is home to a number of religious treasures that span from the 16th to the 18th centuries, including marble slabs and bas-reliefs depicting the miracles of the Saint Anthony.

Second-Time Visitors to Italy: Milazzo won’t be the most jaw-dropping stop on your Italy itinerary, but it does add some variety to an itinerary full of heavy hitters.

There’s an Industrial Side: You'll need to look past the unsightly industrial zones on the shore to access the port’s lo charms.