Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist鈥檚 paradise. Beneath the archaeological structures and relics of its Valley of the Temples lies an ancient maze-like aqueduct system that still captures water today.
But the aqueduct, and others built in modern times, are running so dry that small hotels and guesthouses in the city and nearby coast are being forced to turn tourists away. They don鈥檛 have enough water to guarantee their guests a toilet that flushes or a shower after a day out in the summer heat.
Sicily began enforcing water restrictions in February when the region declared a state of emergency amid a relentless drought. Leaky, aging infrastructure has only worsened the shortages, which have hit tourism and agriculture alike, two sectors crucial to Sicily鈥檚 economy.
Rationing is in place for more than one million people across 93 communities. Some are having to reduce water consumption by up to 45 per cent. That means taps run dry according to schedule, and supply is shut off completely overnight in most places. Having enough water to drink is a matter of getting organized during the day.
On TripAdvisor and other travel forums, tourists are asking whether it鈥檚 worth visiting Sicily鈥檚 impacted areas. Hotels are warning clients about potential shortages, and are helping visitors rebook elsewhere on the island where restrictions are less severe or not in effect.
At the Le Cinque Novelle bed and breakfast (B&B) in central Agrigento, where restrictions are tight, the owners have put filters on their showers and sinks to save as much water as possible. But their guests often complain.
鈥淩ightly, people ask us for reassurances before coming, but we don鈥檛 know what to say,鈥� Giovanni Lopez, who owns the B&B, told CNN. 鈥淭he situation is quickly impacting the entire tourist accommodation sector, which risks serious economic consequences, given that tourism is a sector almost everyone in this part of Sicily relies on.鈥�
The Sicilian regional government has asked Rome for subsidies to import water from the mainland, but there鈥檚 no concrete plan to help the island as yet. The office of Italy鈥檚 tourism minister, Diana Santanche, did not respond to CNN鈥檚 request for comment, but in April, she said Sicily should try to spread out its tourism season and avoid focusing solely on summer, when water problems worsen.
Summers in Sicily are becoming unbearable for many.
Last year, the island endured severe wildfires that forced tourists to evacuate or postpone their visits. Now the drought-triggered water shortages are another worry.
Human-caused climate change is heating Europe faster than any other continent, and Sicily sits right at the centre of this change. It was here that Europe鈥檚 temperature record was smashed in August 2023, when the city of Syracuse hit 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Other parts of Italy are also experiencing drought, but only Sicily鈥檚 is considered 鈥渆xtreme,鈥� the highest level, according to the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).
Less than a quarter of the usual rain fell during the winter across the island, which has left around 20 per cent of underground aquifers in a state of 鈥渨ater scarcity,鈥� according to ISPRA. In February, the regional government declared a 鈥渟tate of crisis and water emergency鈥� for irrigation and drinking in Agrigento and four other provinces to last until at least the end of the year.
Marco Maccarrone, who owns the Caico Trattoria e Cantina restaurant in Agrigento, says the island is being left to fight for itself.
鈥淭he summer season is upon us and we are worried. No one has given us alternative solutions to the water tankers that we are paying for ourselves,鈥� he told CNN. 鈥淭his risks destroying the only resource we have: tourism.鈥�
Maccarrone has lived in Agrigento鈥檚 historical centre for 20 years and complains that the flow of water is painfully slow.
鈥淚n half an hour, we can鈥檛 fill a single pot,鈥� he said.
Hotels are obliged to have a certain amount of water reserves relative to their capacity, said Nicola Farruggio, president of Sicily鈥檚 Hotel Federation, which means they also have had to buy water from the mainland. But smaller structures, including family-run hotels and B&Bs, often don鈥檛 have a way to store enough to meet the requirements. And if they are located within a residential building, they are subject to the strict rations that apply to condominiums, which means they simply cannot guarantee water to guests.
Francesco Picarella, head of Agrigento鈥檚 Hotel Federation, who also owns a hotel in the city centre, says years of ineffective governance have made things worse. There has been talk of rebuilding the water network since 2011, but little progress has been made, he said.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 problem is the result of a failed water management policy that has been going on for 20 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he hotels that have their own reserves somehow compensate; the B&Bs in the historic centre are in extreme difficulty.鈥�
He said that the reservoirs are drying up because of lack of rain but also leaks.
In response to CNN鈥檚 request for comment, the Sicilian regional government鈥檚 office pointed to a study that outlined government plans to drill new wells, build more pipelines and bring aging desalination plants back online. The report also says Sicily has not received enough funds from Rome to carry out its plans.
The local federation of B&Bs said that 鈥渋t should have been a golden year鈥� for Agrigento, which in March last year was named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2025, an accolade that typically draws more tourists. 鈥淚nstead, word of mouth about the water crisis can ruin the season.鈥�
It was just starting to see an uptick, too. In 2023, visitor numbers increased by 24 per cent compared to the year before, according to Picarella.
The island鈥檚 tourism ministry said Sicily was expecting to see over two per cent more visitors than last year after many postponed their trips because of the wildfires.
鈥淧eople see this destination with a lot of interest,鈥� Picarella said. 鈥淭his summer we are expecting a greater number of holidaymakers and every day we have to invent a way to move forward.鈥�
Running out of time
The situation is just as dire for farmers. At an organic farm near Caltanissetta in central Sicily, around 50 kilometres (around 30 miles) northeast of Agrigento, goats are drinking a muddy sludge where a pond once was. Luca Cammarata, who owns the farm, said the drought means grass for grazing is also scarce. He鈥檚 never seen Sicily so dry.
The lack of water has meant farmers like Cammarata are faced with the devastating choice: cull their herds or let them die of starvation or dehydration.
Citrus farmers are also seeing their famous Sicilian oranges shrivelling on their trees from lack of water. The reservoirs used for irrigation around Mount Etna, where the oranges are grown, now hold around half the amount of water than they usually do. If there鈥檚 no summer rain, they will drop to around 25 per cent, according to the ANBI Observatory on Water Resources, a government agency.
Over-development of urban centres and citrus and wheat farms have reduced the natural wetlands by 20 per cent, worsening the problem, ANBI said.
Sicily鈥檚 regional president, Renato Schifani, said the island鈥檚 losses 鈥� between crops, empty reservoirs and dying livestock 鈥� have already topped 鈧�1 billion. That doesn鈥檛 even take into consideration potential loss of tourism dollars because tourists that can鈥檛 access water on one part of the island are rebooking in others.
But for communities in places like Agrigento, the losses are devastating.
It just as bleak for Cammarata, who says his whole livelihood 鈥� his 300 goats, 160 head of cattle and dairy operation 鈥� is at risk.
鈥淭he consortium used to guarantee water rotation every five or six days,鈥� he said, referring to a farmers representative group. 鈥淣ow they can no longer tell us if and when they will open the taps.鈥�
The solutions are complicated, even for an island surrounded by water. The three desalination plants that could clean Sicily鈥檚 seawater for drinking, sanitation or irrigation have been closed for more than 10 years. Getting them back online, or drilling new wells, will take time.
And time is yet another thing the island is running out of.
CNN鈥檚 Antonia Mortensen contributed to this report.
