Location

Under the reign of Martino d'Aragone and Queen Maria, Nicolò D'Amico was granted the sea space to arm the tonnara under the castle in the inlet called Ngonia. From 1818 to 1756, the tonnara was owned by various families, including Marullo and Bonaccorsi. In 1970 it passed into the hands of Don Girolamo Calapaj, who managed it together with the D'Amico family until 1996. In that year, the tonnara ceased its activity.
Work in the tuna nets began in April with the customary 'going out on the flat' ('nisciuta in chianu'). After the blessing of the premises and staff, the boats were repaired by the shipwrights while the other workers worked on the revision of the nets. The tuna fishery was equipped with many boats, including the muciara, which was the rais's boat on which a flag was hoisted, the colour of which indicated the type of fish caught: white for swordfish, red for tuna; the 20-metre long palischermi without masts that were used to transport the tuna to the shore; and the smaller boats that carried the nets and tools. The small church, recently restored, was used to store nets and ropes during the Tonnara's months of inactivity. At the base of the votive aedicule, there is still a marble inscription that recalls that the tiny shrine was erected in 1907 'A Maria Consolatrice dai Marinari della Tonnara del Tono'.Behind the small church, in which the simulacrum of the Black Madonna of Tindari is venerated and within which an elegant and delightful paving dating back to the 18th century has recently been brought to light, a steep flight of steps allows one to walk to contrada Manica, where from the heights of the promontory one can enjoy another breathtaking view of 'Ngònia, the Castle and the entire western riviera.
Today, the small square of the 'Ngònia houses, towards the south, the old renovated warehouses that for centuries offered shelter to tuna boats. Facing the sea stand the buildings that belonged to the families who owned the Tonnara del Tono. The palace was commissioned in 1815 by Domenico Calapaj, as can be seen from some inscriptions legible in the freestone decorations, and was renovated by the Calabrese family.
Not far from 'Ngònia are the low buildings of the 'La Tonnara' residence, erected at the beginning of the 20th century to house the factory producing tuna in oil in tin cans, where mostly the wives of the 'Tunìsi', as the inhabitants of the district are called, found employment.

In 2000, the Calabrese family bought the estate that had belonged to the owners of the old tonnara del Tono. The father Tindaro, the fourth generation of builders, together with his wife Anna and their children Marco and Rachele, dedicated himself to the renovation of the old building dating back to 1800, and to the recovery of the garden and the various outbuildings.
In order to enhance the area of great historical value, linked to one of the most important and ancient fishing activities in Sicily, the Calabrese family plans to build a hospitality structure for luxury tourism in the area. The dream becomes reality. On 6 July 2017, the boutique hotel Ngonia Bay was inaugurated and this corner of paradise was made available to everyone. Shared by a great passion for hospitality and in love with this magical place, every day Anna, Marco and Rachele, with dedication, dedicate themselves to the care of the structure. Of the garden, the design and the furnishings, in which there is a strong reference to Sicily, is taken care of by their mother Anna who, with her marked aesthetic sense, imparts that touch of refinement necessary in a modern, contemporary boutique hotel. Her daughter Rachele takes care of the administrative side, a fundamental aspect for the proper management of a business, and finally Marco is the manager of the hotel, the sunny and competent face who takes care of the reception, ensuring that everything is perfect in the running of the hotel and restaurant.