Pantelleria

An oasis of calm and tranquility 110 kilometers from Sicily (Mazzara del Vallo) and 70 kilometers from Tunisia (Capo Mustafà). The island of Pantelleria has an area of ​​80 square kilometers, about four times that of Lampedusa. Like the latter, it has an airport with direct flights from Trapani and Palermo to which, during the summer, air connections from other Italian cities are added. Obviously it can also be reached by sea, by ferry or hydrofoil from the port of Trapani.

Few information, however enough to understand how Pantelleria is, in some respects, an island to be conquered. The distance from the mainland has allowed the achievement of aright balance between the needs of modernization dictated by the advent of tourism and the preservation of the peculiarities of the territory, especially in the hinterland.

As you move away from the coast, in fact, the agricultural landscape of Pantelleria emerges in all its beauty. Hectares and hectares of vineyards which, together with citrus groves and vegetable gardens, draw a beautiful landscape in which the very wide use of dry stone walls stands out for the most varied uses: first of all, to clean the agricultural funds from excess stones; then, to contain the ground and delimit the boundaries; finally, above all, to protect crops from the mistral and sirocco winds. 

Still on the subject of agriculture, it should be remembered that the sapling cultivation of the Zibibbo grape and the capriculture are respectively Unesco Heritage (the first), and Protected Geographical Indication (the second). In both awards, in addition to the undoubted quality of the product, the historicity of these crops was rewarded, with particular reference to the techniques with which the Pantelleria farmers over the centuries have managed to extract fruits from a difficult yet generous nature.

The coastal landscape is also difficult. In Pantelleria there are no long stretches of sandy beaches, but rocky coves and inlets that are sometimes difficult to reach but beautiful to the eye: wonderful sea, sun, mild climate and all the calm and tranquility we mentioned at the beginning. 

Considering the size of the island, the best way to get around is to rent a car or a scooter. You can also move well with bus lines but you should know that local public transport does not cover the entire territory. The same goes for the sea: the best way to familiarize yourself with the variegated coastal landscape of Pantelleria is certainly by boat with the different island tour formulas provided by the operators present on the port.