If you are thinking about a destination for summer, I recommend that you visit Pantelleria. This is a not well known small island placed in the Mediterranean sea, amid Sicily and Tunisia. Along with Linosa and Lampedusa, Pantelleria is considered the jewel of the Mediterranean sea. Furthermore, unlike Lampedusa, Pantelleria has not been involved in the migrations tide coming from the North African countries, it is hence ideal to spend your summer holidays.

Tourist information

As just said, Pantelleria is an island placed amid Sicily and the North of Africa, in the centre of the Mediterranean sea. That is a small volcanic island with stunning sights, beaches and a natural landscape. It is also a municipality with less than 7 thousand of inhabitants included in the province of Trapani. To spend your summer vacation here, you must know how to reach the island, what to see and what are the best accommodations and restaurants to enjoy your vacation at its best. In the following paragraphs, I’ll provide you also with information about prices to eat and to sleep in Pantelleria. On the island you can also admire the small and picturesque harbour of Scauri ( see the first image), which represents a useful connection with Trapani and Mazara del Vallo in Sicily.

What to see in Pantelleria

On this island you can see wonderful beaches and rural houses called I Dammusi or Dammaso.The beaches of Pantelleria are characterized by very low shores on the Northern side and slopes and cliffs in the Southern side. The main road that leads you to the beaches is well paved along a route of 40 kms, with detours made of small alleys toward the coast and the beaches. Near the beaches, the seabed is unique and with a typical Mediterranean vegetation enriched with abundant vine plants from which it is produced the famous wine Zibibbo of Pantelleria. Since the island is volcanic, the bays are rocky and pebbly. Some of them, made of volcanic stone, have been smoothed by the sea over the millennia. The only sandy beach of Pantelleria is in the lake called Lo Specchio di Venere. This is the most charming beach of the island. No other beach has a lake ( see the image) to mirror the light of the sun and the sea in the island and in the whole Mediterranean zone. The name Specchio di Venere, Mirror of Venus, comes from the fact I explained above, namely the lake enhances the light of the sun and the sea, by creating stunning natural nuances. The waters of the lake are rich in minerals that strengthen the phenomenon of the coloured lights. The surroundings of the lake are also a natural reserve and a guarded Park. Dive into these clear waters and lay down on the white sand that is opposed to the green landscape of the woods. Near this beach, you can also find the thermal baths with sulphurous waters created by volcanic phenomena.

There are about 30 beaches in the island. The most of them are rocky and pebbly, some of them allow you to enjoy a stunning sight of an unforgettable landscape (Balata dei Turchi). Some of them are secluded and solitary (Cala Cottone), some of them are surrounded by high rocky cliffs called faraglioni and by volcanic grottos ( Cala Levante). To see the African coast and wonderful sunsets, I suggest that you visit Suakl, an ancient water basin and a romantic beach used in the past to collect a big quantity of water from the sea.

In Pantelleria, you can also see, rent and buy the famous Dammusi or Dammasi( see the image below). These are the typical houses on the island, born from the merging of the Arab culture and the customs of the local peasants. This kind of home has a cubic shape with thin lava stone walls and roofs and ceiling with a shape of a dome. This shape serves to protect the homes from moisture, wind and dryness. The dome of the roof is mainly used to collect rain waters by driving them to an underground water basin. Thanks to the large surface, the roofs of the Dammusi allow to dry some agricultural products under the sun. Moreover, the thin walls and the small entrances protect the homes from summer heat and winter cold. Tourists can rent or buy I Dammusi to enjoy their annual vacation to the island. Many famous people bought some of these homes, among these, Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana and Sharon Stone. The most picturesque Dammusi are in the area called Mursia. This is the beach with the most beautiful seabed of the island. To rent a  Dammuso for your vacation, you can see this link.  In this link you’ll find a place to stay in Pantelleria, near the lake, in a zone  outfitted with restaurants, shopping center, cafe bar and super market. Seven nights in this fabulous Dammuso are 367 euros, only.

How to reach Pantelleria

Reaching Pantelleria is not always easy. The island is nearer Tunisia than Sicily, but this inaccessibility makes it quiet and stress free. You can reach Pantelleria by airplane and by boat. To reach the island by boat, you can take the ferries or hydrofoil from Trapani seaport. The companies to manage these services are: www.siremar.it, www.usticalines.it. Siremar offers you a daily service as of the first of June. Usticalines offers the service from June 20 to September 10 every day. You can reach Pantelleria also by aeroplane from the main Sicilian airports of Trapani and Palermo. Here, you can enjoy two daily flights to reach the island. Flights are offered by Alitalia. During the summer season, many other Italian cities are connected with Pantelleria, such as Milan, Rome, Bergamo, Bologna and Venice. For this reason, you can also book a flight from these cities during your vacation to Italy in order to make a stop in the beautiful Sicilian island of Pantelleria. Please contact straight the Italian airlines to book your travel to Pantelleria, if you have troubles, you can send me a message, in order to contact the Italian airlines on behalf of you. The price of the Flight to Pantelleria is between 300 – 450 euros a person. Obviously, if you book before summer, you’ll find a less expensive price.

Pantelleria hotels and accommodations

To stay in Pantelleria, you can book hotels and accommodations which have the shape of the traditional cottages of the island, namely the dammusi. One of the most booked hotels is Pantelleria Dream. Placed in a stunning position, a few kms away from Pantelleria airport, the hotel allows you to enjoy romantic sights from the terrace. All of the rooms overlook the sea. Always built with the style of a dammuso, the hotel assures the best comfort and relax for your vacation and every morning offers you a riche and delicious breakfast, while, in its restaurant, you can eat the traditional dishes of this island. Couples love this accommodation very much. In this hotel, people speak your language, including English! For hotels and accommodations in Pantelleria, the prices go from 40 to 136 euros per room. They depend on the season. Pantelleria Dream is booked very often. For this reason, if you find this hotel booked, check the other hotels on this link. They are all marvelous and suitable for couples, families and over. Their style is always like the charming dammusi, and some of them offer you the traditonal cuisine of a farmhouse. For your next summer, book one of them now, because these hotels are booked fast!

Where and what to eat in Pantelleria

This island is a land to listen and adore. This is also the land of the scent, the scent of the sea, obviously. That is why you must absolutely eat fish, or rather, fish recipes. A tasty dish is stuffed squid ( see the image above) served by famous restaurants .To eat stuffed squid, you can go to the restaurant called La Nicchia. This is the best restaurant on the island, in the village of Scauri. Don’t miss even recipes with capers, eggplants, olive oil or tomatoes. The capers of Pantelleria are regarded as the best of the world. Absolutely delicious is the eggplant caponata, a typical Sicilian recipe that you can eat only to Pantelleria. Another recipe is the local pesto, made with capers and a handful of oregano. Another local recipe is the pasta sauce made with pulverized cherry tomatoes, almonds and garlic. This dish is also called pesto. Just because they are prepared in Pantelleria, they are also called Pantescan pesto. Both of them are chopped with toasted breadcrumbs instead of the typical grated cheese. I can’t assure you that restaurants in Pantelleria are managed by people who speak English. I tried to read reviews about the best restaurants, but these reviews are only in Italian. Fortunately, I found this restaurant http://www.restaurantnucciocalagadir.flazio.com/#!/en/home that has also a page in English and offers a delicious cuisine made of sea foodgrill , fabulous dishes with sea urchin eggs, and a special recipe of fish cous cous. This facility offers a service called home restaurant , namely a place where travellers can taste traditional and high quality dishes at a low price, just as if you ate at home.

Rosalba Mancuso

Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor to the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.