t Solitude and sweeping vistas from a sandy stretch Vulcano’s trails
Sicily’s four clusters of picture-perfect archipelagos are marked by celestial seascapes. Escape to a serrated coastline, sputtering craters of steam and lava, and dazzling white-sand beaches that surround inland empires of inky volcanic rock.
t Solitude and sweeping vistas from a sandy stretch Vulcano’s trails
The best way to take in the Sicilian islands is from on high. Splash out on a helicopter tour with Sicily Spot (www.sicilyspot.com) for a bird’s-eye view of steaming Stromboli and Panarea. A less expensive option is to climb up caper-lined paths to Salina’s summit of Fossa delle Felci (961 m/ 3,156 ft) for epic views across the Aeolian islands.
Re-energize with a bath in the mineral-rich mud of pretty Pantelleria’s heart-shaped volcanic lake – then rinse off its turquoise water. On Vulcano, jump from squelching mud into the sea.
Traversing an entire island in one day – by foot, cycle or scooter – is magical. Hire a bike to tour Favignana’s epic scenery, then reward such virtuous behaviour with a wine tasting at Firriato (www.firriato.it), the only vineyard in the Egadis. On far-flung Alicudi achieve zen on its peaceful footpaths.
Kissing the Tunisian coast, the Pelagian islands are more African than Italian from flora to architecture. Stroll around Linosa, camera at the ready – the North African-influenced pastel-coloured houses will brighten any photo album. Look out for fior di tigre cacti and nesting sea turtles on Lampedusa. More sobering is the “Porta di Lampedusa”, which honours those who died at sea, trying to cross into Europe.
Leave the hustle and bustle behind for the tranquillity of island life. Sunbathe on the soft volcanic sands of distant Pantelleria, splash about in the translucent waters around pretty Salina or stroll around the rural hinterlands of Alicudi. Then recalibrate with an off-the-grid meditative retreat at Yoga Filicudi (www.yogafilicudi.it) on the Aeolian Island of Filicudi.
On 3 October 2013, tragedy stuck when a ship carrying migrants fleeing war and famine sank off the coast of Lampedusa, killing over 360 people. The island’s quayside became a makeshift morgue during the search for survivors. Today the Giardino della Memoria, located in a nature reserve, remembers the tragedy with a tree planted for each victim.
