Sicilys Islands - Robinson Crusoe Islands

These groups of archipelagos really are the icing on the cake for Sicily; here among some of the prettiest chain of Islands in the Med we can really have it all.

The cobalt seas and windswept mountains set the scene for the Aeolian Islands chain of seven sisters, Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, Panarea, Salina, Fillicudi and Alicudi.

Here the beauty of these islands can repel and tempt the visitor as they have for many centuries but all the time being known as the holy grail for the traveller in Italy.

A chain that has formed a huge volcanic outcrop some 3000m high and is over one million years old is living to tell the tale of its natural history today through its steaming vents and crater tops.
Lipari is the largest of the chain some 45 square kilometres and is also the busiest port to arrive into, once you have beaten a retreat away from the port you will find that tranquillity soon takes hold.

With its pastel coloured houses and meandering streets it’s very easy to see why this island became an important post for the Greeks and Spaniards during their respective reigns of the islands. The citadel was rebuilt after the rampage of Barbarossa in 1544 and the Spaniards quickly fortified Lipari and today the walls still stand as strong as the day they were built.

One of the wonderful points of interest here is the castle and cathedral which sits atop a ridge outcrop. The original Norman church was replaced and now stands next to other ruins and a museum which houses some of the most important Mediterranean finds of its period.

Pumice stone and obsidian are the rich minerals here and have been used in trading and for the production of much merchandise.

From here you can hop on boats and get to discover the other sisters in this chain. They too have many varied riches to offer and on Salina the greenest of the seven you can taste the capers that are harvested on the hillsides and the sticky sweet malvasia wine that has been produced for centuries in this haven.

Stromboli is an active volcano today just like its larger counterpart Etna, and it is possible to watch the spews of lava that are thrown from the top everyday.
Over a third of the islanders emigrated during the 1950s to Australia and today its the population stands at around 450.

Tiny little Panarea is the smallest in the family but with the prettiest face. Here in the summer time the yachts arrive daily and Panarea becomes the playground for the rich and famous.
An island of stunning contrasts and the only one to have a coastal path, it is possible to enjoy the breathtaking views as you amble the hours away here.
The waters are clear and rich with sea life which makes for a pleasurable dive or snorkel.

Whether you make your way out to the furthest flung of the seven, Alicudi and Fillicudi remain always windswept and the very essence of the Robinson Crusoe of this chain.
Cut off in the winter months by high seas, it is only when the sweltering summer heat gets too much for the Italian that these two islands become a haven for the seeker of solitude.

Wherever you choose amongst these gems, disappointment is rarely found, drink the local wine, eat the fresh caught fish and soak up the sunny warm atmosphere of these the jewels of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Further flung jewels include

Egadi and Pelagic groups.

The Pelagic (or in Italian Pelagie) are a small volcanic group forming the last of Etna's volcanic chain, here in the summer months Lampedusa the largest island is overrun by visitors seeking out its clear aqua marine waters.

Sitting on the very edge of the continental shelf these little islands have been caught in many political and historical maelstroms.
Many asylum seekers from Africa have landed on these shores and today are still posing a problem for the UN and Italian government.

That said these islands shimmer in the hot sun and the waters are some of the cleanest in Italy. Those that seek calm and tranquillity will not find it here in August, but May and June on the shores of Lampedusa and Linosa has to be the greatest of pleasures for the beach lover.

Egadi group

A Carthaginian stronghold and used as a stepping stone by the Arabs, these islands are some of the most interesting in the Med.
Four islands make up the group, Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo and finally the breathtaking Pantelleria.

Favignana

The largest and most inhabited of the four is shaped like a butterfly and dominated by the mountain of Santa Caterina (287m). This is all but a flat island and is a pleasure to navigate on a bike.
The crystal clear waters are tempting and the restaurants in Cala Rossa are excellent for those enjoying the fruits of the sea, but interestingly here it's not the eating but catching of the fish that is the draw, and it’s possible to join one of the many boats going out daily to catch the local tuna.

Levanza

The main reason to visit this small island is to enjoy the diving and snorkelling of one of the many pebble beaches around the coast.

Marettimo

The most westerly of the group lays Marettimo, home to tales of Ulysses and the Odysseys. Here walking is a must as the island is a car free zone.
Locals rent out their rooms here in the summer months as hotels are scarce and camping is allowed on Marettimo as tourism has not taken a strong hold.

La Mattanza is a century’s old tradition of tuna slaughter, created by the Arabs, the waters in the western area of Sicily were the mating ground for the tuna and here every year there was a very bloody festival where the fish would be bludgeoned to death once hauled aboard the boats.
Today the festival is still celebrated and tourists flock to this area to witness this spectacle which with a strong stomach is now just purely for entertainment. The festival starts between the 20th May and the 10th June.

Pantelleria

The Island sits some 80km from the coast of Tunisia and 110km south of Sicily, named by the Arabs as daughter of the winds (bint el-Rhir) she is a jagged island made up of lava stone.
The Arabs once again left their mark here and with their love of garden husbandry, created odd domed shaped huts which are known as dammusi houses and today the island remains one of the true agricultural communities in the Med.

It is known as the black pearl because of its lava stone and when you drive around the island the contrasts of the black against the fertile greens are really something to write home about.
Bougainvillea, rich green vineyards and the deepest of blue seas will leave the visitor breathless, and in many cases wanting to stay in this little corner of paradise.
An A- list celebrity island in the summer months does not retract from the sheer beauty of Pantelleria and a trip for those who appreciate rare and precious things will truly understand the gifts of the shiny black pearl.

Islands of uniqueness, life in motion and splashes of bright colour with a very turbulent history thrown in, are what make all these Archipelagos fascinating to visit, giving you glimpses into the pasts and future of these extremely fragile and precious gems.

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