In the province of Trapani, there is an island made up of colors, scents and flavors and landscapes that are rugged but, for that very reason, enchanting.

What is most striking is the strong contrast of colors, which is then also a contrast of environments: there is the green of the valleys and vineyards, there is the very clear blue of the sea, the anthracite of the lava flows, the gold of the clusters of zibibbo, the white of the dammusi, and, enveloping everything, the blue of the sky.

Then there are the coves, a bathers’ paradise, the steam jets and hot springs that betray its volcanic origin, the Mirror of Venus, and the lake with a name as fascinating as ever. There are vine crops, which, who knows why, residents have always preferred to fishing. And then there are those characteristic buildings that also testify to the passage of the Arabs here: the dammusi, square houses with domed roofs and thick walls to protect themselves from the vigor of the sun’s rays.

The town, where you will disembark upon arrival, has unfortunately lost some of its former flavor due to having been heavily bombed during the last war. But the island is big and a few kilometers further on…it feels like being in another world !

The Reserve starts from the center of the island, where Big Mountain rises, and then stretches toward the coast. The main relief is surrounded by a crown of smaller volcanic rises, the “cuddies“-we have them to thank for Pantelleria ‘s existence. The variety of the ‘environment that was formed can be attributed to the superposition of lava masses dating from different eras.

In fact, the northern area, which arose from more recent volcanic activity, is made up of fluid flows: this is why we are faced with docile and uniform slopes, only occasionally interrupted by the occasional lava cone.
The central-northern part, on the other hand, is reserved for a kind of natural beauty farm thanks to the Specchio di Venere, with its sulfurous mud, and the numerous hot springs.

The things to see, to try and to taste on the island are endless, as endless are the glimpses that the mind of each of us can raise to the most beautiful.
Here, too, after all, as in many corners of Sicily, it is clear at first glance that many men and many cultures have come and gone over the centuries, leaving behind something of themselves, something that has survived.
There are the Neolithic sepulchres of that people who came from Tunisia, the Arabic-sounding names of the districts, the Balata dei Turchi, remembrance of defeated pirates and much more.

Who can tell what portrait each visitor will hold in his or her heart after getting to know this place that seems so far away from the rest of the world!

Getting there

– Via mare
– From Trapani www.siremar.it – www.usticalines.it – www.traghettidelleisole.it
– From Mazara del Vallo www.usticalines.it

– By plane
Several companies operate flights to Pantelleria from major Italian airports. Look for the one closest to you.

FLORA & FAUNA

Flora
On Pantelleria you will find vegetation consisting of about 600 different species. Among the species that thrive on Pantelleria are the Holm Oak, Lentisk and Maritime Pine, the red berries of the Strawberry Tree and the dark berries of the Myrtle, the Fillirea, an intensely scented evergreen shrub, the Ruta, an evergreen shrub just over three feet tall, the Cistus with beautiful bright pink flowers, the upright stem of the Erica arborea and multiflora, the Olivetus and the fragrant Rosemary.

Among the endemic species of the area, some varieties of Limonium – cosyrense, and parviflorium –Helicrysum errerae, a perennial shrub that grows even in dry and steep soils, the Medicago truncatula var. cosyrensis, belonging to the Leguminosae family.

Fauna
Pantelleria’s unique location between Africa and Sicily makes the island suitable for collecting all migratory bird species that follow the route between the African continent and Europe: first and foremost, the rare Queen’s Hawk, very elegant in its dark-red plumage, and the Brown Kite, a bird of prey that flies at great heights. Then again Buzzards with their broad wings and variegated plumage, Thrushes, small passerines, Woodcocks, Turtle Doves, specimens of Kestrels and Peregrine Falcons.

The Venus Mirror is heavily frequented by waterfowl such as Ducks, Waders, Herons of various species and Flamingos. Occasionally, Great Crested Grebes, Cranes, Storks and Spoonbills, recognizable by their very distinctive beaks, can be observed.
Endemic to the island is the Algerian Tits, which can be seen near Montagna Grande.

The most characteristic animal of the island is the Pantelleria Donkey which seems to have originated from crosses between African and Sicilian subjects; a great worker, it was highly sought after for its exceptional robustness and longevity, prized for its speed of march and sure-footedness even on the roughest terrain.

Managing body
Azienda Foreste Demaniali of the Sicilian Region.
Forestry detachmentC/da Sibà – Pantelleria
Tel: 0923 916524