PANTELLERIA
As some of you know, I unilaterally mandated that we travel to Italy every year for our anniversary, after we were married in Tuscany in 2016. For our third anniversary trip, we explored Pantelleria, the volcanic island between Sicily (in Italy) and Tunisia (in Africa). From the moment we landed, I knew that this wild, rustic island was going to be the perfect destination for this year’s celebration. We love exploring new spots in Italy and especially on the sea during August. There is nothing like exploring a new beach spot during the day and sipping a Negroni before indulging in freshly made Italian pasta at night.
The island has so much to admire and explore—from rocky beach spots where you can jump directly into the sea, to Sicilian-style gelato served in creamy brioche buns, which make for the perfect afternoon snack after spending the day in sandals and swimwear. The island features bright pink cactus flowers set against its dark stone “dammusi” houses, the architectural trademark of Pantelleria.
SUGGESTED ITINERARY: The flight schedule was amazing! For this trip we arrived from JFK to Pantelleria (with a quick stop in Rome) by 1pm, and were at the pool by lunch time. Since we love multiple destinations in one trip, we combined this with the Mezzetorre resort in Ischia — not an easy combo given the remoteness of the two islands (and the ferry connection to Ischia), but certainly worth the extra travel mid-trip.
At the Arco dell’Elefante
STAY: Glenn found the Sikelia boutique hotel, an uber-chic retreat whose palm trees and whitewashed walls perfectly encapsulate the island’s position between Italy and North Africa. Run by the ever-present and stylish Milanese owner Giulia, with her long frizzy grey hair and over-the-top fashion accessories, Sikelia was the perfect spot to come home to after spending the days exploring the island. Giulia also owns the Coste Ghirlanda vineyard, which features an outdoor restaurant, where we spent an enchanting evening as her guests.
EAT:
LUNCH: For lunch one day we enjoyed Le Cale, which overlooks a cute swimming hole and has fresh fish and delicious gelato (served the Sicilian way, in the brioche mentioned above). After lunch, head to the Cala Levante to see the island’s most famous natural wonder, the Arco dell’Elefante, a natural stone rock in the shape of an elephant’s trunk, jutting out in into the sea.
The next day, after we spent the morning exploring the Lago di Venere (mentioned below), we drove to Gadir, a little fishing town with a cute restaurant, Da Andrea, which serves great Sicilian caponata (their version of ratatouille) overlooking the charming little inlet. It’s a basic restaurant on the sea with a swimming spot, where you can take a dip before heading for gelato!
DINNER: Ristorante Al Tramonto is known for its gorgeous sunsets over the sea, so time your reservations accordingly. The food is typical seaside Italian and the view is spectacular.
Il Principe e il Pirata had classic food but we got there a little late to enjoy the view, so we would recommend going earlier to take advantage of the sunset at this traditional restaurant.
Don’t forget to try the local wine, made with Zibibbo grapes. And of course, don’t miss the island’s famous sweet wine, the Passito di Pantelleria, with dessert.
GELATO: Katia Pasticceria in the old port (Porto Vecchio) area of town is a traditional gelateria. We had to push our way to the front (southern Italian style) to get to the head of the line. The local Italians were just as eager as we were to have their afternoon snack!
ACTIVITIES: Each day we would head out to find a new spot to relax for a couple hours before lunch. One of our favorites was the Balata dei Turchi (below)…well worth the hair-raising zig-zag drive down the side of the steep cliff. Most of the spots don’t have beach service so don’t forget your water and sunscreen…and of course your water shoes for the rocky beaches. It’s pretty rustic (just the way you want it sometimes)…but that comes with incredible natural beauty. You’ll want to rent a car from one of the several agencies at the airport to get around the island. Reserve in advance. We always advise a convertible in a summer destination. It just makes the drives even more enjoyable!
One must-see is the Lago di Venere, a picturesque lake fed by rainwater and thermal hot springs, as salty as the Dead Sea. The crystal blue reflection of the lake is said to resemble the “mirror of Venus” (specchio di Venere), giving the lake its name. The mud baths are touted to be beneficial to the skin. Wear a bathing suit you don’t mind getting a tad dirty! Although the mud washed out on ours, it’s not worth the risk….
Above: Balata dei Turchi. Below: Lago di Venere.
Another great activity to help you appreciate the natural beauty of the island is to spend a day at sea. The Sikelia has their own classic fishing boat where you can spend the day enjoying views of the island’s incredible rock formations from the sea, together with lunch and wine. And importantly, when you return to the port in the afternoon, there is a gelato cart waiting!
We would enjoy as much of the day as possible before rushing back to the hotel to catch the gorgeous sunset from the roof of Sikelia (left). Here, Giulia would indulge us in a Negroni and a little light convo before we headed out for dinner in our cute little convertible—quite the exercise without power steering.
—the tilda swinton film “A bigger splash” was filmed on pantelleria
PACKING INSPIRATION: It’s partly African, party Italian. Think rustic seaside desert, with a Euro-Italian sensibility in a North African backdrop.
WHAT TO PACK: You’re on an island closer to Africa than Europe, so it’s HOT during the day. Since you’re going from swimming spot to swimming spot, pack as many bathing suits as you can. For tops during the day, it is truly scalding hot until you’re in the water so think light weight. A tee is appropriate, or even a fashion tank is acceptable, but bring a light short-sleeve button-up shirt to throw over it in case you feel uncomfortably skimpy at lunch. In the evenings, you’re going for resort casual. You’ll need nothing more than a short sleeve button up on top to feel comfortable, but still consider lightweight summer fabrics like linens and cottons. Bring a light sweater as the nights can cool off in the desert-like climate. Our hotel, Sikelia, provided beach bags which you’ll definitely need to stash your essentials during the day.
SHOES: For this trip you’ll want:
A day shoe appropriate for a rocky beach. A cool sandal or espadrille works well.
We always wore our sandals TO the rocky beach, but once we arrived there, we quickly switched over to our water shoes — these aqua socks are absolutely essential to navigate the rocks and traverse this rugged landscape. They’re all pretty unattractive but don’t worry, everyone is wearing them and no one is judging. Trust us…our torn up feet learned it the hard way in the Aeolian Islands the year before ;)
An evening shoe that’s resort chic.
SHOP SAM’S LOOKS
DAY LOOK
EVENING LOOK
SHOES
BUON VIAGGIO!