WHAT TO
VISIT
The
‘Montagna Grande’:
natural park and green heart of the island, home of near 600 endemic
botanic species, including the
Limonium Cosyrese,
the
Helichrysm Errarae
and the
Mattiola Incana.
This park is also the
only nesting place in
Europe of the so graceful and highly colored
Cinciarella Algerina
and
Beccamoschino.
At sunset, from the ‘Montagna Grande’, the sight of the Sicilian Channel,
with an occasional view of the African coast, is
spectacular. The
farming villages:
groups of ‘dammusi’
with their ‘giardini’,
enclosures for citrus fruit trees, sheltered from the wind by their
particular lava-stone walls. There are 11 villages located all over the
island; they still use their original Arab names,
Khamma,
Rekhale,
Bukkuram,
Bugeber... The
‘Specchio
di Venere’:
this tiny lake, of volcanic origin and of outstanding colours, is fed by
thermal springs. Not only does it offer plenty of possibilities for water
sports and fango therapy, in spring and autumn it becomes a natural
observatory for many species of migratory birds. The
‘Khagiar’: an
exuberant vegetation of mediterranean bush, made up of myrtle, arbutus,
lentil and heather, grows low to the ground, shaped into fantastic forms
by the wind, on an ancient lava flow, 3 kilometers long. A great number of
wild rabbits
live here, as well as the so-called
Greek
turtle.
‘Dietro Isola’:
the southern part of the island, where there is a pine wood (Aleppo,
Maritime), challenging the sea from the cliffs. An explosion of scents
persists in this continuation of the forest of the ‘Montagna Grande’.
‘Salto la Vecchia’:these
cliffs of the unforgettable name rise 300 meters above the sea, offering a
spectacular panorama. Several species of birds nest in them. The
‘Piana di Ghirlanda’:
this fertile plain, sheltered from the winds by the surrounding ancient
volcanoes, is considered the garden of the island. After some searching,
bizantine tombs
can be found carved in the rocks of a peaceful, small wood. The
lava-stone walls:
the typical agricultural architecture is rendered by the vast network of
stone fences, which create cultivable terraces on the sides of volcanoes
all over the island. The
‘cantine’:
the many cellars where the famous
‘Moscato’ and
‘Passito’ are
produced. The
caper Co-op:
where the so tasty
capers are
processed and sold. The
‘Bagno Asciutto’:
literally the dry bath, but one is far from dry after a few minutes in
this natural sauna, a beautiful cave, seemingly lost in a tumble of rocks
near a mountain path. The
bathing spots
along the coast:
Karuscia,
Campobello,
Khattibuali,
Cala Cinque Denti
,
Cala Gadir with
its thermal springs,
Cala Tramontana,
the
Faraglione,
Cala Levante,
the incredible
Arco dell’Elefante,
Pantelleria’s natural monument (legend would have it that when the island
lacks water the elephant pumps it in from the sea....). The tour continues
with the
Cala Rotonda,
the
Balata dei Turchi
and its obsidian cave,
Nicà, where the
thermal springs are at almost 100°C, the ancient Roman port of
Scauri, the
thermal baths of
Sateria,
Suvaki,
Punta Fram with
its fantastically sculpted lava forms,
Mursia
and the
Cala Bue Marino.
And absolutely not to be missed: a
boat trip
around the island , not only for a different view of it, but also to visit
the numerous
marine caves,
some as vast as cathedrals, where the colours of the sea play from deep
blue to emerald green. The smaller boats weave in and out of these caves;
one can also lower the anchor and dive
in for a closer view of the
beautiful underwater life.
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