e-borghi travel 7, Islands and villages: Pelagie islands, the “open sea” gems

Lampedusa, Linosa, Lampione, Isola dei Conigli and Scoglio del Sacramento: a heavenly archipelago that was defined by the Greek Herodotus “open sea islands”. Africa and Europe meet on these islands that are suspended between the sea and the sky and are featured by their tropical blue water, they are the melting pot of different cultures and traditions that make them unique. Lampedusa and Lampione belong to the continental African side while Linosa belongs to the European side with its species of animals and plants. It’s the only transcontinental archipelago together with Indoensia. That’s why they deserve a travel at any seasons of the year at the discovery of a border world spotted with tiny fishers’ villages and thousand years old traditions. From the sea to the mainland
 Deep blue and yellow ochre. These are the colours of the archipelago of the Pelagie islands featured by a dry stony mainland and by the deep clear blue sea where the colours change from the turquoise blue to the emerald green and the deep blue. In such a scenery it’s really difficult not to join an organized tour by boat or hire a skipper to discover this bright deep universe. You just have to reach the harbour and set sail. How can you explore the “Pelagie” islands if you don’t set sail in the open sea”? You can see the most characteristic formations only in the open sea like the huge cliff of Sacramento near the bay of Madonna di Lampedusa: it’s very exciting to cross the narrow channel that separates the stack from the island and you can reach the Tabaccara in Lampedusa only by boat, it’s an inlet surrounded by the clear water or you can also reach the “Fili” in Linosa, a reef where a natural pool is set. The under-water world The Pelagie islands is an area where you must be equipped with your flippers and goggles to dive into this particular Mediterranean universe set between Italy, Malta and Tunisia that has become a “marine reserve”. If you swim around the rocky coast you can discover the ornate wrasses, the starfish, the octopuses, the sea cucumbers and the sponges while the seabed is sometimes covered in the sea grass, a water plant that releases the oxygen into the water and produces real grasslands on the seabed. If you like diving you’ll discover the coral, the parrotfish and the lobsters near Capo Grecale. Back on the mainland there’s nothing better than waiting for the sunset in Lampedusa, the village that shares the sea with the biggest island where you can have a good time in one of the locals that are spread along via Roma. If you are not tired you can climb up the Sun Tree (Albero del Sole) or “U Signuruzzu" for one hundred metres, it’s the highest point in Lampedusa from where you can enjoy an amazing view of the cliffs overlooking the sea mainly the “Scoglio a Vela” (sail rock) and the archipelago. Black and white beaches The beaches of the Pelagie are an incredible mix of colours. Starting with the iconic beach of the rabbits island (Isola dei conigli), a little island near the South-West coast of Lampedusa. It looks like a Caribbean place, it was chosen as the “most beautiful beach in the world” by Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Beaches in 2013 thanks to its white sand that enters into the turquoise blue and emerald green sea. The rabbits island (Isola dei Conigli) and the surrounding bay are a paradise for the birdwatching lovers since it is a very important stop for the migrating birds. There’s more than that, twenty miles Northern of Lampedusa the scenery is totally different: Linosa is an island shaped by three extinct volcanos, Monte Ponente, Monte Rosso and Monte Vulcano where the black sand and the dark rocks counteract the clear blue water of Western Pozzolana. Here you can visit the sea turtles recovery centre called “Hydorsphera” and the Caretta Caretta turtles lay their eggs on these beaches in Summer. A celebrating archipelago It’s always worth sailing from Porto Empedocle or flying to Lampedusa from the main Italian airports to explore the archipelago. At the end of Summer it’s even better: the sea is warm, the temperature is cooler and there are less tourists so you can enjoy the amazing landscapes that are offered by these islands. On the 24th August you can admire fantastic fireworks by the docks that are organized to celebrate the patron saint of Lampedusa, San Bartolomeo. On the 22nd of September they celebrate the Madonna di Porto Salvo, a little statue which is laid on the seabed near Cala Galera, it’s the protector of fishermen. They are great opportunities to taste the typical dishes like the cous-cous with squids, the goatfish sauce, the “paghiata di pisci” (sort of paella), the “lava spaghetti” with the squid ink sauce and the grouper in the Lampedusa way. And the final sweet touch is the minnulata, a jubilation of almonds cookies to be tasted with a dry Moscato wine.

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