Dammusi, passito and the Lake Specchio di Venere on the black pearl of the Mediterranean
Closer to Tunisia than to Sicily, Pantelleria is a volcanic island of black lava rock, dry-stone terraces, capers and vineyards. Its traditional houses, the dammusi, with thick stone walls and white domed roofs that collect rainwater, are a unique example of Mediterranean architecture.
In the north east, the Specchio di Venere is a lake in a volcanic crater with turquoise, sulphurous water and warm mud, where you can bathe. The coast has no sandy beaches but natural pools, hot springs and the spectacular Arco dell'Elefante, a lava arch shaped like an elephant drinking the sea. The island's vines, trained low in hollows to protect them from the wind, produce the Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet wine of dried Zibibbo grapes; this "head-trained bush vine" cultivation is UNESCO intangible heritage.
Tip: the island is a national park; capers of Pantelleria are a Slow Food presidium. There are flights from Palermo and Trapani and ferries from Trapani.
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