A true paradise on earth, as it has been defined by visitors and tourists who come from all over the world. Just over an hour’s flight from any Italian airport, Lampedusa, perfect for a holiday with no frills. Suspended between sky and sea, with its 320 hectares of Nature Reserve along an unspoiled stretch of the southern coast, it is the perfect destination for relaxation.
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Lampedusa is the largest island belonging to the archipelago of the Pelagie Islands, in Sicily, along with Linosa and Lampione. The “high seas” islands is the meaning of Pelagie in Greek and these are located about 200 km in the south of Agrigento, between the islands of Malta and Tunisia.
A borderland between two worlds, Lampedusa has environmental characteristics of two very different continents: Africa and Europe. Closer to Africa than to Italy, it is surrounded by a sea that leaves you breathless, with shades ranging from transparent, to turquoise, to emerald green, to blue. Lampedusa is therefore one of the most popular destinations for those who love the sun, diving and wild nature.
The spectacle is beautiful for those who, with masks and flippers, sail along the rocky coasts: the seabed, sometimes rocky, or white and sandy, is suddenly tinged with dark green. The activity par excellence is fishing, while agriculture is completely ignored by the inhabitants as the interior of the island, white and ocher, stony and arid, has a desert aspect. The center of the island develops along Via Roma, which comes alive in the morning for breakfast and in the evening, from sunset until late at night.
Lampedusa is therefore able to offer tourists a unique natural spectacle and hospitality as if it were not found elsewhere. Among the most beautiful beaches of the island, the Bay of the Rabbit Island, decreed in 2013 the “most beautiful beach in the world”, is very well-known. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean, whose area is protected by the presence of the Caretta caretta sea turtles that lay their eggs here. The island of the Rabbits can also be reached by those who cannot swim because the 100 meters that separate it from the coast are just over 1 meter deep. Apart from the island of Rabbits, the southern coast of Lampedusa is home to numerous coves and fantastic beaches, including Cala Croce, Cala Pulcino, Cala Madonna and Cala Guitgia. On the eastern part of the island there are Cala Pisana, in Crete and the beach of the Dead Sea.
Fish is the true protagonist of local cuisine, in fact Lampedusa is full of intimate restaurants and trattorias that offer strictly fish-based dishes. You have to taste the fish cous cous (African dish), revisited by the Lampedusans, with the addition of shrimp, lobster and seafood. All accompanied by excellent and fresh Sicilian white wines.
Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa
Province of Agrigento
Sicily Region
Center altitude: 16 m s.l.m.
Area naturale marina protetta Isole Pelagie
Riserva naturale Isole di Linosa e Lampione
Riserva naturale orientata Isola di Lampedusa
Via Vittorio Emanuele – Lampedusa e Linosa
tel: 0922970027
Where to stay in Lampedusa
If you are looking for where to stay in Lampedusa, you can choose from hotels, B&Bs, farm stays and holiday homes in the village and nearby, for a slower stay among landscapes, culture and authentic hospitality.
News and stories about “Lampedusa”
Insights and stories from the area, to keep discovering.
Tuoro sul Trasimeno
Montefeltro
Medieval Markets in the Village
The Ca’ Rossa Experience: from vineyard to glass
La Rustìda in Gabicce Monte: the authentic flavour of the Adriatic, where sea, hills and tradition meet