Panarea is an island off the coast of Sicily that is both the smallest and most fashionable of the Aeolian islands. It is a place that attracts celebrities and jet-setters and offers a slice of paradise and a real taste of luxury.
With no cars on the island, crystal blue seas, white villages, soft sandy beaches and bright blooming bougainvillea, iconic hotels and bars, yachts filling the tiny harbour and chic visitors and inhabitants abounding, it is an incredibly picturesque island that paints an image of a very different lifestyle to the one that most of us are familiar with.
To become a fellow resident of the princess that lives on the island or have a holiday home there, is a long and laborious process that requires being rich, famous, powerful and, most importantly, charming. However, it is possible to visit on day trips as a guest once you have found a vacation rental in Sicily.
With no cars on the island, crystal blue seas, white villages, soft sandy beaches and bright blooming bougainvillea, iconic hotels and bars, yachts filling the tiny harbour and chic visitors and inhabitants abounding, it is an incredibly picturesque island that paints an image of a very different lifestyle to the one that most of us are familiar with.
To become a fellow resident of the princess that lives on the island or have a holiday home there, is a long and laborious process that requires being rich, famous, powerful and, most importantly, charming. However, it is possible to visit on day trips as a guest once you have found a vacation rental in Sicily.
Largely a summer-only destination, little happens here outside the tourist season and between November and Easter, most places remain closed. If you come in the summer months, by contrast, you'll find the right amount of nothing to do.
This is a destination to enjoy yourself and get away from it all, rather than to run around, adhering to a strict itinerary.
Activities include swimming or diving in the clear sea, walking to the Bronze Age huts beyond Cala Junco, boat trips out to the coves on the uninhabited south and west of the island, drinks at the Bar del Porto or the Bridge Club, sushi in the same venue when it turns into a restaurant after 10pm and dancing on the terrace of the Hotel Raya.
This is a destination to enjoy yourself and get away from it all, rather than to run around, adhering to a strict itinerary.
Activities include swimming or diving in the clear sea, walking to the Bronze Age huts beyond Cala Junco, boat trips out to the coves on the uninhabited south and west of the island, drinks at the Bar del Porto or the Bridge Club, sushi in the same venue when it turns into a restaurant after 10pm and dancing on the terrace of the Hotel Raya.
The ancient Bronze Age village is located close to Punta Milazzese and it takes a thirty minute trip on foot to reach the village but its well worth it. Discovered in 1948, quite a lot of the ruins are still not excavated and there's still a chance to make your own archaeological discovery. Plus, there is no entry fee.
Perhaps the best thing about Panarea is the surreal charm of the company one keeps there; a mix of drunk teenagers from Naples, European playboys, minor royalty and oligarchs from across Europe and Russia, models, and the odd appearance of the likes of Uma Thurman or Heidi Klum. Likewise, the island is a bizarre mix of luxury and unpretentiousness. While you might bump into royalty, you won't encounter guestlists or velvet ropes and everything is rather casual. It is kind of hard to believe that such a place still exists in the world and it is certainly a unique highlight of Italy.
Perhaps the best thing about Panarea is the surreal charm of the company one keeps there; a mix of drunk teenagers from Naples, European playboys, minor royalty and oligarchs from across Europe and Russia, models, and the odd appearance of the likes of Uma Thurman or Heidi Klum. Likewise, the island is a bizarre mix of luxury and unpretentiousness. While you might bump into royalty, you won't encounter guestlists or velvet ropes and everything is rather casual. It is kind of hard to believe that such a place still exists in the world and it is certainly a unique highlight of Italy.
Photo credits
Picture 1: Donniedarko1983 / CC BY-SA 4.0;
Picture 2: Markos90 / CC BY 2.0;
Picture 3: Markos90 / CC BY 2.0
Picture 1: Donniedarko1983 / CC BY-SA 4.0;
Picture 2: Markos90 / CC BY 2.0;
Picture 3: Markos90 / CC BY 2.0
