The Most Beautiful Island In The World

Strombolicchio is the name of a sea stack of volcanic origin that is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, just off the coast of Italy. The name literally means “tiny Stromboli” as it is like a mini-me, positioned just 2km off the coast of Stromboli Island and is thought to have been formed by the same original volcano from which the bigger island was built up. Strombolicchio is a distinct and rather romantic looking landmark. It stands up from the water, tall, slim and rugged and is very clearly visible for miles around. As a result, it has captured, and continues to capture, imaginations for a long time and there are endless photographs of it from every imaginable angle, in every light, at every time of day and in every atmospheric condition.

If you have found a vacation rental in Sicily and are exploring the area, make sure to take a boat trip around the island or merely keep an eye out for it along the coast.

The island is made from a hard basalt rock that is resistant to erosion. It rises 50 meters above the ocean and measures approximately just 300 square meters. It is a volcanic plug, part of the same geological platform as the island of Stromboli and is believed to have been created by the same volcano as the bigger island.

This little island is truly a unique and fascinating place. It is home to some very rare species of flora and fauna, such as bassia saxicola, an endangered flower at risk of extinction and of which only a few hundred specimens on the island of Capri remain.

Podarcis raffonei is a rare lizard classified as at critical risk of extinction that is found only on the island and at three other locations in the Aeolian Islands.

Another unique feature of the island is its lighthouse, which adds to the charming and distinctive skyline of Strombolicchio. In the 1920s, the tip of the island was blasted off in order to build the lighthouse and a staircase consisting of 200 steps leading to the lighthouse from the sea was added.

Strombolicchio was once a popular tourist attraction because of these distinctive features but once the rare and precious natural wonders of the island were acknowledged and it was declared a nature reserve in 1991, tourists were banned from landing on the island.

Boat trips around the island are still possible and, while you can't visit directly, it is still quite the sight to behold, particularly up close. It is certainly one of the wonders of Italy.