Archive for 'Islands'

  

Egadi Islands, Bue Marino
If you're looking for a wonderful sun holiday destination, then a luxury villa in Sicily is a perfect option. Boasting incredibly hot and sunny summers, a unique and diverse cultural history, a rich cuisine, a striking landscape, and lots of truly amazing beaches, this slice of paradise on earth has all that you could ask for for an idyllic summer getaway.

Then, off the western coast of Sicily you will find the three Isole Egadi, also known as the Aegadian Islands or Egadi Islands in English; Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo. While not as famous as the dramatic and volcanic Aeolian Islands or as chic and exclusive as Capri, this group of Sicilian Islands have their own perfectly laid-back appeal. Expect smaller crowds of international tourists (this is one of those spots Italians have largely kept to themselves), better value for your money, stunning azure waters and excellent swimming and diving spots, and lots of surprises along the way – all of it making the Egadi Islands and ideal place to spend some time if you have found a luxury villa in Sicily and are exploring this part of Italy.

The Archipelago of the Egadi, in addition to the islands of Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo, is also home to the islets of Formica and Maraone. There have been archaeological findings indicating the presence of people on the islands dating back to at least the Paleolithic era and prehistoric cave paintings suggest that these islanders have always lived with, and by, the sea. To this day, fishing remains a core industry on the islands, though overfishing in previous eras has lead to a great decline in the numbers of fish in the waters surrounding the Egadi and in the value of the industry to the local area. The islands have also gone through many different rulers and changes throughout the centuries. They have been a key Carthagian stronghold, a stepping-stone of the Arabs in taking control of Sicily, owned by Genovese bankers, and then a branch of the lucrative tuna empire owned and run by the Florio family in the 19th century, until they finally became a part of the Italian state in 1937.     Read More

  

A town view on Panarea
Sicily – with its incredibly hot and reliably sunny summers, slow pace of life, and excellent beaches – is one of the Italy's best holiday destinations for sun-worshippers and those looking to relax and to well and truly get away from it all. Idyllic as the island, as a whole, is, it is perhaps most impressively perfect on the island of Panarea. Panarea, the smallest and chicest of the Aeolian Islands, is located not far from Lipari and is the kind of place that attracts celebrities, fashionistas, and Italy's wealthy youth. With the kind of perfect sheen that comes from places in which tourism is, without a doubt, the prevailing industry, there is little by the way of an authentic experience or local heritage, but there is a stunning landscape, cute towns lined with neat streets full of pretty little white-washed buildings (big developments, thankfully, have not descended on the place) framed by colourful flowers, one of the few sandy beaches in the Aeolian islands, a harbour full of luxury yachts, scenic walks and hiking routes, a vibrant party scene in July and August, and peace and tranquility for the rest of the season. Incredibly expensive during the summer months (and though it is more affordable outside this period, it is essentially boarded up between November and Easter), we recommend heading for a day-trip or for a couple of days if you have found a vacation rental in Sicily and are up for exploring all that the island has to offer.     Read More

  

View over Vulcano
The landscape of Sicily is not soft and pretty but rather striking and beautiful. It is a fascinating thing; rugged, wild, untamed, formed by volcanic processes, dotted by intriguing towns with a multitude of cultural influences marking their architectural characters, hugged by a stunning coast that boasts some of the best beaches in the world. Those seeking a sense of adventure and something new and interesting at every turn will find themselves very much at home in this part of Italy. If you want a great place to trek, hike, cycle, swim, play, and explore, a vacation rental in Sicily is just the ticket.

In particular, we would recommend setting aside some time and heading to the island of Vulcano, 25 km north of Sicily, at the southernmost tip of the eight Aeolian Islands. As the name immediately suggests, this wonderful little island in the Tyrrhenian Sea is a veritable hotspot of volcanic action with several volcanic caldera and one of the four active volcanoes in Italy that are not submarine. However, it is not it that is named after volcanoes but, rather, the other way around, the word for “volcano” coming from the name of the island, which was derived from Vulcan, who was the Roman god of fire. In fact, in both Greek and Roman mythology, the island was a forge for gods, being the labelled as the private foundry of the Olympian god Hephaestus, the patron of blacksmiths, and the chimney of Vulcan's workshop, with earthquakes and explosions of ash thought to have been evidence of the god being busy making weapons for the war god Mars and his armies.     Read More

  

Levanzo
Levanzo, as we have noted in the last post, is an island off the coast of Sicily where you won't find endless tourist attractions but, instead, an incredibly charming and beautiful slice of paradise. A former agricultural settlement that is now home to just 200 people, it is a sleepy and peaceful place that boasts crystal-clear waters, an amazing cave full of prehistoric paintings, a single (but very pretty) village, and astounding views. It makes for the perfect day trip location if you are exploring the area. Just find a vacation rental in Sicily and come explore it for yourself - you're sure to fall in love.

After checking out the town and the Grotta del Genovese, if you still feel like exploring, the whole island is a treat for hikers and casual walkers alike as the island is small and none of the walks are especially demanding.     Read More

  

Port
The island of Levanzo is a charming and beautiful place that is not flashy or action-packed but, rather, a natural gem that makes for the perfect peaceful day trip location if you have found the perfect vacation rental in Sicily.

Levanzo is the smallest of the three Egadi Islands, located just off the western coast of Sicily. The island is home to only about 200 people, who live in the one village on the island, which is made up of a cluster of pretty buildings established around the port. Once an agricultural settlement where grains were produced, it is now mostly only used for sheep farming. Fishing, however, remains important to this day, both as an industry and an activity, and visitors are attracted to the island to try their hand at it, go boating, enjoy other water activities and to take in the peaceful nature of this sleepy and beautiful little mass of land.     Read More