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The best side of the island to

experience Pantelleria’s volcanic
soul is the northern side: this part

of the coast is almost like a fairy-
tale landscape.

The Land Rover Defender is one of the most used
vehicles to travel around the island.

Page 18: the white roofs of the dammusi, Pantelleria’s typical stone houses

Page 17: the black rocks of Pantelleria diving into the infinite sea.

It was the summer of 1969 when Pantelleria made Gabriel culminating with dinner at Themà, Sikelia’s restaurant. The
García Márquez, someone who was well-versed in magic and kitchen is enlivened by the Palermo-born chef Diego Battaglia,
wonder, fall in love. “It’s better than the moon,” he said of the who skillfully combines flavors from land and sea, capers, figs,
island. The Colombian writer and his family arrived after Enrico octopus, rabbit ravioli, and rockfish stew. Battaglia is a master in
Cicogna, the Italian translator of One Hundred Years of Solitude, the making, crossing paths with him in Pantelleria is like saying
had invited them to stay at his house in Tre Pietre. ‘Gabo’ “I was there in the beginning.”
wrote about the island in his travel anthology Strange Pilgrims Sikelia’s creator is Giulia Pazienza Gelmetti: after a life in
(published in Italian by Mondadori and in English by Vintage), finance, she decided to espouse the island as you would embrace
the perfect book to keep in your bag while visiting the island. a destiny, and she is one of the people who has influenced
Decades have passed, but Pantelleria continues to attract its contemporary hospitality the most. Pazienza Gelmetti’s
seekers and creators of beauty, like Truman Capote, Giorgio project prior to Sikelia was Coste Ghirlanda, a magnificent
Armani, and photographer Fabrizio Ferri. Sting wrote the album estate overlooking a sea of Zibibbo and Grenache vines. Here,
Mercury Falling while vacationing at Ferri’s dammuso (a stony winetasting becomes an almost mystical event. One of the wines
habitation typical of the island). you can take home is called Silenzio (“Silence”): it is made of
To breathe in its wild atmosphere made of wind and sea, you Zibibbo grapes grown on volcanic soil and wind, which are hand-
need to spend at least a couple of nights and enjoy the sunsets picked, macerated cold with their skins, and then undergo a
and dawns from its volcanic soil. And what better place than gentle pressing.
Sikelia Luxury Retreat, a boutique hotel in perfect Pantelleria- The place for the most magical aperitivo, where you
style with the finest dammusi, a great example of understated would make a promise or just enjoy a perfect moment in good
and almost austere luxury, which represents the essence of the company, is Sesiventi, in the Archaeological Park of the Sesi.
island. An experience that involves waking up on private terraces Glasses of wine are served directly on the roof of the dammuso
overlooking the sea, SPA treatments with local oils, oregano, while the ground and the sea change color: it is one of those
and saffron, ancient grape therapy rituals in the Arabic Garden, “once in a lifetime” experiences.

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