Travel Guide Lampedusa

With its 10.8 km length, 3.6 km width and 20 km2 surface area, it is the largest island in the archipelago. It is 133 m high and has about 6,200 inhabitants. The island is fairly flat, reaching a height of only 130 metres at the "abero sole", a viewpoint from which you can admire the whole island. Lampedusa is bordered on its northern coast by a large cliff. To the south, the coast is jagged, sheltering bays and coves with small, heavenly and confidential sandy beaches. The interior of the island is arid. In the south, on the coast, we find its only inhabited centre, also called Lampedusa, with its port. It preserves traces of the megalithic which prove its distant origins. The city was first populated by the Phoenicians, then by the Greeks and Romans. It is also the place where the family of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the author of Le Guépard, came from. Abandoned for a long time, it was repopulated in the 19th century by King Ferdinand II. From now on, it is the refugees from the Mediterranean who disembark there by the hundreds, by the thousands. It is this tragic migrant crisis that has made the island infamous throughout the world. It must be said that it is located 208 km from the Sicilian coast, and is actually much closer to Tunisia (128 km) and Malta (160 km). Tripoli in Libya is not far either (292 km), a geographical situation that gives it a strategic position as a gateway to Europe This limestone island has coasts falling steeply into the sea. Vegetation is scarce and agriculture is limited, especially because of the lack of water. Sponges and various species of fish are fished here, some of which are canned directly on site. It is one of the sites of the south coast with the most magnificent beaches. The rocks draw sumptuous creeks, all lined with white sand. Divers enjoy venturing into the turquoise waters surrounding the island. You will not fail to discover in these clear waters an exceptional diversity of fish. Some of the beaches are part of a unique nature reserve where Caretta caretta turtles come to lay their eggs in July or August. Its real independence comes from the fact that it has two large desalination plants which means that it no longer has to transport fresh water by tanker. The amateurs will go diving in the superb waters which bathe the island. If in doubt, watch Emanuele Crialese's 2002 masterpiece, Respiro, which celebrates the island's beauty with majesty and poetry. Lampione, northwest of Lampedusa, is just a rock with a lighthouse.