Located between Salina, Stromboli and Lipari, the snob Panarea is the smallest of the Aeolian archipelago with an area of just over 3 km2. It is also the lowest. Its ancient name, Euonymos, meant "auspicious", while its current name means "all shattered", probably because of the small islets that surround it and resemble a jigsaw puzzle scattered in the sea. Its picturesque charm, its coves, its clear waters ideal for diving and its calmness have earned it the distinction of being chosen among its neighbours by the Italian jet set, mainly from Milan. On site, you can get around on foot, on a scooter (preferably electric), or in "golf cars", electric carts that are just small enough to squeeze through the narrow streets of the village. Sumptuous villas, luxury hotels, chic restaurants and discotheques have sprung up like mushrooms, and prices have soared. In Panarea, social life has its demands, and you have to be seen in the places of the moment. The nightlife is active here, more so than on any other island, and people come from all over to dance in the trendy discos until the early hours. With its fame, hordes of visitors arrive daily to soak up its climate. Only in the evening does Panarea regain its special atmosphere. Staying here in the high season is a feat if you haven't booked well in advance. Initially, it seems that Panarea formed a single island with the islets scattered around it until an explosion sank its still active crater 500 m under the sea. The 8 km long coastline is a succession of marine terraces, basins and huge cracks forming columns... The northern and western coasts are the most tormented, with numerous reefs at the level of the water, while the southern and eastern coasts, hardly reaching 50 m in height, are cultivated and decorated with small beaches and creeks. The island reaches its peak at Punta del Corvo at 421 m. In the interior and on the coasts, the vegetation is very rich in prickly pear trees, olive trees, brooms, capers. From spring onwards, the island is filled with multicoloured flowers. The Panarioti, 280 in number, live in the small villages of Ditella, Drauto and San Pietro, the main centre where the small pier is located (now other piers in Cala Junco and Porto Drauto). Do not expect to find a cheap hotel in Panarea! The island is known for its high quality and therefore expensive facilities. A single road links these three villages, small groups of white houses abundantly flowered with bougainvillea, in pure Aeolian style, while winding paths climb to the other houses scattered on the southern and eastern slopes. You can take advantage of this to swim in the heavenly cove of Cala Junco or in Caletta dei Zimmari. In the north of the island, in the Calcara basin, there are still post-volcanic manifestations such as fumaroles and steam emissions that can reach over 100°C in the sea

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Panarea. EugeS - iStockphoto.com
Cala Juncon baie de l'île de Panarea. iStockphoto.com/spooh
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