Nature in Pantelleria

The island of Pantelleria recognized as a UNESCO heritage site in 2014 for the agricultural practice of sapling vines and recently proclaimed the 24th Italian National Park, is an island that stands out for the rural character of the places. The Pantelleria people were born as agricultural people and throughout their history they have been able to shape a harsh territory, creating the terraces that characterize the island today and which have allowed the cultivation of its typical products. The Montagna Grande is characterized by 1,500 hectares of forest made up largely of the Maritime Pine and the Aleppo Pine. The Mediterranean maquis is present almost everywhere, among the most common shrubs we should mention the heather which abounds here, rosemary, thyme and broom. The ancient paths once traveled on the back of a mule, which literally cross the whole island like a cobweb for tens of kilometres, today thanks to the project born from the will of the State Forestry Company of the Region of Sicily, have new life and cover a distance of about 200 km that can be traveled as trekking paths. Of these, 38 km are also suitable for mountain bike lovers. You immerse yourself in a still uncontaminated nature, meeting endemic species of flora and fauna and being fascinated by the strong contrasts of colors and scents between the volcanic landscape, covered by Mediterranean scrub, the sweetness of the cultivated terraces and the blue of the sea.