Island of green: sustainable holiday

Living a sustainable holiday on this island means choosing to be part of something greater: a mindful economy, a protected landscape, a community that cherishes every drop of water and every stone placed just so. Discovering it isn’t hard. Just slow down—and let yourself be guided.

Pantelleria has always lived in balance. Here nothing is wasted, everything is reinvented. Nothing is forced; everything is listened to. The landscape itself is an alliance between humans and nature: dry-stone walls, vineyards, dammusi, gardens, stored water, gentle gestures.

A sustainable holiday in Pantelleria isn’t a compromise—it’s a privilege. You can walk without leaving a trace. Taste zero-kilometre products. Sleep in a dammuso that conserves water and captures the sun’s warmth. Meet people who truly understand what it means to “take care.”

Here, sustainability is beauty—and possibility.

What’s Being Done to Protect the Island

Sustainability is concrete—daily actions, shared work, and time-honoured knowledge.

• Harvesting Rainwater In dammusi and Pantesco gardens, rain is collected to irrigate and live without waste. An ancient yet ever-relevant practice.

• Low-Impact Farming Farmers and vintners cultivate with respect for the land, in harmony with the natural ecosystem.

• Sea and Coastline Clean-Ups Volunteers, dive centers, and residents gather waste from seabeds and beaches.

• Trail Maintenance in the National Park The Park promotes environmental protection and awareness. Some guided hikes include mapping and small care-taking gestures for the territory.

Experiences to Live

Slow Hikes in the National Park Wander unhurriedly among extinct craters, ancient lava flows, and lonely plains where Limonio flowers bloom among prickly pears. Park guides—deep connoisseurs of the territory and its stories—lead you step by step, telling the island’s tale with respect and passion. Every trail is a journey into geology, vegetation, and silence—a way to listen to the island’s heartbeat.

Organic Vineyard Tastings In the heart of the countryside or overlooking the sea, Pantelleria’s vineyards tell a millennia-old story of wind, stone, and toil. Here you can taste natural wines like Passito and Zibibbo, sample preserves and capers grown organically by methods passed down through generations. Each tasting invites you to discover the island’s agricultural wisdom, the authentic flavors of its seasons, and the essential beauty of living in harmony with nature.

Harvesting Workshops Want to work the land with your own hands? Summer is caper season; in September, the grapes come in. Join those who toil in the fields with ancient, precise gestures. Learn to recognize nature’s timing and respect its cycles. Harvesting means forging a deep connection with the island’s agricultural landscape—dry-stone walls, black earth, and diligent silence. A concrete, simple, powerful experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Visits to Pantelleria Gardens Discover the circular Pantesco gardens built with dry-stone walls, like the enchanting FAI Garden of Donnafugata, which shelters a centuries-old orange tree. These gardens were designed to protect plants from wind and to collect rain and nighttime condensation through an ingenious system. A single tree can teach you sustainability, resilience, and harmony with the climate.

E-Bike or Walking Tours Explore Pantelleria with zero impact—by e-bike or on foot—throughits silencious villages and hidden corners. Each route leads you to sea-facing terraces and profound silences that tell the story of wild nature. It’s a respectful, sustainable way to travel, where the landscape unveils itself curve by curve, breath by breath.

Curiosities

• Pantesco gardens shelter a single citrus tree inside a circle of lava stone, creating a unique microclimate.

• Dammusi are built without mortar: they insulate against heat and collect rainwater.

• Pantelleria’s heroic agriculture is famed for preserving the island’s biodiversity.

• The National Park covers 80% of the island, established to safeguard Pantelleria’s landscape, natural, cultural, and archaeological heritage.

Sustainable Travel Tips

• Stay in Conscious Accommodations. Choose dammusi and eco-friendly lodgings that collect rainwater and adopt green practices.

• Move Slowly. Prefer walking, e-bikes, or shared transport. Avoid renting a car or scooter unless absolutely necessary.

• Respect Water. Take short showers, turn off taps, and skip daily linen changes.

• Tread Lightly. Stick to marked trails, don’t trample vegetation, and leave nature undisturbed.

• Join Island Care Efforts. Take part in beach clean-ups or environmental protection activities organized by local bodies.

• Buy Local and Seasonal. Support island producers at markets and farms. Every purchase sustains those who live and work here.

• Reduce Waste. Carry a refillable bottle, cloth bag, and reusable items. Pantelleria doesn’t love plastic.

• Share Good Practices. When traveling in a group, pass on what you’ve learned. Change is contagious.