Italy
Marettimo
No cars, almost no hotels, just fishermen's paths above the sea at the farthest Egadi island.
The ferry leaves the other islands behind and pushes west into open water. Marettimo lifts out of the sea as one dark ridge, steep and treeless on its seaward face. The harbour is a crescent of blue and white boats, the village a cluster of flat roofs connected to nowhere.
Marettimo is the farthest, highest and rockiest of the Egadi Islands, some thirty kilometres off western Sicily, home to fewer than three hundred people and no cars at all; beds are mostly rented fishermen's houses. Old shepherds' and smugglers' paths climb the limestone spine to the 686-metre summit of Monte Falcone, past Roman-era remains, while a two-hour coastal path reaches the Punta Troia castle on its headland. The surrounding sea belongs to the Egadi marine protected area, among the largest in the Mediterranean, and the western sea caves open only by boat. The village keeps one harbour, a handful of kitchens, and quiet.
Solo
This is the island for disappearing: paths above the sea, a book at the harbour, and nobody asking your plans.
Couple
Rent a fisherman's house, walk the coast path to the far coves and eat what the boats landed; isolation as intimacy.
- The farthest and highest Egadi island keeps one village, one harbour and no cars.
- Some thirty kilometres of old shepherd paths climb to Monte Falcone's 686-metre summit.
- A two-hour coastal path reaches the Punta Troia castle on its headland.
- The Egadi marine protected area around it ranks among the Mediterranean's largest.
Fish soup ladled at the harbour tastes of whatever the boats brought in that morning.
Busiate, the coiled Trapani pasta, comes tossed with the village kitchens' handful of daily sauces.
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