Pantelleria and Lampedusa by sailing boat

Sailing boat rental Pantelleria, Pelagie and Tunisia

This itinerary that we recommend is certainly for more demanding groups, and those who want lots of sailing. From Marettimo or Marsala, with winds from the north and east, after about 64 miles you can reach the black pearl of the Mediterranean, the island of Pantelleria. The excursions planned for Pantelleria are mainly to be done by land as the high, predominantly rocky seabed does not allow safe anchoring, which is why it is not possible to sleep in the harbor. The architecture is characterized by dammusi, very common houses on the island, lava stone buildings with particular domed roofs.  Pantelleria is famous for the production of Zibibbo and Moscato wine; inside a lake called "Venus's mirror" of volcanic origin, the numerous natural springs, the stoves, the dry baths inside the caves, its districts with names of Arabic origin make it sweet and sensual, an island .... which conquest. To continue you can decide to sail towards Tunisia or towards the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa.

Towards Tunisia at 270° west just 40 miles, a castle on the promontory will guide you to Kelibie, a Tunisian city and port. Kelibie is a small traditional town, with its colorful markets and its mosques. A walking visit can be made to the Castle, not far from the port. From Kelibie you can continue north-west to reach the port of Sidi Bou-Said. The heart of the village is located on a high cliff, and is characterized by whitewashed houses with blue-tinted doors and windows, and in the streets, outdoor cafes and sweets and souvenir stalls.  The cruise continues north and west to Porto Farina for a stop or continues along the countless beaches towards Bizerte, the northernmost tip of the African continent.  Bizerte offers very beautiful beaches towards the north of the city and even more beautiful beaches such as Raf Raf and Sidi Ali el Mekki, located to the south east.  Bizerte is best known for having been a strategic port from which the French refused to withdraw after granting the country its independence. Along the western Tunisian coast you will pass by the Brother Islands, continuing you will be able to stop at Cape Serrat and Cape

Negro to admire a pleasant virgin and wild landscape. Normally it is not allowed to spend the night at anchor, the best thing is always to reach a port for the night. The last port on the Algerian border is that of Tabarca, beautiful and welcoming, with a lovely bay and a beach dominated by an imposing fort, built by the Genoese. The port is the main embarkation point for tons of cork harvested from the Kroumirie Mountains forest; Tabarca is also famous for the searchers of red coral that populates the seabed not far from the coast.

From Tabarca, about 38 miles north-east, you can reach the island of La Galite, very wild and once inhabited by the Italians of Torre del Greco; today there is only a military base and many lobster fishing boats, which can easily be exchanged for alcohol. We return to Kelibia from where you can choose a route towards the south coast reaching Port el-Kantaoui about 60 miles away; from here definitely visit the city of Sousse with its monuments, the medina, the ribat "fortified monastery" and the Great Mosque.  Just 10 miles further south you arrive at Monastir, a welcoming tourist port; in the city you can visit the great Mosque, the Bourguiba Mausoleum with its twin domes, the Ribat and the Giad.   At this point the cruise can continue to the last Tunisian stop, Cape Africa. To reach this point you will have to almost circumnavigate the islands of Kuriat, but the direct route is impossible due to the shallow waters. Once you arrive at Cape Africa you can see the fishing port of Mahadia, a very quiet city with a fascinating medina, whose entrance is the large gate called Skifa el-Kahia.

After this exotic sailing you will be able to make a 90° bow for 70 miles heading towards the island of African origin, Lampedusa.

Lampedusa certainly has the great advantage of being an African island in Italian territory: the beach of Isola dei Conigli is certainly a spectacle of almost equatorial nature, and it is here that the caretta caretta turtles come to lay their eggs. On an excursion to the coast, the beautiful Tabaccaia and Crete coves.

At 24 miles north-east, with good weather, you will reach the island of Linosa to complete this fantastic sailing cruise.