PANTELLERIA - Daughter of the Wind

The Arabs called it Bent el Riah — daughter of the wind. Centuries of dialects transformed it into Pantelleria. The island sits at the very centre of the Mediterranean, technically Italian, spiritually its own. On any clear day you can see Tunisia from the shore. She belongs to no one and to everyone who has ever felt the pull of this sea.

Riccardo and I first came together in 2018, though I had found her before, alone. We keep coming back. Pantelleria is our favourite place on earth — both for what it offers, and for what it strips away. One day, we will own a Dammuso here.

There is something about flying over the Mediterranean that undoes me every time. That particular blue — so clearly engraved in my memory, so loaded with feeling. Every Italian, every Greek, every Lebanese, Algerian, Palestinian, Spanish, Egyptian knows it in their body. We share this sea, its faces, gestures, produces, the light. A collective memory written in salt and stone.

Pantelleria is the Mediterranean: ancient and alive, gentle and savage, generous and raw, so beautiful and full of heritage. These dualities are at the heart of Rekhale.

A Dammuso by the sea - the typical local architecture

The sunset from Nikà

The island is volcanic. Her shores are black rock against impossible blue — it is often referred to as the “Black Pearl of the Mediterranean”. The contrast is almost violent: darkness, brightness, heat. Nature here grows low and close to the ground, shaped by the wind — prickly pears, wild capers, ancient vines twisted into the earth.

There are no beaches. Drive the perimeter road, park where you can, walk down to the water. Most of the time, even in August, you will find yourself entirely alone. Pantelleria asks you to slow down, to get a little lost, to take it all in.

The Laghetto delle Ondine

A palm tree, and the moon: our logo in an image

Mirror of Venus: the volcanic lake

Perfect sunbathing spot in Nikà

The Gardens at Parco dei Sesi

Nature, near Venus's MIrror

Our favourite places

Rekhale and Cala Nika — our favourite part of the island, and what the brand is named after. The sunsets here are simply epic. The light here does something extraordinary.

The hot springs — volcanic warmth rising through rock at Cala Nika, Gadir, and the Grotta di Benikulà. Then there is the Specchio di Venere, the Mirror of Venus — a turquoise crater lake with natural thermal mud. Surreal and ancient.

Laghetto delle Ondine — where the sea meets the shore in a series of clear natural pools. We once caught crabs here and made a spaghetti we still talk about. The nature here is otherworldly.

Balata dei Turchi — thought to be an ancient landing point. The seabed descends into the deep in a way that feels ceremonial.

Martingana — south-east, a proper hike, you will think you're lost. Keep walking. The cliffs are breathtaking, and the water at the bottom is worth every step.

Via Serraglia — a road that cuts the island in two. Drive it slowly. Fields of Zibibbo vines open up on either side, quiet and golden. Get lost on purpose - find a winery and pick up some local wine.

Rent a boat — from Nikà harbour, or find a skipper. One tank of fuel, one full day, the whole island by sea. The small bays unreachable by land are where Pantelleria truly hides herself.

Prikly pears growing from ancient ossidian stone ruins

Landing in Pantelleria

The famous crab spaghetti Riccardo cooked

The sunset from our garden in Rekhale

A practical note: wind can govern here. Check the direction each morning and move accordingly — when one side is rough, the opposite will be calm. When in doubt, ask a local. They always know.