What to see in Lampedusa, where it is located, features of the coasts, climatic conditions, types of beaches and origin of the nickname island of rabbits.
Tourist information
The largest of the Pelagie islands, Lampedusa is located just 113 km from the coast of Tunisia, while it is 205 km from Sicily.
It is immersed in that portion of the Mediterranean Sea that is most affected by the influence of the hot African climate, characterized by mild and constant temperatures for every period of the year.
The jagged and sheer northern coasts offer incomparable scenarios of extraordinary natural beauty, with the presence of numerous inlets and caves, whose waters are very popular with underwater fishing enthusiasts.
In fact, numerous species of fish abound, including groupers, in underwater caves, sea bream, umbrine, red mullet and sea bream.
On the southeastern side, less steep, the coasts slope gently towards the sea and there are beautiful unspoiled beaches characterized by white sand.
What see
Much appreciated is the beach located on the island of Rabbits, an islet located in the south-western part that has an area of about 4 and a half hectares, with a maximum altitude of 26 meters.
The name according to some derives from the Arabic term "rabit" which translated could mean bond, understood as something that connects, in this case it would refer to the isthmus which rarely forms between the islet and the coast, effectively creating a connection.
According to others, the name of the island could refer to the time when a group of rabbits would have settled and multiplied on the islet, taking advantage of the transitory moment when it was joined to the mainland, without being able to go back, having in the meantime the waters of the sea raised.
Traces of Phoenician, Greek, Roman and Arab inhabitants are present on the island, but only in the mid-1800s did an authentic colonization begin by Ferdinand II of Bourbon.
Equipped with an excellent port, Lampedusa also has a convenient airport that guarantees daily connections with Trapani and Palermo.
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The main activities of the local population are mainly related to sponge fishing, renowned all over the world, and to the fish canning industry, which has numerous factories.
A desalination plant ensures drinking water in large quantities to the inhabitants and tourists who come to the island of Lampedusa every year in increasing numbers, to discover what is defined by many as an authentic paradise on earth.
