Linosa
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Latest page update: 25 February 2025
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By Dion Protani
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The sleepy island of Linosa holds a special place in my heart and there are several reasons for that. Perhaps the main reason is that Linosa was the final inhabited island in Italy on my list to visit and I had to work a bit to make that happen.
Located 175 kilometres south of Sicily, halfway towards Africa, Linosa is by no means the simplest place in Italy to visit. There are really two ways in: three hour hydrofoil ride from Porto Empedocle or flight to Lampedusa followed by one hour hydrofoil to Linosa. |
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As the penultimate island on my list was indeed Lampedusa, I went for the latter of those two options. Visiting in October I had to wait for my opportunity as the sea was rough that week, even though it was hot and sunny. I extended my stay in Lampedusa until the sea calmed down, in the process having to give up the flight I'd booked back to Rome, but as soon as I set foot on this island I knew I'd made the right decision.
For each place I've visited I've done some amount of research beforehand, but sometimes very little, and the little I had researched Linosa had provided me with just that; very little. So when I arrived everything was a surprise, and I have to say, a very pleasant surprise. I didn't expect the array of colours on the buildings in the main town area and I was utterly charmed straight away. The more organised of my fellow travellers that day had booked a guided tour of the island but I decided to go it alone on foot as I felt it would allow me to take the photos I wanted, when I wanted, without having to disturb the tour.
For each place I've visited I've done some amount of research beforehand, but sometimes very little, and the little I had researched Linosa had provided me with just that; very little. So when I arrived everything was a surprise, and I have to say, a very pleasant surprise. I didn't expect the array of colours on the buildings in the main town area and I was utterly charmed straight away. The more organised of my fellow travellers that day had booked a guided tour of the island but I decided to go it alone on foot as I felt it would allow me to take the photos I wanted, when I wanted, without having to disturb the tour.
History
With a size of just over five square kilometres it's fairly easy to navigate the whole island on foot. This is essentially a volcano so it's full of strange, undulating hills formed from red or black volcanic rock, but there's a good system of roads marked out and fairly easy to find your way around. There are various beaches and other rock pools where you can swim or snorkel in the beautiful, blue waters. There are also places to eat and drink around some of those beaches where you will find yourself quite alone for most of the time; a staggering difference to the packed beaches in "nearby" Lampedusa which is some fifty five kilometres away.
Visitor information
I remarked in my overall description of the Pelagie Islands (Isole Pelagie) that Linosa is one of the most remote locations in Italy. That's certainly the case and while that may not appeal to everyone, there's certainly something attractive in that, for a short period of time at least. It's not as if you're completely cut-off from civilisation here though; there's a population of around 430 people and there were places to stay overnight if necessary. The internet worked on my phone and I remember watching a Formula 1 grand prix on TV in one of the bars by the port as I was waiting for my hydrofoil back to Lampedusa.
Much as it takes a big effort to get to Linosa, I do feel that the end justifies the means in this case. It's a unique place, very different from Lampedusa and with bundles of character packed in to its tiny confines.
Much as it takes a big effort to get to Linosa, I do feel that the end justifies the means in this case. It's a unique place, very different from Lampedusa and with bundles of character packed in to its tiny confines.
Isola di Linosa
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Province: Agrigento
Region: Sicily Population: 433 Size: 5.4 km² Highlights: brightly-coloured houses, volcanic rock formations Recommended accommodation: Hotel Pelaghea |
Linosa Travel
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Arrival port: Linosa
Journey time from Sicilian mainland: 3 hours Distance from nearest Sicilian mainland port: 175 km |
