Marettimo the sacred island

Arrival at Trapani airport
Transfer to the port of Trapani by shuttle bus to board the hydrofoil. Arrival in Marettimo, briefing presentation of the island and dinner.

A tour of the island in traditional local boats is the obligatory route to introduce you to this pearl of the Mediterranean in all its aspects. In addition to visiting its natural beauty, which makes it unique and marks it out as the largest and richest nature reserve in the Mediterranean area, it is a way to get to know it, and so move around freely during your holiday. Experienced boatmen and fishermen, strictly local, will immerse you in its history and especially its culture.

The excursion begins immediately with a strong emotional impact as you leave behind the small village, compact and collected in the island’s only plain, to find yourself in just a few minutes at the foot of the imposing Mount Falcone, which towers over the island with its 684 metres in height and descends rapidly into the multicoloured coves that by the hundreds will open up before your eyes. It will be up to your guide to choose the cove to stop in, as they vary in colour and atmosphere according to the sea, wind and sun, so as not to miss the sacredness of Cala Bianca in the north-west of the island.
At this point we are in the integral reserve, the island descends straight into the sea and changes.

Giant dolomite cliffs dropping sheer into the blue enrich the coves below with marvellous sea caves. There are more than 400 of them and the most beautiful can be visited by boat. The Spaniards called this striking west side of the island barrancos (walls) and the name is currently in use among local fishermen.

History will not fail to be a main topic of the excursion when one glimpses, on the plateau above the village, the Roman houses, the island’s first military garrison and front line of the Punic Wars, or when one arrives at the foot of the castle of Punta Troia, which, due to its strategic position, has seen one after the other of all the island’s dominations, starting with the Saracens.

The remaining part of the island hosts the beaches that you will be able to evaluate for possible landings in the following days. An accurate and detailed presentation will be given to you by our staff about the mountains and its simple pathways to reach the most significant places, such as the aforementioned Roman houses, the lighthouse of Punta Libeccio, the castle of Punta Troia, and Pizzo Falcone, for a pure immersion in the Mediterranean maquis and history.

The island’s small village is totally Arabian in style, narrow alleys with shared courtyards, tiny squares and small harbours follow one another at a very intense pace. The morphology of the village, especially in its small size, allows you to enjoy your holiday autonomously and move around the restaurants, bars and clubs without the constraints of our package, which for this reason only includes dinner and excludes breakfasts, which we recommend in the charming little bars by the sea, so as not to miss the morning marettimaro, a time of intense island life.

After introductions to our sacred island and its people, your true and magical holiday of freedom begins within this enchanted world under the wing of Myland, which has been living Marettimo for decades.