Page 7 - KWT Aug 2712 ESTRATTO

ONE STEP BEYOND | ITALY
Images: Getty Images; Corbis / Arabian Eye
Linda Cookson / The Independent / The Interview People of their fishermen owners, back from a night at sea.
Opposite page, clockwise
from top left: One of the
region’s many caves;
Yellow wildflowers on the
coast; Marettimo grocery
shop; Fishermen on
Favignana Island.
hang across open doorways you can hear the snoozing
Silent porcelain Madonnas gaze down from quaintly tatty
shrines on street corners (a reminder that you’re in Italy
after all). The only regular bursts of noise are horn-blasts dramatic limestone cliffs and into a succession of grottos
from the fruit and vegetable cart and a bizarre little
hardware truck peddling buckets and dusters.
This is not the place to come if you crave action, but
Marettimo’s clear waters teem with colourful life, a dream
for scuba-divers. It’s also great for walkers. There’s a
spectacular mountainous hinterland, dominated by Monte
Falcone (686m) and criss-crossed by rough footpaths and
mule tracks. A really gentle stroll, through pine groves
studded with screens of oleander and geraniums, takes
you up to Casa Romane, a plateau above the town where
the ruins of an old Roman garrison sit cheek by jowl with
a deserted 12th-century chapel.
As I looked down over the harbour from the ruins
and watched distant ferries leaving trails like skeins of
milk across the water, I was mesmerised by the dreamy
scent of wild herbs. Thyme and oregano predominate:
Marettimo’s modern name comes from the Italian for sea
(mare) and thyme (timo).
A highlight of any visit is taking a boat trip round the
island. Although Marettimo is small (six miles by two),
the rugged coastline has countless caves and grottos,
as well as – to the north-west of the town – an imposing
17th-century Spanish castle perched on a hill on the Punta
Troia promontory. It was restored last year, prompting a
massive island knees-up. On the west coast, there’s a cute
whitewashed lighthouse, the Faro di Punta Libeccio.
Local fishermen operate trips most days in high season.
The one I joined was organised by the affable Salvatore
Livolso, on his boat Ricciola. Resplendent in gold neck
chain, baseball cap and a T-shirt that said ‘Under Fire.
Under Pressure. Out of Time’ (in Marettimo? You’ve got
to be kidding, Salvatore), he steered us cheerily past
and caves that glowed eerily green in the half-light.
Grotta del Cammello is marked by a rock at the
entrance that looks like a camel’s head (if you squint very
hard from a particular angle). But being in an open boat
on turquoise water, watching gulls scud across the rock
face and sunbeams toss iridescent spangles across the
waves is honestly more than enough.
In the end, what I liked doing best on Marettimo was
simply hanging out. Evenings are livelier than daytimes,
with plenty of restaurants – but, be aware, evening meal
prices are not cheap. Both Il Pirata (the island’s oldest
restaurant, decked out with pirate flags) and the more
modest La Scaletta (on a terrace near the Scala Nuovo)
charge €40 per head for four-course fish suppers,
expensive by most small-island standards.
For travellers on a budget (or non fish-eaters), there’s
the fantastic La Cambusa delicatessen, a treasure trove
packed with gorgeous meats, cheeses and freshly cooked
local specialities such as caponata (a stew of aubergines,
olives, tomatoes and capers). And Marettimo’s lounges
also offer good value. My favourite was the unpretentious
Tramontana, set on the sea wall above the old harbour
(Scala Vecchio). It has tiled tables, friendly local clientele
and a great line in free canapés. Sipping fresh tipples at
sunset while watching the castle on Punta Troia morph
into a raven-shaped silhouette was just magical.
As Fausto had promised me when I arrived – Marettimo
knows how to cast its spell.
August 2012 Kanoo World Traveller 53