Lampedusa: the jarring beauty of its rugged limestone is a dramatic contrast to the cobalt blue of the surrounding sea. This wild island to the south of Sicily (closer to the African continent than to the Italian peninsula), was uninhabited up until the last century. It became famous as a setting in native son Giuseppe Tomasi’s novel " Il Gattopardo", a masterful exposé of 19th century Sicilian aristocracy. Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale starred in the memorable film version directed by Luchino Visconti, titled "The Leopard".

A desert island, flat, treeless and barren, Lampedusa's uneven coastline is a series of nooks and crannies which pinch at the ebb and flow of one of the world's most beautiful seas: limpid, crystal clear -- a composition in tones of azure and blue.

The island is ideal for a sort of "full immersion" beach holiday. No monuments, no villages or any long cultural tradition for the historically inclined -- just sun and sea, swimming, lazing about and boating. Unfortunately, crowds invade the island in July and August and few beaches are left unscathed. But crowds or no, Lampedusa can be appreciated at any time by boat (so be sure to book a hotel with boat rentals). The local cuisine is, predictably, based on fish, the island's greatest natural resource.

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