Riserva Naturale Orientata Isola di Pantelleria

An Island in the Heart of the Mediterranean

Pantelleria formed in the Quaternary period. Therefore, the territory has recent origins and formed on the contact edge between the African and European continent. The island is rich in vegetation even if, given its size, its 597 different species, subspecies, and botanic varieties may seem just a few. The vegetation is distributed throughout the territory according to the altitude, with variations according to the winds and the soil evolution. The coastal cliffs, indented and rich in inlets, house a vegetation dominated by the endemic Sea lavender of Pantelleria, growing with Rock Samphire, Lotus cytisoides, Thymelaea hirsuta, Frankenia hirsuta and other species.