Page 468 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

form of transport, either a bike (from €7 a day), scooter or quad (from €25) or a mini-

moke (€40), with all prices cheaper by the week or outside July and Aug. There are
lots of rental agencies around town and harbour, or ask at your accommodation. Bike
rental in particular is a great idea – you can easily do a complete circuit of the island
in a day, and even in the hottest months a refreshing breeze blows constantly. You can
also rent your own self-drive motorboat from various harbour agencies, for around
€80 per day plus fuel.

INFORMATION AND TOURS

Tourist information There’s online information (in Italian) at lampedusa35.com
and lampedusa.it, while on the island you can call in at the environmental agency,
Legambiente, Via Vittorio Emanuele 25 (highly erratic hours, and usually closed in

winter; 0922 971 611). Some English is spoken here, and you can pick up an island
sketch map and information about the nature reserve and hiking trails.

Tours Boat trips and cruises (from €35 per person) mostly depart from the Porto
Nuovo, particularly the part of the harbour by the petrol station. Departures are usually
around 10.30am, returning at 5.30pm, and options include round-island cruises with
swimming stops and lunch included (from €30 per person), or more specialist tours

like dive trips to Lampione or night-fishing for squid.

Diving centres The larger hotels can all book you onto dive trips, or contact one of
the operators direct; try Blue Dolphins ( 338 819 4489, bluedolphins.it), Lo Verde
Diving ( 329 178 6723, loverdelampedusa.it), or Moby Diving Center ( 335 528
1984, mobydiving.it). Single dives are from €35, open-water dive courses from
€330, and most places are open April–Nov.

ACCOMMODATION

The season on Lampedusa runs from Easter to the end of October, and you’ll generally
have no problem finding a room; however in August, advance booking is essential

and half or full board is often obligatory. There are several hotels in the town itself,
another half a dozen within a stone’s throw of the port and Spiaggia della Guitgia
beach, and others just outside town and near Cala Creta. Self-catering
accommodation (usually by the week) is available either in apartments or in one of
Lampedusa’s stone-built dammusi – updated versions of the traditional dome-roofed,
thick-walled shepherd’s hut, typical of Sicily and North Africa. Dammusi are found

all over the island, some in village-style developments, and prices vary wildly (some
are very boutiquey in style) – there’s more information from agencies like Servizi
Mikael ( servizimikael.com), Licciardi ( lampedusa-licciardi.it) and Dammusi di
Borgo Cala Creta ( calacreta.com).