About Italy

Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Together with Greece, it is known as the birthplace of Western culture. Full of high art and monuments, almost every small village in Italy offers a few interesting locations. From the Roman ruins, Byzantine cities and Renaissance masterpieces to cobblestone streets, beautiful churches and wide variety of stunning beaches, Italy is a place that provides rare experiences that can never be overrated. Italy is the ideal departure country for those travelling by ferry with numerous amazing destinations, many of them domestic on offer. With so many miles of coastline and famous islands to choose from, the list of destinations is truly unrivalled. In terms of international travel, Italy is connected to almost all of the countries in the Adriatic Sea as well as featuring numerous links to Greece, Tunisia and Spain. The short island crossings are usually made with small passenger vessels while the longer international journeys are operated by luxurious cruise ferries.

About Ustica Island

Ustica is a small Italian island within the volcanic Aeolian chain in the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the north of Palermo, Sicily. Accented with bright pink hibiscus and green cacti, Ustica is a small, dark drop in the ocean, known affectionately as ‘the black pearl’. With a jagged coastline jewelled with sparkling grottoes, the surrounding waters are protected by marine area status, home to around half the Med’s fish and coral species. Italians frequent Ustica from July to August, so it’s best to sail here in the shoulder months, when the boat trips, enigmatic Roman ruins, picturesque piazzas and coastal footpaths are far less busy. Given the island’s popularity for short-excursions and weekend breaks, it is well linked with big Italian cities by ferry, including Palermo and Napoli, with regular routes to its port on the east coast.