This year we went to Pantelleria earlier than usual, in May.

We usually go in September, when the island is dry and golden. May is different. The volcanic rocks are covered in flowers, the hillsides are green, and the nature feels more alive. Pantelleria is never really crowded at any time of year, but in May you mostly have it to yourself.

Pantelleria is famous for its Passito, a sweet wine made from grapes left to dry under the sun before pressing. In May it’s still months from harvest, but the vineyards are being tended, as always.

The island is also known for its capers. They grow out of walls and rocky slopes. You can find them everywhere on the island.

If you want to see the island in its full beauty, take a boat. You can circle the whole thing in a day. This time we only managed half the coast. The season hadn’t started yet and we were the first and only boat out. The silence was complete: just the engine, the cliffs, the swallows, and the water.

Sebastiano Fischer is a friend who lives and works in Pantelleria as a ceramic sculptor. He uses the Raku technique, a form of Japanese low-fire pottery where you pull the piece from the kiln while still glowing and place it in a container to smoulder. The results are unpredictable. We spent an evening at his studio watching him fire five pieces.

The island sits on a volcanic system, and it shows. There’s a natural sauna carved into the rock, hot pools along the coast, and a lake filled with volcanic mud (Lago di Venere). The hot pools in particular are always my favourite: you can go at night, lower yourself into the warm water, and then swim out into the sea under the stars.