Marettimo! The name just has to be said with an exclamation mark, for that's the best way of conveying how the locals pronounced it. Not just the name, but our time spent here also deserves the exclamatory accolade. What a week it was! Think heat, (sorry to bang on about it - just playing to the British stereotype), hiking and jellyfish...LOTS of jellyfish.
Being the furthest of the Aegadian islands from Sicily, we were the last passengers to disembark from the ferry, us four and an Italian family who were met by beaming grandparents at the dock. Why, we wondered, was no one else visiting? Well, it turns out that Marettimo really is very very titchy, so unless you're lucky enough to have Italian grandparents stationed here then there just isn't enough accommodation to house hoards of tourists. This was reason number one, which has left it unspoilt and utterly magical. Reason number two is equally magical but in a sort of deep sea, actually rather scary kind of way. Yes, jellyfish! It turns out, the other Aegadian islands are home to tropical fish and turtles and are renowned for their crystal clear, jelly-free waters. Marettimo on the other hand is like a jellyfish tank on steroids. Luckily we all came away un-stung, though I spent the entire week almost hoping to be attacked - would I be able to swim without such great tension and hyper-awareness if I'd already experienced the pain? Probably not, but spending days scouring every inch of water above, below and beside you makes for some wacky thought processes.
Despite these maritime monsters, the days were spent in a glorious haze of al fresco breakfasts overlooking the shimmering ocean, crazy-long hikes with rapidly dwindling water supplies, refreshing and exhilarating jellyfish-spotting swims and bowls of seafood as the sun dipped below the horizon - pls tell me this is what heaven is like?
