The Maltese may be frequent visitors to neighbouring Sicily but, if my understanding is correct, the majority are barely acquainted with areas beyond the immediate environs of Catania, let alone the plethora of satellite islands which pepper the waters around Sicily.

A kaleidoscope of different landscapes, from the fern-blanketed volcanic mountain tops of Salina, to the parched and arid limestone milieu of Lampedusa- Alan Deidun

The use of the term plethora might sound like hyperbole but, if one considers that there are no less than four archipelagos surrounding Sicily (Pelagian, to the southwest of Malta; Egadian and Isole dello Stagnone, off Trapani to the west of Sicily, and Aeolian, to the north of Milazzo in the Tyrrhenian Sea) comprising a total of 17 islands, all of which are inhabited except for the spittles that are Lampione and Scola, then the term is justified indeed.

The islands of Pantelleria and Ustica , by virtue of their remote location, are not incorporated in any of the aforementioned archipelagos, but they support inhabitants all the same. The islands offer a kaleidoscope of different landscapes, from the fern-blanketed volcanic mountain tops of Salina in the Aeolian archipelago, to the parched and arid limestone milieu offered by Lampedusa, a full 1,000 kilometres to the south within the Pelagian archipelago.

Despite the differences in typology and landscape, three factors unite these widely-straddled islands: the sea, historical relevance and sense of remoteness.

It is impossible to give a detailed overview of each single island in this limited space so I will limit myself to the highlights of each archipelago.

The Aeolian one owes its name to Aeolus, ruler of the winds in Greek mythology, due to their exposed position to the relentless Mistral (northwest) wind. Being volcanic in nature, the ‘sette sorelle’ (seven sisters) regale visitors with stunning mountain views and charcoal-black beaches.

Vulcano, the closest to Sicily of the seven peers, reeks of the tell-tail broken eggs smell of sulphide fumes, and is endowed with mud flats coveted by skin-care afficionados.

The active volcano on Stromboli still bellows profuse quantities of lava which plunge into the sea, churning clouds of steam, best appreciated at night when the fiery orange hues contrast with the surrounding pitch darkness.

Panarea is renowned for its glamour boutique island status, being sought after by the high-heeled and the parvenu, while Filicudi and Alicudi bask in their blissful isolation and archaic infrastructure.

The Egadian archipelago (Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo) is the most accessible to those afflicted by seasickness, with the butterfly-shaped Favignana being just 15km from the western Sicilian coast, and are efficiently connected to the port of Trapani (formerly called Drepanum) via hydrofoil, which whizzes across the narrow channel in just 20 minutes, or ferry.

Marettimo is considered one of the foremost gems of the Mediterranean, being permanently inhabited by a few hundred souls and not sullied by any vehicular traffic.

Such unblemished beauty was also conceded by the Romans, who built their villas within the dense pine forests draping the mountain on the island.

The history of the islands is chequered, laced with the legacies left over from the countless civilisations and cultures which have had the islands within their clutches.

Ulysses describes the approach to Favignana in the Odyssey: “A low island stretches beyond the harbour, rich in woods and wild goats, neither very near nor very far from the country of the Cyclops.”

Besides the notorious Grotta del Genovese in Levanzo, numerous findings in other grottoes around the three islands bear testimony to the prehistoric inhabitants of the islands.

In addition, an ancient necropolis found in the northeastern part of Favignana, together with an oval stone anchor and an archaic depiction of the Egyptian goddess Iside, demonstrate the Phoenician presence in the islands.

After Greek and Carthaginian rule, which both left few footprints on the islands, the Romans recorded their first naval victory over the Carthaginians in the First Punic War in the waters just off Favignana in 241 BC, in the Battle of the Aegates.

An evocative legend has it that the bay Cala Rossa in Favignana owes its name to the blood flowing profusely from the soldiers killed in battle.

The black terrain is in stark contrast to the flamboyant colours of the few local houses, which look like they belong in a quaint Mexican village- Alan Deidun

The Romans, however, refused to dwell on the islands and chose instead Lilibeo (modern-day Marsala) since they had a zest for the pleasures of an affluent lifestyle.

The islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, together with the rocky islet of Lampione, compose the Pelagean archipelago which in many ways is a carbon copy of the Maltese archipelago.

As the name Pelagean, coined by the ancient Greeks, implies, the islands lie in open sea, 145 kilometres east of Malta, 140 kilometres west of Monastir in Tunisia and 193 kilometres southwest of Port Empedocle in Sicily.

Even though politically the Pelagean Islands are part of Italy, from a geological perspective they could quite easily be viewed as an extension of Malta.

In fact, together with parts of the Tunisian coast and southwestern Sicily (the Hyblean part), Malta and the Pelagean Islands are both outcrops of the Tunisian Platform, which is the edge of the African continental plate.

Another similarity between Lampedusa and Malta is that they are both calcareous in nature.

It is interesting that, while the western side of Malta is mostly cliff habitat with the eastern side being more lowland in nature, the exact opposite is true for Lampedusa.

This Jekyll and Hyde situation is due to the fact that the two islands lie on opposite side of a rift (‘sea valley’) system running between Malta and the island of Pantelleria.

Pride of place among Lampedusa’s beaches must surely be reserved for La Spiaggia dei Conigli (roughly translated as Rabbit Beach) and the adjoining Rabbit Island, which you can wade across to from the beach. Here, the white sand reflects and exacerbates the searing summer sun.

The beach and islet form part of a nature reserve managed by Lega Ambiente which encompasses, together with its buffer zone, roughly one fifth of the island from Cala Greca up to Vallone dell’Acqua.

The beach has gained international notoriety for the fact that marine turtles (mainly loggerheads) still lay their eggs on the beach somewhere between August and September, when the beach is cordoned off for bathers.

Linosa, in more ways than one, is an entirely different kettle of fish from the larger Lampedusa. What both islands share is an irresistible allure for visitors.

Unlike Lampedusa, which is carved out of sedimentary rock, Linosa is volcanic in origin and is joined to volcanic Pantelleria via an underwater lava flow up to 50 metres deep. Linosa’s former names were Algusa e Aethusa.

The black terrain of the island is in stark contrast to the flamboyant colours which splotch the few local houses on the island – such picturesque houses look like they belong in a quaint Mexican village.

When visiting the island, be sure to remember that fresh water is almost totally lacking on the island and one must bring ample supplies when visiting.