The ancient Romans called it Ustica (from ustum = burned) while the Greeks called it Osteodes (“ossuary”), due to the remains of mercenaries who supposedly died there from hunger and thirst. Some believe it was the home of the sorceress Circe, mentioned in the Odyssey, who turned careless visitors into pigs. Human settlements date back to the Paleolithic era; archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of an ancient Christian village.

Burial sites, tunnels, and a wealth of archaeological finds discovered even underwater—due to the many shipwrecks over time—attest to the constant presence of various ancient Mediterranean peoples in the area: Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans, who left traces everywhere. Later, it became a base for Saracen pirates and remained so for a very long time.

In the 6th century, a Benedictine community settled there, but was soon forced to relocate due to impending wars between Christians and Muslims. During the Middle Ages, attempts to colonize the island failed because of raids by Barbary pirates, who used the island as their hideout. In 1759, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon ordered the colonization of the island; two watchtowers were built—Torre Santa Maria and Torre Spalmatore—which were part of Sicily’s coastal warning tower system, along with cisterns to collect rainwater and houses that formed the main settlement near Cala Santa Maria. Settlers from Palermo, Trapani, and the Aeolian Islands arrived, accompanied by about a hundred soldiers.

During the Bourbon era, Ustica was also a place of exile for political prisoners and remained so under the House of Savoy. Under the fascist regime, Ustica served as a confinement site. Figures like Amadeo Bordiga, Nello Rosselli, Antonio Gramsci, and Ferruccio Parri were imprisoned there, along with numerous Senussi political prisoners captured in the final phase of the colonial war in Libya. In 1961, the exile system was abolished due to public protests, and tourism began to develop from then on.

Ustica is an Italian municipality with 1,327 inhabitants in the province of Palermo, Sicily, coinciding with the island of the same name. The island of Ustica is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 67 km northwest of Palermo and 95 km northwest of Alicudi, but it is not part of the Aeolian Islands. It covers an area of approximately 8.65 km² with a circumference of 12 km, measuring 3.5 km in length and 2.5 km in width.

The island’s distinctive natural feature is the presence of numerous caves along its high, steep coasts, as well as many reefs and shallows surrounding it. Notable caves include Grotta Verde, Grotta Azzurra, Grotta della Pastizza, Grotta dell’Oro, and Grotta delle Colonne, along with the Medico and Colombara reefs. The island has scarce water resources.

Geologically, it is similar to the Aeolian Islands and of volcanic origin, and from a magmatological perspective, it more closely resembles Hawaii than the Aeolians themselves. There are indeed hilly formations that represent the remnants of ancient volcanoes (Punta Maggiore, 244 m; Guardia dei Turchi, 238 m), dividing the island into two slopes. The natural vegetation is rather sparse, having been significantly altered by human presence and cultivation. Among the most representative flora species are Artemisia arborea shrubs, Mastic trees, Calycotome spinosa, and Broom. Fruit-bearing plants like olive trees, almond trees, and vines are less common. There is also widespread Mediterranean steppe vegetation. Ustica is also known as the natural habitat of the Sicilian honeybee (Apis mellifera sicula). The island is home to the Ustica Island Oriented Nature Reserve. It hosts two Slow Food Presidia: the “Lentil of Ustica” and the “Fava Bean of Ustica,” both adhering to strict production guidelines. Thanks to the Oriented Nature Reserve and its numerous trails, hiking and mountain biking are popular activities. As an expression of slow tourism, it represents a new frontier of experience—a healthy and relaxing way to embrace the authentic essence of travel, a philosophy emphasizing genuine, unhurried experiences in full harmony with the environment, in contrast to the frenzy of mass tourism.

Universally known as a diver’s paradise for the extraordinary beauty of its seabed, Ustica—thanks to its Marine Protected Area—still offers underwater scenes now rare in the Mediterranean. Being surrounded by swirling barracudas or witnessing the lightning-fast hunts of amberjacks, indifferent to divers’ presence, isn’t just the stuff of fanatics’ tales or fishermen’s legends.

The brown grouper is the queen of these seabeds, where caves and crevices dominate the landscape due to its volcanic origin.

There are thirteen underwater routes, two of which are archaeological: Scoglio del Medico, Secca della Colombara, Punta Galera, Punta dell’Arpa, Punta Omo Morto, Grotta della Falconiera, Grotta della Pastizza, Grotta dei Cirri, Grotta delle Cipree, Secchitello, Banco Apollo, Secca d’Africa, Piramidi.