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Japan Times
15-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Italy's abortion taboos challenged by new law in Sicily
Monia, a Sicilian woman in her early forties, was overjoyed when she discovered in October 2022 she was expecting her first child. Her doctor, however, recommended a genetic test due to her age, and the result was one no parent wants to receive. The fetus had a genetic syndrome. Monia, who declined to give her surname, asked her gynecologist what she could do. "Nothing. You don't want to terminate, do you?" the doctor asked her, she said. He was a conscientious objector, Monia said, one of hundreds on the southern Italian island. More than 80% of gynecologists in Sicily refuse to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons, according to the latest health ministry data, which dates to 2022, even though the procedure has been a legal right for women in Italy since 1978. To address that situation, in late May, Sicily's regional council — run by a center-right coalition — passed a law in a secret ballot requiring all public hospitals to create dedicated abortion wards and to hire staff willing to provide the service. Under the national rules, abortion is permitted within the first 90 days of a pregnancy, or later if there are risks to the mother's health or fetal abnormalities. The latter circumstance applied to Monia, who went to the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital in the city of Trapani, in western Sicily, to terminate her pregnancy. "All the gynecologists were objectors," she said. "An obstetrician gave me a bed with only a mattress cover and said they would administer a pill every three hours until I went into labor." She was told she would receive no further assistance. Her story is far from unique in southern Italy, where cultural traditions are more conservative than in the Catholic country's richer north and center. A general view of San Marco Hospital in Catania, Italy, on June 25. Under Italy's law, health workers are exempted from abortion procedures if they declare an ethical or religious objection, so long as the woman's life is not in immediate danger. | San Marco Hospital / via REUTERS At first, Monia's pills were ineffective, but after five days and a change of treatment, she finally miscarried, attended to by a doctor and a midwife. Hospital staff referred to her as "Article 6," she said, after the provision in the law that allows abortions beyond 90 days. In response to a request for comment, the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital said it was sorry for Monia's "difficult experience." However, the hospital said it was unable to verify the facts because both the hospital manager and the head of the gynecology department at that time had left. The hospital said it now has three non-objecting doctors and was able to provide abortion services. Abortions are only available in around half of Sicily's hospitals, health ministry data shows, a figure much lower than in central and northern Italy, where rates are around 70%. Like most of his colleagues, Fabio Guardala, a 60-year-old doctor, refuses to perform abortions. He operates at the Cannizzaro hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania, on the east coast of the island. "A doctor's job is to heal," said Guardala, who is also deputy head of a healthcare unit at his local Catholic church. "Abortion is not treatment but killing. Nobody can force a doctor to kill." Silvia Vaccari, president of the Italian federation of midwives, FNOPO, said health outcomes can be grim in areas where legal abortions are hard to access. "The absence of facilities sometimes leads people to turn to non-professionals, putting them at risk of death, or to continue with pregnancies and give birth to babies who are abandoned in places where they may never be found alive," she said. Catholic influence Most other European Union countries allow health workers to refuse to perform abortions on ethical grounds, according to a 2022 study published in the Acta Biomedica journal. But the right is generally exercised far less commonly than in southern Italy. One exception is deeply Catholic Poland, where abortion is only legal in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's health or life is at risk. The Acta study said many Polish women have been forced to travel abroad to terminate their pregnancies. Abortion has always been contentious in Italy, a Catholic country that hosts the Vatican. Right-leaning Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni passed legislation last year to try to deter women from terminating pregnancies. People demonstrate about abortion rights in Rome on Sept. 28, 2024. | REUTERS Anti-abortion groups have been allowed into abortion advice clinics, in a move Meloni's party said was aimed at giving women an opportunity for reflection before making a final decision. Nationally, the number of abortions dropped to 65,000 in 2022, according to the latest health ministry data, against 110,000 in 2011. More than 60% of gynecologists are conscientious objectors. On the island of Sardinia, the region's ruling, left-leaning 5-Star Movement last month presented a law proposal similar to the one adopted in Sicily, suggesting that other southern regions may soon follow its example. Dario Safina, a center-left Democratic Party lawmaker in Sicily and the promoter of the new law, said many Sicilian women seeking an abortion feel forced to resort to the private sector. "Access to abortion is not a problem for those who can afford it, because they can go to a private clinic. But health care based on wealth is the end of democracy," he said. Some doctors argue Sicily's high objection rates are not only due to ethics, but also to staff shortages and poor working conditions that make it harder for gynecologists to provide abortions on top of their regular duties. Data from the GIMBE Foundation, a health sector think tank, shows Sicily had nine health care workers per 1,000 residents in 2022, compared with a national average of 11.6 and far below the northern and central Emilia Romagna and Tuscany regions with 15. "Hospitals always try to exploit doctors' work without paying them properly, so sometimes professionals are reluctant to perform abortions," said Salvatore Incandela, head of the Sicilian arm of AOGOI, Italy's gynecologists' association. Italian anti-abortion group Pro-Life Together rejects this, saying non-objectors in Sicily were only required to perform 1.5 abortions a week, on average, in 2022 — still above a national average of 0.9. Legal challenges? Six Sicilian hospital managers and health professionals said the new legislation could strengthen the service, but it was still important to ensure doctors could opt out as allowed under 1978 national law that sanctioned the right to abortion. The entrance to the Day Surgery department of San Marco Hospital, in Catania, Italy, on June 25. Some doctors argue Sicily's high objection rates are not only due to ethics, but also to staff shortages and poor working conditions that make it harder for gynecologists to provide abortions on top of their regular duties. | San Marco Hospital / via REUTERS Under the law, health workers are exempted from abortion procedures if they declare an ethical or religious objection, so long as the woman's life is not in immediate danger. Gaetano Sirna, the director general of Catania's Policlinico-San Marco hospital, one of the city's largest, said even with just six non-objecting gynecologists out of a total of 39, he could still ensure abortions for those who needed them. "We have no problems guaranteeing the availability (of doctors) ... gynecologists are free to declare themselves as objectors; we do not discriminate," he said. Abortion is not the only case in which conscientious objection is permitted in Italy. It used to be grounds for avoiding compulsory military service, which was abolished in the early 2000s, and an opt-out for scientists from conducting animal experiments was introduced in the early 1990s. Giorgia Landolfo, a abortion-rights activist in Catania, called the new law in Sicily a "landmark," but said she feared it would be hard to enforce. Some anti-abortion groups say it will be challenged in court on the ground that job postings reserved for non-objectors discriminate against the others. "Many measures in the past aimed at hiring non-objectors have been challenged and ultimately came to nothing," said Vito Trojano, the head of SIGO, the Italian Obstetrics and Gynecology Society. Some Sicilian politicians who strongly oppose the new rules believe the region should instead bolster its health care and support facilities for pregnant women, who often feel abandoned and see no alternative to abortion. "Life is life from the moment of conception," said Margherita La Rocca, a Sicilian lawmaker from the center-right Forza Italia party. "The fetus cannot just be considered a clump of cells when it's convenient."
Malay Mail
14-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Sicilian women face uphill battle for abortion despite legal right, prompting new regional law
CATANIA, July 15 — Monia, a Sicilian woman in her early forties, was overjoyed when she discovered in October 2022 she was expecting her first child. Her doctor, however, recommended a genetic test due to her age, and the result was one no parent wants to receive. The foetus had a genetic syndrome. Monia, who declined to give her surname, asked her gynaecologist what she could do. 'Nothing. You don't want to terminate, do you?' the doctor asked her, she said. He was a conscientious objector, Monia said, one of hundreds on the southern Italian island. More than 80 per cent of gynaecologists in Sicily refuse to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons, according to the latest health ministry data, which dates to 2022, even though the procedure has been a legal right for women in Italy since 1978. To address that situation, in late May, Sicily's regional council — run by a centre-right coalition — passed a law in a secret ballot requiring all public hospitals to create dedicated abortion wards and to hire staff willing to provide the service. Under the national rules, abortion is permitted within the first 90 days of a pregnancy, or later if there are risks to the mother's health or foetal abnormalities. The latter circumstance applied to Monia, who went to the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital in the city of Trapani, in western Sicily, to terminate her pregnancy. 'All the gynaecologists were objectors,' she said. 'An obstetrician gave me a bed with only a mattress cover and said they would administer a pill every three hours until I went into labour.' She was told she would receive no further assistance. Her story is far from unique in southern Italy, where cultural traditions are more conservative than in the Catholic country's richer north and centre. At first, Monia's pills were ineffective, but after five days and a change of treatment, she finally miscarried, attended to by a doctor and a midwife. Hospital staff referred to her as 'Article 6,' she said, after the provision in the law that allows abortions beyond 90 days. In response to a request for comment, the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital said it was sorry for Monia's 'difficult experience'. However, the hospital said it was unable to verify the facts because both the hospital manager and the head of the gynaecology department at that time had left. The hospital said it now has three non-objecting doctors and was able to provide abortion services. Abortions are only available in around half of Sicily's hospitals, health ministry data shows, a figure much lower than in central and northern Italy, where rates are around 70 per cent. Like most of his colleagues, Fabio Guardala, a 60-year-old doctor, refuses to perform abortions. He operates at the Cannizzaro hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania, on the east coast of the island. 'A doctor's job is to heal,' said Guardala, who is also deputy head of a healthcare unit at his local Catholic church. 'Abortion is not treatment but killing. Nobody can force a doctor to kill.' Silvia Vaccari, president of the Italian federation of midwives, FNOPO, said health outcomes can be grim in areas where legal abortions are hard to access. 'The absence of facilities sometimes leads people to turn to non-professionals, putting them at risk of death, or to continue with pregnancies and give birth to babies who are abandoned in places where they may never be found alive,' she said. Catholic infuence Most other European Union countries allow health workers to refuse to perform abortions on ethical grounds, according to a 2022 study published in the Acta Biomedica journal. But the right is generally exercised far less commonly than in southern Italy. One exception is deeply Catholic Poland, where abortion is only legal in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's health or life is at risk. The Acta study said many Polish women have been forced to travel abroad to terminate their pregnancies. Abortion has always been contentious in Italy, a Catholic country that hosts the Vatican. Right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni passed legislation last year to try to deter women from terminating pregnancies. Pro-life groups have been allowed into abortion advice clinics, in a move Meloni's party said was aimed at giving women an opportunity for reflection before making a final decision. Nationally, the number of abortions dropped to 65,000 in 2022, according to the latest health ministry data, against 110,000 in 2011. More than 60% of gynaecologists are conscientious objectors. On the island of Sardinia, the region's ruling, left-leaning 5-Star Movement last month presented a law proposal similar to the one adopted in Sicily, suggesting that other southern regions may soon follow its example. Dario Safina, a centre-left Democratic Party lawmaker in Sicily and the promoter of the new law, said many Sicilian women seeking an abortion feel forced to resort to the private sector. 'Access to abortion is not a problem for those who can afford it, because they can go to a private clinic. But healthcare based on wealth is the end of democracy,' he said. Some doctors argue Sicily's high objection rates are not only due to ethics but also to staff shortages and poor working conditions that make it harder for gynaecologists to provide abortions on top of their regular duties. Data from the GIMBE Foundation, a health sector think-tank, shows Sicily had nine healthcare workers per 1,000 residents in 2022, compared with a national average of 11.6 and far below the northern and central Emilia Romagna and Tuscany regions with 15. 'Hospitals always try to exploit doctors' work without paying them properly, so sometimes professionals are reluctant to perform abortions,' said Salvatore Incandela, head of the Sicilian arm of AOGOI, Italy's gynaecologists' association. Italian anti-abortion group Pro-Life Together rejects this, saying non-objectors in Sicily were only required to perform 1.5 abortions a week on average in 2022 — still above a national average of 0.9. Legal challenges Six Sicilian hospital managers and health professionals contacted by Reuters said the new legislation could strengthen the service, but it was still important to ensure doctors could opt out as allowed under 1978 national law that sanctioned the right to abortion. Under the law, health workers are exempted from abortion procedures if they declare an ethical or religious objection, so long as the woman's life is not in immediate danger. Gaetano Sirna, the director general of Catania's Policlinico-San Marco hospital, one of the city's largest, said even with just six non-objecting gynaecologists out of a total of 39, he could still ensure abortions for those who needed them. 'We have no problems guaranteeing the availability (of doctors) ... gynaecologists are free to declare themselves as objectors; we do not discriminate,' he told Reuters. Abortion is not the only case in which conscientious objection is permitted in Italy. It used to be grounds for avoiding compulsory military service, which was abolished in the early 2000s, and an opt-out for scientists from conducting animal experiments was introduced in the early 1990s. Giorgia Landolfo, a pro-abortion activist in Catania, called the new law in Sicily a 'landmark,' but said she feared it would be hard to enforce. Some anti-abortion groups say it will be challenged in court on the ground that job postings reserved for non-objectors discriminate against the others. 'Many measures in the past aimed at hiring non-objectors have been challenged and ultimately came to nothing,' said Vito Trojano, the head of SIGO, the Italian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society. Some Sicilian politicians who strongly oppose the new rules believe the region should instead bolster its healthcare and support facilities for pregnant women, who often feel abandoned and see no alternative to abortion. 'Life is life from the moment of conception,' said Margherita La Rocca, a Sicilian lawmaker from the centre-right Forza Italia party. 'The foetus cannot just be considered a clump of cells when it's convenient.' — AFP
BreakingNews.ie
14-07-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Italy's abortion taboos challenged by new law in Sicily
Monia, a Sicilian woman in her early 40s, was overjoyed when she discovered in October 2022 she was expecting her first child. Her doctor, however, recommended a genetic test due to her age, and the result was one no parent wants to receive. The foetus had a genetic syndrome. Monia, who declined to give her surname, asked her gynaecologist what she could do. Advertisement "Nothing. You don't want to terminate, do you?" the doctor asked her, she said. He was a conscientious objector, Monia said, one of hundreds on the southern Italian island. More than 80 per cent of gynaecologists in Sicily refuse to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons, according to the latest health ministry data, which dates to 2022, even though the procedure has been a legal right for women in Italy since 1978. To address that situation, in late May Sicily's regional council - run by a centre-right coalition - passed a law in a secret ballot requiring all public hospitals to create dedicated abortion wards and to hire staff willing to provide the service. Under the national rules, abortion is permitted within the first 90 days of a pregnancy, or later if there are risks to the mother's health or foetal abnormalities. The latter circumstance applied to Monia, who went to the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital in the city of Trapani, in western Sicily, to terminate her pregnancy. Advertisement "All the gynaecologists were objectors," she said. "An obstetrician gave me a bed with only a mattress cover and said they would administer a pill every three hours until I went into labour". She was told she would receive no further assistance. Her story is far from unique in southern Italy, where cultural traditions are more conservative than in the Catholic country's richer north and centre. At first, Monia's pills were ineffective, but after five days and a change of treatment she finally miscarried, attended to by a doctor and a midwife. Hospital staff referred to her as "Article 6," she said, after the provision in the law that allows abortions beyond 90 days. Advertisement In response to a request for comment, the Sant'Antonio Abate hospital said it was sorry for Monia's "difficult experience". However, the hospital said it was unable to verify the facts because both the hospital manager and the head of the gynaecology department at that time had left. The hospital said it now has three non-objecting doctors and was able to provide abortion services. Abortions are only available in around half of Sicily's hospitals, health ministry data shows, a figure much lower than in central and northern Italy, where rates are around 70 per cent. Like most of his colleagues, Fabio Guardala, a 60-year-old doctor, refuses to perform abortions. He operates at the Cannizzaro hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania, on the east coast of the island. Advertisement "A doctor's job is to heal," said Guardala, who is also deputy head of a healthcare unit at his local Catholic church. "Abortion is not treatment but killing. Nobody can force a doctor to kill." Silvia Vaccari, president of the Italian federation of midwives, FNOPO, said health outcomes can be grim in areas where legal abortions are hard to access. "The absence of facilities sometimes leads people to turn to non-professionals, putting them at risk of death, or to continue with pregnancies and give birth to babies who are abandoned in places where they may never be found alive," she said. Catholic influence Most other European Union countries allow health workers to refuse to perform abortions on ethical grounds, according to a 2022 study published in the Acta Biomedica journal. But the right is generally exercised far less commonly than in southern Italy. Advertisement One exception is deeply Catholic Poland, where abortion is only legal in cases of rape or incest or when a woman's health or life is at risk. The Acta study said many Polish women have been forced to travel abroad to terminate their pregnancies. Abortion has always been contentious in Italy, a Catholic country that hosts the Vatican. Right-wing prime minister Giorgia Meloni passed legislation last year to try to deter women from terminating pregnancies. Pro-life groups have been allowed into abortion advice clinics, in a move Ms Meloni's party said was aimed at giving women an opportunity for reflection before making a final decision. Nationally, the number of abortions dropped to 65,000 in 2022, according to the latest health ministry data, against 110,000 in 2011. More than 60 per cent of gynaecologists are conscientious objectors. On the island of Sardinia, the region's ruling, left-leaning 5-Star Movement last month presented a law proposal similar to the one adopted in Sicily, suggesting that other southern regions may soon follow its example. Dario Safina, a centre-left Democratic Party lawmaker in Sicily and the promoter of the new law, said many Sicilian women seeking an abortion feel forced to resort to the private sector. Healthcare based on wealth is the end of democracy. "Access to abortion is not a problem for those who can afford it, because they can go to a private clinic. But healthcare based on wealth is the end of democracy," he said. Some doctors argue Sicily's high objection rates are not only due to ethics but also to staff shortages and poor working conditions that make it harder for gynaecologists to provide abortions on top of their regular duties. Data from the GIMBE Foundation, a health sector think-tank, shows Sicily had nine healthcare workers per 1,000 residents in 2022, compared with a national average of 11.6 and far below the northern and central Emilia Romagna and Tuscany regions with 15. "Hospitals always try to exploit doctors' work without paying them properly, so sometimes professionals are reluctant to perform abortions," said Salvatore Incandela, head of the Sicilian arm of AOGOI, Italy's gynaecologists' association. Italian anti-abortion group Pro-Life Together rejects this, saying non-objectors in Sicily were only required to perform 1.5 abortions a week on average in 2022 - still above a national average of 0.9. Legal challenges? Six Sicilian hospital managers and health professionals contacted by Reuters said the new legislation could strengthen the service, but it was still important to ensure doctors could opt out as allowed under 1978 national law that sanctioned the right to abortion. Under the law, health workers are exempted from abortion procedures if they declare an ethical or religious objection, so long as the woman's life is not in immediate danger. Gaetano Sirna, the director general of Catania's Policlinico-San Marco hospital, one of the city's largest, said even with just six non-objecting gynaecologists out of a total of 39, he could still ensure abortions for those who needed them. "We have no problems guaranteeing the availability (of doctors)... gynaecologists are free to declare themselves as objectors; we do not discriminate," he told Reuters. Abortion is not the only case in which conscientious objection is permitted in Italy. It used to be grounds for avoiding compulsory military service, which was abolished in the early 2000s, and an opt-out for scientists from conducting animal experiments was introduced in the early 1990s. Giorgia Landolfo, a pro-abortion activist in Catania, called the new law in Sicily a "landmark," but said she feared it would be hard to enforce. Some anti-abortion groups say it will be challenged in court on the ground that job postings reserved for non-objectors discriminate against the others. "Many measures in the past aimed at hiring non-objectors have been challenged and ultimately came to nothing," said Vito Trojano, the head of SIGO, the Italian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society. Some Sicilian politicians who strongly oppose the new rules believe the region should instead bolster its healthcare and support facilities for pregnant women, who often feel abandoned and see no alternative to abortion. "Life is life from the moment of conception," said Margherita La Rocca, a Sicilian lawmaker from the centre-right Forza Italia party. "The foetus cannot just be considered a clump of cells when it's convenient."
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas flood relief efforts are getting fundraising help from a new Door County candle
Relief is needed for those affected by the devastating and deadly flash flooding that washed over parts of central Texas July 4 and for the emergency workers trying the help, and Door County Candle Co. once again is doing what it can. The newest fundraising sale by the Carlsville-based candle making company is a "Texas Flood Relief" candle, with 100% of profits going to the American Red Cross for its relief efforts in that area. According to the Red Cross website, those efforts include supporting emergency shelters, which serve not just as a refuge but also a place to charge phones and devices and possibly reconnect family members, and by providing food, relief supplies and other critical resources like financial and family travel assistance. The candle is white in a clear glass jar and carries Door County Candle's proprietary vanilla scent. It was launched July 6 and generated more than $5,500 in funds for the Red Cross in its first four days, company co-owner Christiana Trapani said to the Advocate. "The response has been very strong," Trapani said. "A ton of people have reached out, and a lot of people in Texas have contacted us, thanking us for reaching out." The floods happened after a large storm fueled by unusually high moisture in the atmosphere stalled over central Texas and dumped several inches of rain an hour for several hours, causing the Guadalupe River to suddenly rise from 3 to 30 feet and turn into raging, racing torrents of water. As of July 10, more than 120 people are confirmed dead with another 150-plus missing as search efforts continue. The Texas Flood Relief candle is the latest in a series of "Support a Cause" candles created by Door County Candle to raise funds for specific needs, many to help fund relief work in places hammered by natural disasters. The series was started by Trapani and her co-owner and husband, Nic, a little more than a year after the company began making and selling blue-and-yellow Ukraine Candles in February of 2022 to raise funds for emergency relief help in Ukraine shortly after that country was inveded by Russia in a war that continues. The results were way beyond what Trapani, a second-generation Ukrainian-American, hoped to accomplish, with more than $1 million raised in the first year. (Those candles remain available.) Since the Ukraine Candle, the company has made candles for numerous charitable and relief causes. Some have been smaller and more localized or regionalized, but others are for devastating events or natural disasters in America and around the world. The most recent "Support a Cause" effort before the Texas candle is the "Golden State California Wildfire Relief" candle the company launched in January for Red Cross for relief efforts in the metropolitan Los Angeles area devastated by wildfires. Other "Support a Cause" candles for national or international causes include a Beachside Candle from 2022 that raised more than $14,300 for people on the Gulf Coast of Florida affected by Hurricane Ian, a Hope Candle in 2023 that raised more than $8,100 for UNICEF to provide humanitarian and developmental aid to children in areas of Turkey and Syria devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, and the Liliko'i Candle launched in 2023 that raised more than $60,000 for relief efforts on the Hawaiian island of Maui following the wildfires there that virtually wiped out the historic town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people. To order or for more information, visit the Door County Candle store, 5789 State 42, Sturgeon Bay; call 920-746-2125; or visit or Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@ MORE: Door County high school student makes history at Miss Wisconsin's Teen contest MORE: Here's your guide to festivals and special events in Door County from July 10-19 MORE: Southern Door County resort and marina sold to new owner who plans upgrades FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County Candle launches new fundraiser for Texas flood relief
Telegraph
15-06-2025
- Telegraph
Forget Greece, head to Italy for an island-hopping adventure this summer
In my opinion, Greece, although beautiful, has too many islands. Choosing which one to visit is nearly impossible, the ferries are complicated, and holidays on the Aegean or Ionian too often turn into a sweaty tangle of logistics and are beset by the paralysis of indecision. By comparison, the lesser-known off the north-west coast of Sicily, with turquoise waters, rugged beaches and lashings of gelato, makes for an easier alternative. With straightforward ferries and only three of five islands open to visitors, the paradox of choice is eliminated. Here's our guide to visiting. Favignana Favignana is the largest island and, according to some, is where the Greek hero Odysseus came to hunt goats. Today it's highly prized among Sicilians, who jaunt over for weekend breaks from nearby Palermo. A 30-minute hydrofoil boat trip from the port of Trapani, it's geographically close to Sicily, but Favignana is worlds apart – life simply slows down here. Dimora Cala del Pozzo, hidden down a lane on the quieter west coast, makes for an excellent base to explore the island. An old farmhouse converted into a boutique hotel, the setting is serene and elegant. Handsomely furnished rooms are sound-tracked by the sea beyond, and a lavish breakfast is hosted in the cactus garden, including local ingredients from the family's organic farm. Locals advise checking the direction of the wind before choosing the best coves for swimming. Cala Trapanese is recommended, where the rocks form a natural swimming pool with views of Sicily across the water. Inland, visit the Garden of the Impossible to discover another link to the Odyssey myth. A spiky green plant that looks a bit like a cactus is, according to local guidebooks, apparently the plant that Circe used to turn Odysseus's men into pigs. Islanders were once sceptical about the feasibility of the botanical garden, which was created in a series of abandoned quarry pits. Today it's a peaceful oasis of tumbling vines, rare trees and plants, and includes an exhibition of sculptures by a local artist. Use the guidebook to explore (it's superior to the audio alternative). Favignana's history of quarrying has shaped the landscape of the island, and the exoskeleton of abandoned quarries forms architectural rock pools along the shoreline. Spot golden-brown Moray eels lurking in the pools at Scalo Cavallo, or visit Bue Marino, one of the former quarries, and explore the deep waters at one of the island's best snorkelling locations. Insider tip The best way to explore the island is by bicycle – try GAC rental shop. Beaches are mostly rocky, but Lido Burrone has white sand and is perfect for children. Where to eat Hotel Aegusa serves good pasta dishes on a pretty outdoor terrace. For something more high-end end try Sotto Sale or Quello che c'è...c'è! For pizza, visit Cala Bianca. Where to shop Bottega Camparia – a chic boutique with an expertly curated selection of fashion and homeware; Salvatore Aleo 's jewellery shop has pieces to suit a range of budgets; try Borinda Sanna for handmade ceramics. Where to stay In high season, it's quieter to stay outside the main village (Favignana Town), but you'll need to ensure you have bike lights to cycle back after dinner. Dimora Cala del Pozzo has doubles from £279/€330 per night, including breakfast, in high season. Its sister hotel Dimora Della Olivastro offers doubles from £261/€310 per night, including breakfast. Weekends in summer are especially busy – book in advance or plan your stay for the weekdays. Marettimo The most remote island in the archipelago, Marettimo, has also been linked to Homer's The Odyssey. Samuel Butler, a Victorian novelist, put forward a theory that this island was the inspiration for Ithaca – an exhibition is planned for later this year, which will showcase his photographs at the local museum. The island is an ideal place for hiking, and there are roughly 10 marked trails to choose from. A popular route leads up to the tiny Byzantine church, set like a jewel on a cliff facing out to sea, next to the ruins of a Roman house. For a longer walk, continue to reach Pizzo Falcone (the highest peak) and return from Portella Madonnuzza via the Punta Troia Castle (now a lovely museum) and back to the village. There are more than 500 different species of plants here, some of which are endemic to the island and scents of thyme and rosemary infuse the air as you walk. But the sea surrounding Marettimo is also a draw. The Aegadian Islands are protected by the largest marine reserve in Europe, and the scuba diving around Marettimo is particularly good thanks to its crystal clear waters. If you're extremely lucky, you might even spot a monk seal. Insider tip For a unique perspective, take a boat to see the island's caves – accessible only on the water. Tours by Pippo come highly recommended. Where to eat Pizzeria Hiera is one of the oldest restaurants on the island, and is practically an institution. Maria, now in her seventies, served delightful antipasto, including a miniature arancine made with cuttlefish ink and pistachio. Where to shop Local artist Massimo Pironi makes ceramics in his home studio – find him near Caffe Tramontana, where he sells pieces inspired by the island, the sea and the mountain. Where to stay La Tartaruga B&B – double rooms cost from £85/€100 in high season, including breakfast, with a three-night minimum stay. There are also plenty of apartments for rent; The Thinking Traveller has a villa on the island. Levanzo This tiny sparkling island is so pretty that it looks like a Hollywood set designer built it for a movie. Measuring just 2.25 square miles and with only three restaurants and a handful of beaches, Levanzo is known for its off-grid vibes. However, according to local reports, the Prada family own two houses here. Most people visit to look at the cave paintings at Grotta del Genovese, which date from both the Palaeolithic and Neolithic eras. Reserve in advance (guided tours cost £35/€42 for adults and £25/€30 for children) – there's quite a steep trail down to the cave, which can only be reached on foot. After seeing the cave paintings, it's worth strolling around the island. Cala Faraglione on the south-west coast, about 30 minutes' walk from the port, is the island's most picture-perfect beach, complete with a tiny island (technically a rock stack) floating offshore. End the day with a relaxing glass of Sicilian wine at one of the island's restaurants by the harbour before catching the last boat back to Favignana. Inside tip Cala Minnola is one of the nicest beaches for swimming Where to eat Try the pasta con gamberi at Bar Romano, an absurdly picturesque restaurant which juts out over the harbour with views of Favignana in the distance. Where to shop Mannaraò offers a selection of handmade jewellery and other delights. Where to stay Dolcevita Egadi Resort is a new hotel set a short walk from the port on a breezy terrace – rooms are simple and there's a swimming pool. Double rooms cost £321/€380 in high season, including breakfast, with a five-night minimum stay. How to get there Ryanair flies from London to Trapani in the summer months. Alternatively, fly to Palermo, take a bus to Trapani (about one hour) and hop on the Hydrofoil from Trapani port (30 to 45 minutes). There are regular boats between the islands but make sure you prebook tickets in high season Laura Coffey was a guest of Hotel Dimora Cala Del Pozzo.
