Pantelleria Bus Network Overview

Small island, mighty timetable: Pantelleria’s public buses connect every inhabited crater hamlet, seaside cove and geothermal pool on a 72-kilometre road grid that traces the island like a figure-eight. The network is run by <strongAST Trapani, Sicily’s provincial transit company, under contract with the Comune di Pantelleria. Two depots fuel the operation: the main yard on Via Boccadoro 10 (Pantelleria Town, GPS 36.8166 °N 12.0131 °E) where six blue Isuzu midi-buses sleep under volcanic‐ash roofs, and a satellite lot behind Scauri’s petrol station that houses two back-up shuttles for south-coast peaks. From April through October the system clocks roughly 116 departures a day, slimming to 62 in low season when winter winds chase locals indoors.

Fleet facts. Vehicles are 8–9 m midis—small enough to tackle 18 % grades yet spacious enough for 28 seats and a rear luggage pen. All run Euro VI diesel (bio-blend since 2023) and sport ceiling vents rather than energy-hungry A/C—bring a hat in August. Low floors plus flip-out ramps make the newest MAN TGE shuttle wheelchair-friendly, though only on the Circular and Airport lines. Pets ride free in carriers; surfboards and inflatable SUPs count as luggage if deflated.

Seven colour-coded lines. You’ll spot routes by the coloured square in the windshield. The blue Linea Circolare loops the island anticlockwise every 90 minutes; the green Airport Shuttle does 12-minute hops to town; orange East-Coast buses tackle Khamma & Tracino vineyards; the violet South-West Line hugs lava arches to Scauri and Rekhale. Two micro-spurs—red Lago di Venere and yellow Gadir Thermal—branch from the loop at busier swim spots, while the winter-only School Service (grey card) mirrors class start times. Each segment is timed so you can—at least on paper—transfer across the island with a max 25-minute wait. Reality? Drivers chat, tourists dither, goats invade asphalt; pack Sicilian patience.

How reliable is it? Shoulder-season punctuality averages 89 % (Comune traffic report, 2024); July-August drops to 74 % as beach traffic and one-lane crater roads clog. The network shines at linking villaggi that rental cars can’t reach—think contrade of Khamma Alta or Rekhale’s caper terraces where lava lanes slice wheel hubs. If you’re staying in town but crave winery sunsets, pair the 15:00 East-Coast departure with an 18:50 return from Khamma Fuori; sip aperitivo at Abbazia San Giorgio then let the bus chauffeur the twilight hairpins.

Stops and landmarks. Each shelter is a basalt-stone bench topped by a white tile with blue AST logo—hard to miss against black lava walls. Major transfer nodes:

Pantelleria Porto (Stop ID 101) – ferries, hydrofoils, rental kiosks, cafés.
Pantelleria Aeroporto (Stop ID 201) – 80 m from arrivals hall; QR codes on the timetable board link to live-bus map (works offline once cached).
Khamma Fuori (Stop ID 306) – gateway to Zibibbo vineyards; free call button summons a night-time taxibus after last east-coast run.
Scauri Porto (Stop ID 402) – hub for south-west line, 120 m from Dadigantour sunset RIB departures.
Cala Gadir Spur (Stop ID 505) – lava spa pools, seafood shack, cliff-jump ledge.

Realtime tools. Download the free “AST Live Sicily” app (Android & iOS) for GPS dots, delay alerts and QR e-tickets that scan under the driver’s barcode scanner. Offline? SMS “Bus 101” to +39 320 204 8888 and you’ll receive the next three departures from Porto (10 cent service fee). Locals screenshot the weekly PDF timetable posted on the Comune’s transport page; it rarely changes mid-season unless gales topple rocks onto crater switchbacks.

Accessibility & onboard comforts. Low-floor buses kneel at Porto, Airport, Khamma and Scauri stops. Drivers deploy ramps if flagged; ring AST (+39 0923 911 117) one day ahead for extra guarantee. Seats are padded vinyl, windows slide not seal; bring a jacket—the north ridge chills at dusk. Buses carry no toilets, but Porto depot has a free restroom and Scauri bar “La Vela” lets ticket-holders use facilities when buying a granita.

Best-value day plan. Grab the €5.20 giornaliero day-pass at Porto kiosk (open 07:15–13:30), ride the 08:45 Circular anti-clockwise to Favare fumaroles, snap sulphur-steam selfies, hop off at Balata dei Turchi for a cliff-dip, re-board at 12:02 towards Lago di Venere for a clay spa, then coast back to Porto by 18:10—sunset granita sorted. Total fuel saved? ~€25 versus a Panda hire, plus zero parking stress.

Contacts & depot info.
• Main depot & ticket office Via Boccadoro 10, Pantelleria Town • Tel +39 0923 911 117
• Email [email protected]
• Hours Mon–Sat 06:30–20:30 • Sun 08:00–13:00 / 16:00–19:00
• Website astspa.it
• Best for shoestring vineyard crawls, mud-bath day-trips, car-free sunset hops

Circular Route (Linea Circolare)

The blue bus that laps the whole volcano. The Linea Circolare is Pantelleria’s backbone: a 65-kilometre anti-clockwise loop that stitches together every coastal hamlet, crater ridge and thermal cove in three hours flat. If you have only one day and no rental wheels, this service lets you hop between lava arches, caper farms and mud spas for the price of a capuccino. Six blue Isuzu Novociti midi-buses run the circuit from 06 : 40 until 20 : 10 (summer timetable) with 20 departures spaced roughly 90 minutes apart; winter sees 8 loops, first at 07 : 20, last at 18 : 10. Buses leave the Pantelleria Porto stop (ID 101), swing inland to crater villages, descend to south-west lava pools and finish back at the harbour three hours later. Because the island’s ring road is essentially one paved balcony on a cliff, the Circolare is the way to sight-see without white-knuckling a steering wheel.

How the loop flows. Leaving Porto, the bus climbs to the citrus terraces of Scauri Basso, skirts the obsidian drop-off above Arco dell’Elefante, veers inland past Rekhale’s caper plantations, then crests Piana di Ghirlanda—a crater floor quilted with Zibibbo vines and dwarf palms. From here the road roller-coasters to the jade bowl of Specchio di Venere; if you hop off at the Lago di Venere stop (ID 509) you can smear sulphur mud on sun-tired calves and still catch the next bus 92 minutes later. The final leg coasts past the WWII bunkers of Punta Spadillo, drops into the fishing village of Gadir, then glides back to Porto just in time for a sunset granita di gelsi.

Key stops & dwell times (summer).

Porto/City Centre (ID 101) • 00 : 00 | Ticket kiosk, cafés, bike-hire.
Scauri Port (ID 403) • +18 min | Board a La Rosa dei Venti sunset cruise.
Balata dei Turchi Overlook (ID 416) • +34 min | Photo stop, 18 min for cliff-top selfies.
Khamma Fuori (ID 306) • +55 min | Walk 10 min to Zibibbo vineyards & pane cunzato kiosk.
Specchio di Venere (ID 509) • +1 h 38 min | Mud-bath, swim, lagoon café.
Cala Gadir Thermal Inlet (ID 525) • +2 h 12 min | Free lava pools, snorkel.
Porto (Return) • +3 h 05 min

Sample “hop-off” itinerary (ticket €5.20 day-pass).

08 : 40 Board at Porto. Stow backpack in rear pen—under-seat bins fit flip-flops only.
09 : 12 Jump off at Scauri and grab caper-leaf focaccia from Panificio Katia (open from 06 : 30).
09 : 58 Re-board next loop, ride 16 min to Balata dei Turchi overlook for obsidian coast photos.
11 : 30 Hop off at Khamma Fuori, stroll 400 m to Passito DOC tasting kiosk, sample three micro-cuvées, hop back on at 12 : 43.
13 : 15 – 15 : 00 Lago di Venere mud spa & picnic; next bus arrives 15 : 07.
15 : 50 – 17 : 20 Cala Gadir swim & sulphur soak.
18 : 05 Roll into Porto for cannoli and sunset harbour stroll.

Tickets & validators. Buy single rides (€1.60) or day-passes (€5.20) at the Porto kiosk (07 : 15–13 : 30) or at any tabacchi showing the blue AST T sign. Drivers sell singles (+20 cent surcharge), but in high season queues slow departures—have coins ready. Tap QR e-tickets from the AST Live app under the driver’s barcode reader; paper stubs stamp in the orange validator behind the front door. Inspectors board surprise at Khamma and Specchio di Venere—fine is €35 plus fare.

Accessibility & onboard tips. Low-floor ramp deploys at Porto, Airport, Scauri and Khamma stops—signal driver early. Seats are padded vinyl; slide windows for breeze, bring a micro-towel to mop salt spray after seaside stops. No WC on board; Porto depot and Specchio lagoon café offer free toilets for ticket-holders. Bikes forbidden, but foldable scooters in a bag pass as hand luggage. Pets travel free in carriers; large dogs €1.20, muzzle required.

Realtime info & delays. The AST Live Sicily app pings GPS dots every 30 seconds. Coverage blackouts around Punta Limarsi mean ETAs sometimes freeze—buffer 10 minutes. If rain triggers rockfall on the south-west cliff road, buses divert via the crater ridge, adding 15 minutes; alerts push via app and the @ASTPantelleria Telegram feed.

Need-to-know details
• Operator AST Trapani • Linea Circolare code 100
• First/last departure (summer) Porto 06 : 40 / 17 : 10 • Airport 06 : 48 / 17 : 18
• Frequency ≈ 90 min (shoulder) • 110 – 120 min (winter)
• Loop length 65 km • Avg travel time ≈ 3 h 05 m
• Phone +39 0923 911 117
• Email [email protected]
• Website astspa.it
• Best for car-free panoramas, hop-off crater adventures, budget winery crawls

Airport Shuttle Line

Touch down, tap on, roll to the harbour in twelve minutes flat. Pantelleria’s lime-green Airport Shuttle Line is the island’s shortest but busiest bus run: a 4.8-kilometre hop that whisks you from the arrivals hall at Pantelleria Airport (PNL) to the ferry pier and town centre up to 26 times a day in summer. Operated by AST Trapani under route code Linea 210 Verde, the shuttle syncs with every scheduled DAT flight from Palermo, Catania and Trapani as well as the Thursday and Sunday Volotea seasonal service from Milan/Linate. In winter, when only two Palermo flights remain, frequency drops to ten round-trips—but the first bus still meets the 07 : 15 arrival so early-bird hikers can catch the 08 : 00 connection on the Circular Route without a taxi splurge.

The micro-route in detail. Buses start kerbside on Via Aeroporto, 40 m from the baggage belt exit, then glide south-east past the solar-roofed hangar and merge onto SP 1. A single intermediate stop—Contrada Runghi (ID 202)—serves car-hire depots like Sicily By Car; three minutes later the driver circles the roundabout at Pantelleria Porto, sets passengers down opposite Bar Aurora’s cannoli counter, then idles in the depot loop until it’s time to reverse the run. Total ride time: 11–13 minutes off-peak, 15–18 if ferry traffic clogs Via Boccadoro.

Summer 2025 timetable snapshot (15 June – 15 September). All times local (CET/CEST). Always verify in the AST Live app on wind-risk days—Force-7 maestrale gusts can shuffle DAT’s Dash-8 landings and, by extension, these buses.

🛬 Flight DY 0015 (Palermo 07 : 15) → Bus dep. 07 : 25 | Arrive Porto 07 : 38
🛫 Bus dep. Porto 08 : 15 | Airport 08 : 27 → Flight DY 0016 08 : 55
🛬 Flight VOE 2711 (Milan/Linate 10 : 35) → Bus 10 : 50 | Porto 11 : 03
🛬 Flight DY 0021 (Catania 12 : 10) → Bus 12 : 20 | Porto 12 : 33
🛫 Porto 14 : 05 → Airport 14 : 17 → Flight DY 0022 14 : 55
🛬 Flight DY 0023 (Trapani 15 : 30) → Bus 15 : 40 | Porto 15 : 53
🛫 Last daylight run: Porto 20 : 10 → Airport 20 : 22 (meets Palermo DY 0018 21 : 00)
🌙 Late-flight contingency Keys in a locker? A 22 : 10 “ghost” bus shadows any unscheduled delay ≥ 45 min.

Fares & tickets. A single ride costs €1.60; buy a paper stub from the driver (coins only) or flash the QR code day-pass (€5.20) you purchased on the AST Live Sicily app. If you’ll also hit wineries in Khamma or soak in Specchio di Venere later, the day-pass saves real cash—one shuttle plus two loop hops already cost €4.80. Bags ride free if you can heave them past the rear grab-pole without blocking the aisle; otherwise pay €1 extra for the luggage rack ticket. Car-seat-toting toddlers and guide dogs always ride free.

Accessibility & luggage. New MAN TGE shuttles kneel and deploy a flip-out ramp at both termini; call AST (+39 0923 911 117) 24 h ahead if you need extra dwell time. Two rear seats fold for suitcases; max rack load 120 kg—ample for eight wheeled trolleys. Surfboards? Only deflated inflatables under 190 cm in padded bags; hard boards must taxi. Drivers stash wine cartons upright in the luggage pen—handy after a tasting dash to Salvatore Murana Vini on your departure day.

Connections once you’re in town. The Porto stop sits 140 m from Molo Hydrofoil; roll your case to the Liberty Lines fast hydrofoil pontoon in five minutes. Need wheels? Walk 60 m uphill to Via Messina where Autonoleggio Policardo hands out Panda Cabrio keys till 22 : 00. Heading straight to a dammuso in Rekhale? Switch to the 09 : 10 violet South-West bus and step off at Ristorante La Vela 35 minutes later—zero taxi euros spent.

Pro tips. ① Sit right-hand side seaside for crater-rim panoramas. ② The onboard validator beeps twice when your QR scans—one beep means an unreadable code; flash again or pay cash. ③ Early July storms occasionally flood the runway: if your flight diverts to Trapani, AST tweets (#ASTPantelleria) a replacement coach timetable for ferry connections. ④ Flying home on DAT’s 07 : 40 Palermo? The 06 : 50 shuttle reaches departures by 07 : 02—snug but doable with online check-in and cabin baggage.

Need-to-know details
• Route code 210 Verde – “Aeroporto ↔ Porto”
• Length 4.8 km • Average ride 12 min
• Summer frequency ≈ 60–70 min (aligns with flights)
• Winter frequency ≈ 120 min (two Palermo rotations)
• First / last 06 : 50 / 22 : 10 (locker call) • Sun identical
• Phone +39 0923 911 117 • WhatsApp delays line +39 351 907 1121
• Email [email protected]
• Best for no-taxi airport hops, ferry & hydrofoil connections, wine-box-friendly luggage space

East-Coast Line (Khamma & Tracino)

Zibibbo vineyards on one side, sapphire coves on the other—welcome to the most scenic commute in Pantelleria. The East-Coast Line (route 220 arancione) shuttles you from Pantelleria Town to the island’s vine-cloaked eastern flank—Khamma, Tracino and the postcard duo of Cala Levante & Cala Tramontana—up to 18 times a day in summer (nine in winter). It’s the bus oenophiles and snorkellers swear by: you can down a chilled Zibibbo at Tenuta Coste Ghirlanda, hike ten minutes downhill, and be floating in emerald grottoes before your glass would have emptied. Buses are easy-spot orange Isuzu Novociti midi-rigs—28 seats, flip-out ramps, luggage pen—and leave the Porto depot every 60-110 minutes depending on season.

Route ribbon. Departing Porto (Stop 101), the bus hugs the panoramic SP54 ridge, skims past crater farms in Contrada Bukkuram, then corkscrews into Khamma’s citrus bowl. Here the asphalt splits: one branch noses above Pantanum ravine to vine terraces; the other dives toward the twin inlets of Cala Levante & Cala Tramontana where lava arches bite the sea. After a 12-minute dwell—enough to snap the pachyderm profile of the Arco dello Scoiattolo—the climb resumes to hill-top Tracino, gateway to obsidian cliffs and the WWII radar bunkers of Punta Limarsi. Loop time Porto ⇄ Tracino ⇄ Porto: ~2 h 40 m (add 15 m on August afternoons when beach traffic stalls hairpins).

Key stops & sample dwell windows (high season).

Khamma Fuori (ID 306) • +38 m | 250 m to caper-leaf focaccia kiosk & vineyard walks.
Cala Levante/Tramontana fork (ID 312) • +50 m | 8-min photo halt; cliff path to snorkel ladders.
Tracino Piazza (ID 318) • +57 m | Cafés, pharmacy, trailhead for Punta Limarsi bunkers.
Kuddia Ghibli Overlook (ID 323) • +1 h 10 m | Lava-flow panorama across to Tunisia on clear days.
Porto return • +2 h 40 m

2025 peak-season clock face (15 Jun – 15 Sep). First bus 07 : 20 Porto ➜ Tracino; last north-bound 19 : 35 Tracino ➜ Porto (arr. 22 : 05). Winter (2 Nov – 31 Mar) trims to 08 : 10, 10 : 30, 13 : 40 and 17 : 10 each way—watch for timetable PDFs on the Comune transport page.

Perfect half-day play.

09 : 20 Porto → Khamma Fuori. Grab lemon-mint granita, wander 12 min to Giardino Pantesco citrus wall.
11 : 05 Next bus to Cala Levante fork. Descend 400 m footpath, snorkel neon-blue grotto, sun-bake on flat lava slabs.
13 : 30 Hop back on, ride to Tracino Piazza. Lunch on swordfish couscous at Trattoria Le Calette (5-min walk).
15 : 50 Return bus to Porto; doze while caper terraces blur past the window.

Tickets, validators & value. Single ride €1.60; day-pass €5.20—already cheaper after two hops. Paper stubs from the driver (coins only) or QR e-passes in the AST Live app. Validate in the orange box behind the driver; inspectors board at Khamma square. Fines: €35 + fare.

Accessibility & onboard tips. Low-floor kneeling at Porto, Airport, Khamma and Tracino. Ramp deploy on request—wave early. Luggage pen fits three cabin trolleys; beach umbrellas count as baggage. Windows slide; no A/C—carry a hat. No bikes; foldable kick-scooters in bags ride free. Pets: small carriers gratis, big dogs €1.20 muzzle required.

Storm, wind & delay smarts. Force-5 maestrale gusts funnel through the east ridge: buses slow on hairpins, adding 8-10 m. AST push alerts via the @ASTPantelleria Telegram channel. If cliffs shed rocks, drivers detour via crater ridge adding 20 m; timetable PDFs refresh nightly at 21 : 00.

Pro hacks. ① Sit left-hand side harbour-bound for sea-cliff vistas; right-hand side outbound to eyeball Zibibbo terraces. ② Bring reef-safe SPF—no shade at Cala Levante stop. ③ Buy a cold gassosa in Tracino; the next hour’s ride lacks shops. ④ Night-owls staying in Khamma can summon the €3 taxibus (21 : 00–00 : 30)—dial +39 344 913 1122.

Need-to-know details
• Route code 220 Arancione “Porto ↔ Tracino”
• Length 27 km • Ride time ≈ 57 m one-way
• Summer freq. ≈ 60–110 m • Winter ≈ 150 m
• First / last (summer) Porto 07 : 20 / 18 : 45 • Tracino 07 : 50 / 19 : 35
• Phone +39 0923 911 117 • WhatsApp delay line +39 351 907 1121
• Email [email protected]
• Best for vineyard strolls, snorkel coves, car-free winery lunches

South-West Line (Scauri & Rekhale)

Lava arches, steaming grottoes, caper hamlets, and sunsets that drip molten gold into the Strait of Sicily—the South-West Line (route 230 viola) is Pantelleria’s answer to the Amalfi Coast bus, minus the traffic horns and influencer stampedes. From April to mid-October the violet Isuzu midi-bus rolls 14 round-trips daily; winter pares that to six, but the first departure still co-ordinates with the 07 : 15 Palermo flight and the 08 : 15 hydrofoil. The run links Pantelleria Town to the lava-pool village of Scauri, then climbs the crater ridge to Rekhale’s caper terraces before looping back along the black-basalt south coast. Ride end-to-end and you’ll tick off steaming hot-spring caves, WWII lookout bunkers, and the island’s most photogenic sunset perch—all in 65 minutes and for the price of a pastry.

Route geometry. Buses leave Pantelleria Porto (Stop 101), snake west on SP 54 above the fossil dunes of Bugeber, and reach Contrada Nikà 18 minutes later. Here a 10-minute bagno termale stop is built into the timetable so passengers can peer at the steaming Cala Nikà bubbles or grab an espresso from the cave kiosk. The climb resumes through dwarf-palm scrub to Scauri Porto (Stop 402), hub for sunset RIB cruises and seafood trattorie. After a five-minute dwell the bus corkscrews inland on a lava-dust lane that taxi drivers dread, topping out at Rekhale’s Piazza San Gaetano—a caper-scented hamlet with donkey carts, zero traffic lights and the island’s highest ratio of dammusi to people. Riders can break here for lunch at La Nicchia, a farm-to-fork icon where mint-ricotta ravioli mirrors the bus’s violet paint. The loop then glides east along panoramic SP 54, skirting Favare fumaroles, before coasting back into town 65 minutes after you started.

Summer 2025 clock-face (15 Jun – 15 Sep).

Porto dep. 07 : 45 | Scauri 08 : 01 | Rekhale 08 : 17 | Porto return 08 : 50
Porto 09 : 30 | Scauri 09 : 46 | Rekhale 10 : 02 | Porto 10 : 35
Porto 11 : 15 | Scauri 11 : 31 | Rekhale 11 : 47 | Porto 12 : 20
Porto 13 : 10 | Scauri 13 : 26 | Rekhale 13 : 42 | Porto 14 : 15
Porto 15 : 05 | Scauri 15 : 21 | Rekhale 15 : 37 | Porto 16 : 10
Porto 17 : 00 | Scauri 17 : 16 | Rekhale 17 : 32 | Porto 18 : 05
Sunset loop Porto 18 : 55 | Scauri beach 19 : 11 | Rekhale 19 : 27 | Porto 20 : 00

Hot spots & dwell hacks.

Nikà Hot-Spring Lay-by (ID 318) • Driver opens doors for 10 min; descend 60 m path to the 38 °C fizzing sea pool, snap a selfie, re-board before the air horn blares twice.
Scauri Porto (ID 402) • Interchange with green Airport Shuttle and sunset RIBs; 120 m to Pasticceria Katia for caper-leaf focaccia.
Rekhale Piazza (ID 414) • Gateway to Favare fumaroles trail (4 km return); if hiking, plan for the 15 : 37 bus back or hail the €3 night taxibus.
Favare Fumarole Overlook (ID 422) • Quick photo halt; sulphur steam vents whoosh like geysers after rain.

Two half-day ideas.

Morning Lava & Mud Dash • 07 : 45 Porto → 08 : 01 Scauri for espresso on the break-water → 08 : 32 bus to Nikà, soak feet in the hot-spring fizz → 09 : 40 hop off Rekhale, trek 20 min downhill to Sataria Cave mud pools, rinse, snack on prickly-pear sorbet, ride the 11 : 47 back to town.
Sunset Caper Crawl • 15 : 05 Porto → Rekhale 15 : 37, caper plantation tour & tasting → 17 : 32 bus to Scauri harbour, granita at sunset, live-jazz aperitivo, final 20 : 00 bus to Porto.

Tickets & money. Single ride €1.60; driver sells coins-only stubs (+20 c surcharge). Day-pass €5.20 in the AST Live app or Porto kiosk (07 : 15-13 : 30). Luggage: free under-seat; €1 for surfboards or wine cartons over 80 cm. Inspectors lurk at Scauri on August weekends—paper stubs stamp orange validator or risk a €35 fine.

Wheelchair & stroller access. Low-floor kneels at Porto, Nikà, Scauri and Rekhale; ramp deploys on driver request—wave early. Two wheelchair bays mark mid-saloon; strollers fold or park in luggage pen (belt straps provided).

Weather caveats. Force-6 scirocco blasts can topple loose pumice onto the south-coast lane; buses then detour via crater ridge adding +12 min. AST tweets delays via @ASTPantelleria; download offline timetable PDF nightly (updates 21 : 00).

Pro rider tips. ① Sit right-hand side outbound for sea-cliff panoramas; left-hand inbound for crater-rim sunset. ② Wear swim gear under clothes—drivers allow beach re-boarding in towels if shoulders covered. ③ Pack water: only Scauri and Rekhale sell drinks. ④ Night-owls can book the taxibus (21 : 00-00 : 30, €3 pp) via +39 344 913 1122; give stop code and headcount.

Need-to-know details
• Route code 230 Viola “Porto ↔ Rekhale”
• Length 24 km • Ride ≈ 32 min Porto→Rekhale (total loop 65 min)
• Summer freq. ≈ 60-90 min • Winter ≈ 120 min
• First / last (summer) Porto 07 : 45 / 18 : 55 • Rekhale 08 : 17 / 19 : 27
• Phone +39 0923 911 117 • WhatsApp delays +39 351 907 1121
• Email [email protected]
• Best for hot-spring dips, caper-farm tastings, golden-hour coast views without a rental car

Lago di Venere / Gadir Spur

The shortest detour with the biggest payoff: the Lago di Venere / Gadir Spur (route 240 giallo) breaks away from the Circular blue loop to deliver you straight to Pantelleria’s two geothermal show-stoppers—milk-turquoise Specchio di Venere (“Venus Mirror”) and the wave-fed lava baths of Cala Gadir. Think of it as a rubber-tyred funicular: it climbs off the main ring road, drops you beside warm mud or 40 °C rock pools, then crawls back to re-join the loop 20 minutes later. Journeys last barely eight minutes each way yet shave €20–€28 in taxi fares and spare rental drivers the gear-burning hairpins.

How it slots into the network. At Km 7 of SP 54—just north of the airport—the blue Linea Circolare pauses 90 seconds at Bragazzi Crocevie. Here a canary-yellow Isuzu Novociti midi-bus spurs east on route 240, climbing the pumice berm that rims Specchio’s crater. After a panoramic s-curve the driver parks at Stop 509 Laghetto di Venere (GPS 36.7944 °N 12.0192 °E). Riders tumble out, slap on greige sulphur mud, float in 28 °C soda water, rinse, then re-board 92 minutes later when the next yellow coach hisses in. From Venus the bus descends to Stop 525 Cala Gadir, 60 m from steaming fissures where locals lower shrimp in netted jars. After another micro-dwell it claws back uphill to Bragazzi, couples onto the next blue loop and trundles anti-clockwise toward Punta Spadillo. Net time Bragazzi ⇄ Venere ⇄ Gadir ⇄ Bragazzi: 26–28 minutes plus layovers.

Summer 2025 frequency. The spur is timed to every second blue Circolare (roughly 90-minute headway). First yellow coach departs Bragazzi at 08 : 53, last at 18 : 41; winter trims to seven round-trips, 09 : 10–17 : 20. Because both geothermal spots empty at dusk, no night service runs—book the €3 taxibus if you want moonlit mud soaks.

Why bother when you could drive?

Parking stress-free. Specchio’s crater rim hosts just 42 legal bays; by 10 am in August the lava shoulder is solid steel. The bus glides past queues of honking Pandas.
Wine-and-soak freedom. Sip apricot-zingy passito at the lagoon café knowing a sober driver will snake the hairpins back.
Eco points. Engines run ENI bio-diesel since 2023, the spur plants one caper shrub for every 5 000 passenger-kilometres.
Budget: €1.60. That’s a 90 % saving versus scooter hire if you’re in town only for mud masks.

Stop profiles.

Laghetto di Venere (ID 509) – Crater-lake spa, rental kayaks, café with showers (€2). Ten-minute geo-trail climbs to fumarole lookout (150 m gain).
Cala Gadir (ID 525) – Wave-filled lava pools (38–41 °C), Romans’ ancient bath slabs, seafood shack TG Gadir (try caper-leaf tempura). Stony ladder requires water shoes.

Sample two-hour circuit (town base, day-pass €5.20).

09 : 45 — Board blue Circolare at Porto (Stop 101).
10 : 21 — Hop off at Bragazzi Crocevie; shift to yellow spur 10 : 23.
10 : 31 — Swirl in Venus mud, sun-dry to valerian-bloom scent.
11 : 23 — Next yellow to Cala Gadir, sip espresso overlooking fumaroles, dip in 40 °C rock pool.
12 : 12 — Yellow loops back to Bragazzi; re-attach to 12 : 14 blue for Porto, arrive 12 : 47 in time for cannoli.

Tickets & scanners. Single €1.60; driver sells coins-only stubs (expect +€0.20 commission). E-day-pass (€5.20) in AST Live app scans at the front QR gun—two beeps = accepted. Keep stub: inspectors check frequently at the lagoon café. Luggage free if ≤ 55 × 40 × 20 cm; wine cartons count as luggage (€1).

Accessibility & onboard comforts. Low-floor kneels; ramp deploys on request (wave early). Two wheelchair bays and one fold-out seat for prams. No A/C: slide windows and bring a hat. No toilets; lagoon café loo free for ticket holders if you buy a coffee. Pets ride free in carriers; large dogs €1.20 with muzzle.

Weather caveats & delay alerts. Heavy rain washes pumice onto crater lane: buses slow, adding 6–8 min. Force-7 maestrale gusts can close Cala Gadir ladder; the driver then shortcuts back to Bragazzi (+3 min). AST pushes pings via @ASTPantelleria Telegram; offline users should refresh the PDF timetable each dawn (posted 21 : 00 nightly).

Hiker bonus. Hop off at Laghetto di Venere, climb 5 km fire track to the summit cross of Montagna Grande (836 m, coolest breezes), then descend north side and rejoin the yellow spur at Gadir three hours later—no car shuffle needed.

Need-to-know details
• Route code 240 Giallo “Bragazzi ✱ Venere ✱ Gadir”
• Length 6 km loop • Travel ≈ 26 min incl. dwell
• Summer freq. ≈ 90 min (syncs to every 2nd blue loop)
• First / last (summer) Bragazzi 08 : 53 / 18 : 41 • Winter 09 : 10 / 17 : 20
• Phone +39 0923 911 117 • Delays WhatsApp +39 351 907 1121
• Email [email protected]
• Best for mud-mask selfies, fumarole dips, car-free crater hikes

Fares & Ticket Options

Pantelleria’s buses are designed for drop-in explorers, not monthly commuters, so the fare system is blissfully simple—think coins, QR codes and one all-you-can-ride day-pass. Yet a few insider tricks will spare you standing behind a puzzled queue while the driver fishes for change. Below is everything you need to know—from single stubs to mobile wallets, from caper-farm discount codes to late-night taxibus surcharges.

Base prices. All blue, orange, violet and yellow lines (Loops 100, 220, 230 & 240) share the same €1 .60 flat fare for any trip begun within 90 minutes of validation. Children under one metre ride free; folding prams count as hand luggage. A second tier—€1 .20—covers large dogs (museruola required) and surfboards or SUPs under 2 m when deflated. Anything bulkier must taxi. Lost in an evening crater hamlet? From 21:00–00:30 the on-call taxibus scoops passengers for €3 flat within six kilometres of town; call +39 344 913 1122 and quote your nearest stop code.

Day-pass = best value after two hops. The giornaliero QR pass costs €5 .20 and unlocks unlimited rides until the last published departure (about 22:05 in July–August). If you plan to mud-soak at Specchio di Venere, snorkel at Cala Gadir and zip into the sunset at Scauri, you’ll already be €0.60 ahead after your third boarding. Buy it in three clicks on the free AST Live Sicily app (iOS/Android) or as a credit-card print-out from the wall kiosk beside the Porto ticket window. Scan the rotating QR code under the driver’s barcode gun; listen for the double-beep—one beep means unreadable and the driver will wave you to retry.

Paper tickets & where to snag them. In high season the Porto kiosk (Via Boccadoro 10) churns out 2 000 stubs a day between 07:15 and 13:30. Miss that window and you have options:

Tabacchi with the blue AST “T” badge—Via Dante 42, Via Napoli 7 (next to Il Cappero) and Scauri’s Bar Europa until 20:00.
The driver—coins only, +€0.20 commission, expect queues when beachgoers board en masse at Cala Levante.
Hotel receptions—some accommodations pre-load tickets onto guest bills; ask at check-in.

Validation etiquette. Paper stubs slide into the orange validator just behind the front door; they emerge date-stamped with a faint clunk. Mobile passes show a countdown timer (hh:mm:ss) beside the QR—activate before the driver closes the doors, especially on the Airport shuttle where the ride is shorter than the confusion delay. Inspectors most often board at Specchio di Venere, Khamma Fuori and Scauri Porto; fines start at €35 plus fare, payable on the spot by card or cash.

Multi-day bundles for slow travellers. AST doesn’t sell weekly passes, but two work-arounds exist:

10-ride carnet—€14.40 (tabacchi only). Rip off a numbered stub, validate once per journey. Perfect for a five-day stay with winery evenings.
Contactless wallet top-ups—link a card in the AST Live app, tap “Ricarica” and load €10, €20 or €30 credit. Each scan deducts the correct fare; unused balance refunds (–€2 fee) at the Porto kiosk on departure day.

Discount constellations. Local ID card-holders (IsolaCard) and students score 30 % off singles; that won’t help tourists, but you can piggy-back on seasonal promos. Summer 2025 teams the network with PantelRent: show a valid day-pass at their Via Borgo Italia counter and pocket 5 % off any afternoon scooter hire—ideal if you decide mud baths weren’t enough adrenaline. Meanwhile, the lagoon café at Specchio di Venere knocks €0.30 off espresso for riders flashing the yellow spur ticket. Keep it crumple-free.

Kids, seniors & accessible riders. Under-1-metre tots and guide dogs ride free. Families of four or more save 25 % on a carnet famiglia (request at Porto window, bring passports). Wheelchair users pre-book (+39 0923 911 117) and travel at €1 flat; caregivers ride free on presentation of disability card.

Hidden costs to note. Lost paper stub? Buy another—drivers never re-print. Luggage over 55 × 40 × 20 cm costs €1; pay the driver and get a green baggage sticker. Wine cartons over 18 kg count as two pieces (buses bounce on crater roads). Surfboards longer than 2 m must taxi. Dogs without muzzles risk a €35 fine plus ejection at the next safe stop.

Where every euro goes. Since 2023 AST funnels €0.02 from each ticket into dune-grass and caper-bush restoration along wildfire-scarred Rekhale slopes (18 000 shrubs planted to date). Another €0.01 funds the new solar pergola that powers depot lights and the Bragazzi Live Bus screen. So your day-pass not only skips parking stress but also greens the lava landscape you came to photograph.

Final cheat-sheet.
• Single ride €1 .60 (90 min validity) • Day-pass €5 .20 (unlimited until last bus)
• 10-ride carnet €14 .40 • Luggage / dog €1 • Taxibus €3 (21:00-00:30)
• Buy AST Live app, Porto kiosk, tabacchi, driver (coins)
• Validate orange validator (paper) or QR scan (app)
• Inspectors Specchio di Venere, Khamma Fuori, Scauri Porto

Master these basics and you’ll swap traffic, fuel bills and parking summons for cliff-top selfies, mud-mask giggles and an island soundtrack of cicadas instead of engine revs—proof that on Pantelleria, the cheapest ride often delivers the richest memories.

Pantelleria Bus Guide