Italy boasts around 450 beautiful islands – but one has recently been attracting attention for its balmy May weather and glorious wine. Pantelleria, also known as the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean, is located between Sicily and Tunisia and according to visitors is a destination that UK holidaymakers should not overlook.

The island boasts rich history, beautiful landscapes and a vibrant culture. It’s also famed for producing incredible wine,  is home to many vineyards and boasts its own traditional vine cultivation technique that’s been passed down generations. In fact, the method known as vite ad alberello was the first agricultural practice to be recognised by UNESCO.

The island experiences lovely weather in May, with the average temperatures hitting a maximum of 26C. 

The best way to explore the island is on foot and according to Sicily’s tourism board to explore Pantelleria’s “secrets”, visitors should take a hike through the countryside.

When exploring the areas, travellers will come across various gems, including beautiful gardens, archaeological sites and submerged historical areas that can be explored through diving.

Additionally, the island’s famous landmark, Arch of the Elephant, located on the eastern coast, is also a must visit. The rocky formation that resembles an elephant’s trunk, spans from the island’s cliffs to the sea and is one of Pantelleria’s main tourist sites and most photographed attraction.

One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor said that the natural arch “is a must for all Pantelleria travellers”.

While the island isn’t home to any sandy beaches, its coastline does boast cliffs, rocky creeks and plenty of underwater caves which makes it rather unique. There are also plenty of opportunities to relax by one of Pantelleria’s many lakes.

Specchio di Venere, which translates to Venus’s Mirror, is one of the most prominent lakes on the island. It is the perfect spot for those wanting a tranquil escape. At the enchanting site, visitors can take baths and mud baths in the natural pools that reach temperatures of 50C.

Rated 4.6 stars on TripAdvisor, one person said: “Beautiful, relaxing, entertaining…a different day in the water… and your skin is so smooth when you get out of the thermal waters!!”

Another said: “I was pleasantly surprised by the scenic value of this location. The mud baths, the tepid waters, the lush vegetation and the very good trattoria in the vicinity. A must for any traveller to Pantelleria.”

There’s nothing like drinking a cool, refreshing pint – especially when you’re on holiday.

After all, an alcoholic beverage always tastes better when you’re in the sun. One man, named Harry, went out to try and find the cheapest bar in Benidorm, and he thinks he may have found it – or at least one of the cheapest.

When he ordered a pint at the bar he couldn’t get over how reasonable it was. In a candid video, the TikTok creator, known as Harry Tokky, said he found a spot that is serving up pints in Spain for as little as around 85p.

Punters can snap up beer for only €1, and he couldn’t believe how cheap it was. Visiting Uncle Ron’s, he said he thought it was an “absolute bargain”.

Harry said you can also bag a €1 glass of wine, if this is your preferred tipple. If you’re looking for booze on a budget while on vacation, he said it’s the place to go.

Since the video was shared, people have had all sorts of thoughts. Their reactions were quite different, and they shared many varied views.

One said: “Who doesn’t love a €1 pint?” Another added: “Pints in Benidorm are cheaper than water.”

A third replied: “Absolutely beautiful people in Uncle Ron’s and great food. There was six of us last week – everyone was very happy.”

Some did quesition what the booze tasted like for the price, but one person offered a potential answer in the comments. They replied: “It’s the same lager as you pay €3 or €4 in another bar, but Uncle Ron’s work on volume.”

Most people seemed pretty happy with the price though, as they recounted their memories in Benidorm. It looks as though some may be keen to try it out.

Uncle Ron’s is located on Calle Londres, Benidorm, and it seems to be a popular spot for tourists. On Trip Advisor it has an average rating of 3.9/5, and people have written lots of reviews about the bar.

Visitors can also snap up breakfast, lunch and dinner at the venue, and people opened up about their experiences there. Many seemed to be quite impressed.

One happy customer wrote: “Had a fantastic breakfast at Ron’s today. Lovely English products. Great service. Brilliant staff. A massive group came in but they were serviced promptly. Don’t know how they manage with so few staff.”

Another wrote: “Last day we visited for some lunch before heading to airport – left full which is always a good thing. In all my times of going here never left unhappy at the service nor the food – always really good.”

A third also added: “We went many times during our two-week holiday. The staff are friendly and extremely hard working day and night. Cheapest drinks you will find in town and food to suit everyone (daily deal only €6).

“It’s not a stylish 5* restaurant, but then you wouldn’t expect it. For drinks just go to the bar like a normal bar. Always busy Sunday and Friday so expect to book if you want a Sunday lunch. Would we go again? Certainly would!”

An overtourism protester has delivered a chilling warning to travellers heading to Spain, Italy, France and Portugal this summer. Elena Boschi said protest groups want tourists to be afraid of the backlash against soaring tourist numbers among locals. She told the Mirror: “We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear there is no change.”

Ms Boschi, 46, from Genoa, Italy, added: “Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out.” Fellow activist, Daniel Pardo, told the publication demonstrations at airports are a possibility. He added: “It is difficult to say because each territory will decide how they want to take action. There is no one set strategy.”

In Spain, marches are set to be held on the Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza, as well as in Barcelona on the mainland.

The campaigners were speaking at a three-day meeting of protesters from groups across southern Europe who together form an umbrella organisation called SET European Network Against Touristification.

They are calling for an end to “predatory tourism” which they allege leaves locals unable to afford to buy or rent property in holiday hotspots and damages the environment.

While some protesters wanted to scare tourists, others were keen to say they weren’t against visitors, but opposed cities and regions no longer being nice places for locals to live in when overrun.

One person at the summit, who didn’t want to be named, said people need to consider how it would feel like if it were happening in their hometown.

They added: “We’re not interested in scaring anyone. It’s just about being mindful of the impact tourism can have on local communities.”

Last year, the estimated number of tourist overnight stays in the European Union hit 2.99 billion, an increase of 53.4 million on 2023, according to Eurostat. The rise was mostly accounted for by international travellers.

Numbers plummeted when coronavirus halted tourism, with countries imposing strict travel bans at the height of the pandemic. But tourism has surged since restrictions were eased.

But while the tourism industry has welcomed the tourists’ return, locals in holiday hotspots such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Barcelona have taken to the streets in protest.

Over 150,000 protesters joined a march in Madrid this month, according to a local tenants’ union, and the Majorcan capital Palma saw more than 50,000 join demonstrations, warning “Majorca is not for sale”.

Some destinations have imposed tourist taxes or started to charge day-trippers entry. This includes Venice which levies an arrivals tax in an attempt to combat overtourism.

Visitors who download a QR code at least three days in advance pay just over £4 (five euros) — the same rate charged when the scheme was piloted last year. People who make last-minute plans to enter the historic canal city have to pay double.

Venice made just over £2million (2.4m euros) during 2024’s pilot programc, but running costs for the new system ran to £2.3m (2.7m euros).

Tourism officials project a surplus of about £856,000 to £1.3m (1m to 1.5m euros) this year, which will be used to offset the cost of bin collections and other services for Venetians.