Inspired

 

our.duster.life

#hotpool #hotsprings #hotpot#iceland #exploreiceland#westfjords#outdoorlovers #icelandinspired #bath #chill#cheekyexploits #butts#buttsofinstagram

The soaking opportunities in raw nature don't come more wintery than in Iceland. And compelled by a never ending backlog of captured and stored photo's, I really really need to bore my readers with pushing these fire and ice acts. 

Bear with me will you?

Staying northwest (as above) a couple more from the Westfjords:

A VERY WESTFJORDS WINTER:

One of the most frequently asked questions from our guests is “What do you do during the winter?”. Yes, it’s true, tourism sees a sudden decrease during the winter months (and autumn, and spring!). But that doesn’t mean that we pack up and head for the hot tubs for 9 months, although an occasional visit is a must.

likealocaltravel

In Iceland it’s not free the nipple, it’s freeze the nipple❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️Had a lovely little skinny dip while enjoying the snow, will have a blog post detailing how to get to this epic little (free!) hot spring soon xx

On the verge of the northwest Landbrotalaug (above and below) while the northwest is covered by the hot spring of Nauteyrarlaug.

 

versaatchiii

#wheniniceland #girlgottaswim

libbymarch

beers & skinny dipping at a secret hotpot: full magic. somewhere, vestfirðir, ísland, 11.9.17.#iceland #ísland #westfjords #vestfirðir#hotspring #neverstopexploring #lovethewild #vsco #getoutthere #optoutside

Covered

merissasmith

Not a bad spot to stop for a swim 🇮🇸❄️👌#iceland #hotsprings

Southern soaks still as hot in winter. Well slightly less hot ...
Starting off with Seljavallalaug above and following. And then Hrunulaug.

jackieo528

Skinny dipping in a hot spring pool, under snow covered mountains, in the rain...This is life💜🌍✌🏻️ #JackieThings #Iceland

andrea.diis

#enjoylife #livinginiceland #niceland #home #tattoo #girlstrip#hotspring #66north #beautiful #country #beingblessed #njóttu #gooutside#exploring

getyourassintonature

“It was frigid outside with intermittent snow flurries, and there were so. many. tourists. I stripped down anyhow, because when else am I going to be in the middle of a geothermal-heated river somewhere in Iceland? A sweet French woman saw what we were doing, decided we were her people, and came to share our pool and her beer with us. This odd obsession has been sowed in me. I see nature, I want to be naked in it.” // #getyourassintonature

Reykjadalur (pictured above and following) another beautiful natural soaking site may be slightly more difficult to reach (on foot) during winter.

hollyfuckingangel

#hotsprings #reykjadalur #nyknicks #nude #nyknickshat#sexylatviangirl #latviangirl #happyhippo #swimmer for him #unhappysingleThe name Reykjadalur litterally means ,,Steamy Valley“ so anyone looking for hot springs should not be disappointed with this location. Reykjadalur is located in the south of Iceland near the town of Hveragerði, a town built on a geothermal hot spot, and around the town are hiking paths which show you the very best of the area. These hot streams are a hiker’s paradise!

Over on the tumblr of Icelandnaturist there are a couple of original posts of what (s)he names are a secret place. Been there, done that. Visit the site for more:

Some places are better enjoyed with likeminded friends #naturism #befree #skinnydipping #secretplace #hotspringsiceland

Gold 

puragringa

Day 2 in #Iceland with these babes. The difficult and exhausting cross island drive was worth it for this moment. #hotsprings #mountains #naked#islandlife#icelandicliving

A few picca's from Grettislaug above and following.

r.e.n.a.r.d.o.r

s k i n#iceland #foxontherun #gayiceland #wanderlust #instagay #bnw #blackandwhite #reykjavik #grettislaug #narcissisticartyfarty #gay #gayiceland

ash_foo

Drove though the clouds, up in the highlands to find this gem all to ourselves 🇮🇸 #Iceland2017 #geothermalpool

edgarallanho

Golden girls

Moved north above the remote Askja, following Fosslaug.

agapevisuals

One of our favorite things about #Iceland were the natural #hotpots. This one wasn't as hot as the others we found, but the views couldn't be beat! Only a few steps #downstream from #Fosslaug was a rushing #waterfall (see next post).

As Romans?

blancapalanca

Mi primer sarcófago 😱😱😱

Slightly off topic, I would like to share with you my thoughts on Fikret Yegül's Bathing in the Roman World.

So, what's antiquities bathing got to do with current soaking in Europe?

A lot.

On this blog we have already seen postings on Bath (Great Brittian), Bande (Spain, see photo above) and of course Viterbo (Italy), all of which at some place of time were highly visited and / or used during Roman rule. 
And as past civilizations come, the Romans were top soakers. Roman use of naturally heated waters has left it's traces all over Europe and the Mediterranean countries.

The author starts by drawing comparisons between cultures with significant experience with bathing such as  the Turkish (hammam), the Japanese (onsen), the Finnish (sauna) and even modern day US (?) hottubbing as having much, if not many characteristics similar to that of the Romans: bathing as a social / cultural experience rather than one solely focused on hygiene. 

Of course this could be expanded by say Bhutanese hot rock baths, or Mexican sweat lodges; more of the same, but with the common denotation that simple bathing can entail more, even with religious characteristics such as in Jewish baths.

And though the western US hottubbing culture might capture these characteristics, after reading I believe that the Roman bathing culture was as much a sign of wealth and superiority of their culture (and rule).

In Roman times, bathing become so popular that it was considered a cornerstone of daily life: work was for the morn, bathing (and relaxing) for in the afternoon. We're still some way off this ...

Illusion

The author describes many aspects concerned with bathing during the Roman era. Excessively concerning architecture (his expertise), though also on many of the other aspects of the bathing process of Roman times. 

Interesting is the chapter on ethical and moral concerns. 
Surprisingly quite a bit of this critique could be regarded as just as common towards current day bathing. 
The opulent bathing buildings conflicted with the urge of simplicity (making society weak?), the social focal point encouraged gossip and a visit could coincide with an elicit rendez-vous, to name a few.

However bathing was considered a ritual which broke down social classes:

'The Roman bath was, indeed, an ideal institution with which to create an illusion of a classless society - one where wise and foolish, rich and poor, privileged and underdog could be together and enjoy the benefits by the Roman system'.

This could just as well be said concerning using our nudist beaches or visiting remote hot springs: in the end we all look alike and there's little way to distinguish ourselves despite all our material wealth.

Tracing

It's interesting to trace the origins of Roman baths which could be ascribed to Greek culture (as close as Sicily) where less elaborate baths were common place and had a role in the Greek warrior tradition where gymnasia encouraged fighting and battle skills. 

However other trains of thought point to the already established rural Italian tradition of taking steam baths where a good sweat attributed certain health benefits.  As certain farms grew, so did the idea to have separate sweat rooms whereby the tradition of medicinal benefits progressed to that of being to sweat  for recreational purposes. 

Yet another view put forward notes the origins of the Roman bath coming from the area surrounding Naples where hot springs were / are proficient and gradually the natural waters there, were exploited for ever more larger bathing complexes. 

Eventually the author notes that it was maybe a combination of mentioned origins that saw the ascendancy of the thermal bath in the Roman empire. 

Size
Besides the being the cultural and social center point of Roman life, some of the complexes were larger than life. Even nowadays, tourists are enthralled at the immensity of say Caracalla in Rome (following).

At the same time, Romans managed to take their culture with them. I've seen Roman bath remains in Morocco, in Galicia and at Bath to a name a few of the empire's outposts. 

The enormity of heating huge amounts of water was a technique ahead of it's time, as were the long channels to bring in the water to the Roman capital. 
This huge demand on resources was also which lead to the demise of the bathing practices. As central Roman rule waned, so did the availability to the resources itself as well as the ability to finance the upkeep of the bath buildings as well as the water channels. 

Following
Finally the author describes what followed on from the Europe ruled Pax Romana (in essence Christianity) which distanced itself from it's predecessor by denouncing public bathing as a source of promiscuity.

And though there was a brief revival of public bathing towards the 13th century, medieval culture firmly put bathing in the negative. Though it no doubt fit with Christianity becoming ever more moralistic, it could well be that the existence of the plague did little to help. 
It's only when both are on the wane that public bathing and the (economic / social) lore of developing both thermal and/or mineral baths became more popular that we see the establishment of the 19th century bathing complexes.

Are these and their modern day copies (think Therme Erding) then the logical continuation of Roman bathing? 

Yes, in architectural sense. 

However in their ability to replicate the culture, I believe that a soak at one of the few remaining rustic hot springs has more in common with our ancient soaking friends.

gloria_travels at the Roman thermal baths of Benetutti, Sardinia:

What could you do on the east coast of Sardinia, a rainy and cold day? Sources d'eau chaude de Benetutti, un vrai bonheur, et encore gratuit !!! Not easy to find as you have to walk through the fields, cows and goats before to find the ruins where the hot springs are hidden.sooooo hot!!!

Note:

Fikret Yegül (2010) Bathing in the Roman World. Cambridge University Press, New York, U.S.A.

Warm

al.lloveras

Bain naturel de st. Thomas - Pyrénées-Orientales. #pirineus #instapirineos#frança #fontromeu #banys #banysnaturals#termes #termesnaturals #termal #relax#minivacances

Winter is yet again upon us. Following are a few enlightenments on Europe's wintry soaks. Freezing limbs from the cold, meeting the heat. The result: extreme tingling. 

definatalie_travelling from Austria's Maibacherl, but also in winter (?)

Whhhaaat hot springs in the middle of a forest? Ohh yes... it's a very magical and energetic place and forest 🌲💦🌳❄️ when I was a child my mother took us here every time when the creek was active ... ❤️thermal hot spings in Warmbad Austria ❤️thank you @manuelbierbaumer for taking the pic 😘 #austria #warmbad #villach#maibacherl #austrianblogger #forest#hotsprings #creek #termalwater#magicalplace #sonyalpha6000 #snow#magicalmoments #lovethis #fog#travelphotography #photography

leonhotelart at Tuscany's Terme di Petriolo

#boží #prirodnilazne #petriolo #40°C #italy #tuscany #february #naturalhotsprings #thermalbath #blonde #blondgirl #tattoo #tattoogirl #goodlife #goodvibes #createyourownlife

On top

matthewhahnel

Paradise by the beach. Nice to have a hot bath amongst the frozen landscape 🔥

Just a couple of possible examples from the never ending sources from Iceland. Winter soaks work as well.

lien_heart at Reyklaladur

The 3.7 km hike up a snowy mountain was totally worth it. #i❤iceland #hotsprings #mountains # hike #snow #yolo #ontopoftheworld #adventure #wanderlust

lorellamich

One of the best experiences ever 🇮🇸 #Iceland #geothermalbath #krosslaug #naturalpool #42degrees

Nono 

fabian_lentsch

Natural spa in Greece 👌🏽😄 #snowmads🇬🇷 #analog #nohomo #afterski #tb

Above the Greek hot spring of Thermopyles, below a diptych from Andalusia, then over to Armenia.

 

almuzenit at Termas de Santa Fe

8wheels.blog

After visiting the partly frozen waterfall of Jermuk we walked half an hour through the snow to this Geysir. People are writing it is a hot spring with temperatures around 50-60 degrees Celsius. Well, unfortunately it is only around 30 degrees Celsius at the end of November. Obviously, that didn't stop us from getting in. But then suddenly the water floating the pool became more and more and the whole pool started to move beyond us. Volcano saying "hi" we guess. Bathing at 2025 meters. #snow #geysir #naturalpool #hotsprings#jermuk #armenia #8wheelsblog #2000#november #vanlife #volcano #travel#bathing

And finishing off, where we started (lead photo) back in France at the thermal springs of St. Thomas.

sonnrie

Young & wild & free

Fabled

This would be the final posting on Pantelleria's soaks, at least that's the intention.

All three remaining "soaks" are located on the west coast of Pantelleria. 
Starting north to south, heading out of Pantelleria village proper (well maybe it's a town) the first hot spring is that of Saturia, about half way down the west coast. 

The background concerning this soak is special. Viverepantelleria.it on Sataria:

'Legend has it that here is where Ulysses and Calypso loved eachother'.

Papuscia.com : 

'Recent studies have identified the cave as Homer’s ‘Calypso’s cave’ on the island of Ogygia'.

The context (Wikipedia):

'Calypso is remembered the most for her role in Homer's Odyssey, in which she attempts to keep the fabled Greek hero Odysseus on her island to make him her immortal husband. According to Homer, Calypso kept Odysseus prisoner at Ogygia for seven years,^[6] while Apollodorus says five years^[7] and Hyginus says one.^[8] Calypso enchants Odysseus with her singing as she moves to and from, weaving on her loom with a golden shuttle. During this time they have sex together, although Odysseus soon comes to wish for circumstances to change'.

Overlooked
Sataria doesn't see much traffic in the sense of soakers apparently; there are at least very few parking spaces directly available on the perimentale road. Possibly a mismatch?

From these parking spaces it's down a long line of concrete stairs and you arrive at what at first looks like a tidal pool. But in the cliff side itself is a cave with what was presumably once a grander bathing affair complete with a booth for a ticket seller / life saver (?). See below:

 

A description of what to expect: the Rough Guide to Sicily (2017):

'... Sataria, where concrete steps lead down to a tiny square-cut sea-pool, ideal for splashing around in. In the cave behind are more pools where warm water bubbles through, reputed to be good for curing rheumatism and skin diseases: a handful of people can usually be found jumping from pools to sea. There’s room on the concrete apron around the pool to lay out a towel, and it’s the only place for kilometres around with any shade – a nice place to eat your picnic'.

Viverepantelleria.it on Sataria:

'Sataria's thermal springs are found to the south-west along the perimetral road. Located in a little creek and hidden in a beautiful cave, it is one of the most interesting spots on the island. 
... 
Here you will find pools of curative spring water that soothe arthritis and rheumatisms and you will be able to pass the whole day freely enjoying the beneficial effects of its waters'.

Papuscia.com :

'A natural cave by the sea, Grotta di Sateria offers three easily accessible covered pools, into which hot springs flow at a temperature of around 40°C'.

Shameless
We venture on. 
On the far (and dark) side of the cave are a few pools from which the thermal waters emit. 
Alas, as I hadn't had the fortune to be blessed by the weather gods on my island visit, again the sea was in a sorry state and during the night it had flooded the entire cave, so the available waters were coolish and even the hotter pool was jam packed with seaweed. 

No one around though to spoil good dip, but if I had wanted to enter the tidal pool, I was in serious contention to be sucked out to sea.

Tripadvisor does have an entry on Sataria:

#3 of 3 Spas & Wellness in Pantelleria 

Based on 2 reviews (in Italian) it rates Sataria with 3 stars. One translation (ouch):

'I speak of a state of abandonment resounding with filth and stench of pee. It looks like a homeless dormitory. SHAME ON YOU'.

More info from the Pantelleriaguide website:

'The Sateria name comes from the Greek "Soterìa" and means a health cave'.  

Under sail
Heading further down the coast there is a hot spring in the port of the village of Scauri. 
I had asked around, but no one knew for sure where it was, so I decided not to scout the whole port area for what would have been an elaborate quest. 
It's there. 
There are a few references with little guidance, f.i. the earlier mentioned ViverePantelleria.

A couple hundred meters down from the port near La Vela restaurant, right under the cliff of Scauri village itself, is another minor (?) hot spring. 
Well, it was warm but not much flow. Nor much space. And tides washing in. A collectors item? 
Interesting though are the Byzantine ruins on the cliffs directly bordering the shorelined rocks (and hot spring). See Italian website visitpantelleria.

The location is also a foodies haven. La Vela is nice enough, higher up on the cliff La Nicchia is termed as the island's best (we beg to disagree) while next to the port is Altamarea,  another delight. 
Rough Guide on this hot spring:

'Scauri Porto is a wonderful place to while away summer days, with good swimming in the harbour, and two tiny hot pools just along the coast (5 min walk from la Vela)'.

Vain

View northwards towards Lago di Venere from beyond Bugeber

The geothermal gem of the Italian Pantelleria is not at all located on it's coast where many of her hot springs are to be found, but inland in a former crater. 
And here, it's not necessarily the hot springs which are it's unique selling point. It's the setting, the hot springs just play a supporting roll. 

The near perfect circular inner cone is filled with milky waters and surrounded by greenery. Coming from the interior of the island, you'll see this setting with the backdrop of the Mediterranean behind it, a sight to see (above). 

Besides the setting, an added attraction of this site is the ability to offer visitors a near windless experience; Pantelleria is prone to winds such that the local economy has specialised in crops which stay low. Capers, creeping varieties of grapes and olives to name a few. Or using rock enclosures to make windless so-called Arabic Gardens. 
The distinct agriculture certainly adds to Pantelleria being a destination for foodies.

So on the many days with winds, the tourists flock to the lake to enjoy the sun and to swim. But they also lather themselves with mud and rinse this in the lake followed by a soak right on top of the many vents which are situated along the shore line. 

The lake is known as Lago di Venere (which translates as Lake of Venus) though also coined as Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus). Siciliamo (Jan. 4, 2011) explains: 

'Like so much of Sicily, Lago di Venere is the site of an ancient classical Greek legend  
...
The legend behind this place is that as the water was so strikingly blue and clear in its colour, it was used as the vanity mirror by the goddess of love, Venus.  She especially liked to compare the beauty of her reflection in the lake with that of her rival Psyche'. 

Sparkles
The crater in which the lake is situated is roughly 50-200m in depth while the circumference of the lake is somewhere around 1500m. The Lago is largely shallow, though the depth is noted to reach 12m. Despite the mountainous surroundings the lake itself is only just above sea level so seawater seepage is helping in adding to the salinity.

The shape of the lake could be circular, others would say oval, while a third train of thought prefers heart shaped. Suppose it's dependent on the level of the water.  

The shores are hardened mud, while just within the waterline mud depths can be considerable. Wading in to the water you might sink half a meter might into the mud.

tripsfoodandlove 

Sunny days at the paradise 🌴#lagodivenere#pantelleria#hotwater#naturalspa#isoladipantelleria#magnificnature

#volcanwater#pantelleriaisolamagica#thankyounature#wellness#naturalwellness

 #thermalbaths#thermalpool#tripsfoodandlove#coupletime#coupletrip#coupleadventures

The hot springs are located at the least accessible (though still a short stroll from parking areas) southern part of the lake and lie at a shallow depth just within the shore line. 
Finding them is obvious.  
The springs (40-50°C) are surrounded by collections of smaller rocks which act as an windbreak and contain the waters creating a heated pool. See the photo above.

More background can be found on this Italian website (with characteristics such as chemical composition etc.) of all Pantescan hot spring sites, a great find.

In contrast to other Pantescan attractions there's quite some info on Lago di Venere and it's hot springs. Viverepantelleria:

'Bugeber's Lake (or, Specchio di Venere – Venus' Mirror) is one of the jewels of the island. Its water sparkles like a light blue and green gemstone amidst a typical lush vegetation of endemic plants. Its waters occupy the crater of an extinguished volcano.
The residues of this volcanic activity heat the waters of what is now the most known and visited of the thermal springs of the island. The water of the lake is rich with soda, it is perfect for a healthy peeling of the skin. The temperature is very high and in some places bubbles may be seen on the surface. Mud to spread on the skin is found in these hottest places when the tide withdraws'.

Magoguide (2016):

'The Lake of Venus is a saline endoreic lake. That means it’s a lake where the water doesn’t flow out through an outlet but simply evaporates leaving behind all sorts of chemical deposits. Although it is fed to some extent through rainfall, this lake is primarily filled by a series of hot springs (as high as 132F or 56C) located on the South side. Because the underlying structure of the lake is pouris and very near sea level, sea water also seeps in and contributes to its salinity'.

Translated from gogotherme:

'The presence of thermophilous algae, which is resistant to high thermal water spring temperatures, is essential for the formation of the precious black-green-colored mud which, due to its intense concentration of sulfur, is spread on the skin by tourists for aesthetic purposes ( natural scrub)'.

Schweinerei
Lakeside slash soakside is quite a vibrant place even though either visitors are occupied with the more mundane activities such as lumbering in the springs or mud drying on the shore.

Tripadvisor surprisingly concludes that it's both no. 1 (rated 4.5 stars from 764 reviews, >90% Italian) and no. 2 (4.5 stars from 274 reviews, >90% Italian) of things to do on Pantelleria, not recognizing that the slight differentiations in name actually concern the same site.  

Some first hand experiences. From a year ago from girlastray:

'The Lago di Venere (“Lake of Venus”) is probably the most stunning of the all natural wonders to be found here, with its salty hot waters shining a surprising shade of blue when the sun rises over it. Here, you can not only bath but also cover your skin with soft black mud, famous for its healing effect on eczematic skin. If you are a traveler with a nasty case of atopic eczema as myself, you will be happy to spend hours and days here! I felt like the world´s happiest pig rolling in this magical black mud just to see my skin get softer and smoother even after the first bath. Really, I can´t even think of enough praise words to describe the benefits of the mud although at first, it might feel strange to spread it all over yourself, taking into account the sulphuric smell rising from the springs! Sulphur contained in water, however, is just as fit to cure skin diseases as the mud itself. Thermal springs are also known for being a good cure to rheumatism'.

Note the rocks along the shore: between lie the thermal springs with soakers in action.

The Daily Telegraph (11 Feb. 2016):

'But if that doesn’t sound too appealing, think again, as the Specchio di Venere (“Mirror of Venus”) – a heart-shaped lake in a volcanic crater, fed by rainwater and hot springs, and of a colour that modulates from emerald to aquamarine to turquoise to deep blue – is both luxuriously self-indulgent and gratifyingly therapeutic. Slather on the mineral-rich mud, rinse off with a swim to the centre, and emerge, regenerated, with skin like velvet. Bring some water with you, and be aware that there’s no shade. Early mornings and evenings are the most atmospheric times (and the locals recommend a nocturnal dip under the full moon)'.

 Siciliamo (continued):

'People bathe in the lake and sometimes exfoliate themselves with the thermal mud as a beauty treatment while others swear by the healing powers of the lake.  My experience amazingly corresponded with this.  A week earlier I had a minor motor scooter accident on another Sicilian island, Ustica, off the coast of Palermo.  While I was largely unhurt, the accident left deep gashes and cuts to my leg.  I immersed myself in Lake Venus the day I arrived in Pantelleria and covered my skin with the volcanic mud that is to be found on one side of the shore.  After an hour or so, I stood up to walk further into the lake in order to wash off the mud.  When I returned to shore I noticed the scars and the deep cuts on my leg had almost healed.  Where there had once been a deep scar and crusty surface before, now there was a small mark that resembled an old wound that had almost healed.  It was almost as if my accident had occurred three months earlier and my scar had all but healed. I don't know what are the chemical properties that make up the thermal mud found in Lago Specchio di Venere, but I am sure that if a company had the rights to bottle and sell the mud, they would be sitting on the rights to "The Fountain of Youth".  I know I would buy a lifetime's supply - and maybe more!  In fact, I am sure there must be a natural cosmetic beauty company doing this now.  I will research and report back to the Blog.  Stay tuned future immortals'.

Magoguide (continued):

'This lake is hugely popular with locals and tourists alike. It’s the only place on the island with a soft, white, sandy beach. On a windy or cool day when it’s impractical to go to the shore areas for bathing, the beaches on the lake can get packed. And it’s not unusual to see folks slathering on the mud from the lake which is thought to have therapeutic value. Madonna did it.

Dedicated
As it's a very special place, we ended up coming here more often. As said, there's little wind, warmer waters, soaking and it's an easy circular walk around the Lago. Enough to occupy yourself for a couple of hours.

A typical visit would entail a swim followed up by slathering on mud, letting this dry, rinse and soak. The amounts of mud seem unlimited. The shore line provides ample sunbath space (maybe too much = there's no shade) though concerning the soaking possibilities these require a bit more planning. 
The hot springs are not deep, so for a good soak one lies down which means space is at a premium. However note that the springs are very localised, so you'll have a cool head, a burnt back, frigid thighs, while you toes have turned red.

The Lago di Venere forms part of Riserva Naturale Orientata which is part of the province of Trapani Nature Reserve:

'The Mirror of Venus is frequented by a lot of water fowls such as Ducks, Limicolous, different species of Herons and Flamingos. Sometimes you can also find Great crested grebe, Cranes, Storks and Spoonbill, recognizable by their peculiar peak. The Blue tit is an endemic species of the island. You can see it near the Montagna Grande'.

It also explains the lack of development and thus the more or less pristine nature of the lake itself. Let's hope that tourism is regulated such as to not threaten nature itself. 
On a side note, on the occasions we were here, there were hardly any birds to be seen.

Magoguide (continued) notes that there's more to the surroundings:

'In recent years there have been archeology excavations near the lake, unearthing a temple along the Northeast shore of the lake possibly built as early as the 9th century BC by the Phoenicians (Morgan thinks to the Phoenician goddess Astarte) and later taken over by the Romans and dedicated to Venus. Pretty cool'.

As said the area lends itself as a good base for walking. A stroll around the lake is little effort while extending this with walking a trail over the crater lip requires more effort, but deems better rewards.

Heading towards the coast one can pick up on trails surrounding Punta Spadillo, whereby one can for instance visit the Museo Vulcanologico, a museum dedicated to the geological past of the island as well as the role it played during WW II (on the front line).  
Tripadvisor puts a visit to the museum as no. 18 of 27 of things to do on Pantelleria awarding it 4.5 stars based on 27 reviews, none of which are English. We found it an interesting break.

Head inland there's a beautiful track heading up to the village of Bugeber from where one can continue inland into the mountainous and forested interior of Pantelleria with more challenging trails, for hours of rambling.

Magoguide describes another walk, the website has good map material:

'One of our favorite hikes on the island follows an ancient path that can be reached along the Northeast shore. Just follow the shore with the lake on your left and you’ll see signs towards Gelfiser right after the beach ends. Although it’s a long, uphill climb, the views of the Gelfiser lava flow are beautiful. You eventually descend into a little valley that has yet more WWII barracks and guard stations, strategically placed to protect the airport which isn’t far away. If you keep following the path, you’ll see signs on your left that point you towards the Gelfiser lava flow that you can crawl all over if you like'.

Other info I've been able to delve up: there are (annual) horse races which are held every August and concern racing around the lake.

Sense of belonging
As could be imagined, bathing in mud in swimmers is in itself not too bad, however rinsing somehow is less effective: you'll be carrying amounts with you until you can have a thorough shower. Brasher bathers here though, will remove their fig leaves or (discreetly)  be observed not to be bothered with using clothes in the first place. 
Did we know that the local government wants to be more tolerant? We did: infonaturista has this to add from 2015 which can be verified from other Italian websites:

'The mayor of Pantelleria, Salvatore Gabriele revoked the order of 17 July 1982 signed by his predecessor Giovanni Petrillo.
The order prohibited not only nude, but topless, describing in offensive bare breasts of women. In the new order, the mayor Gabriele writes: "Given that the island is the destination of international tourist flows, expressions of different cultures and nationalities, with different lifestyles, this Administration finds of considerable interest in the island of Pantelleria, ensure that all the plurality and respect for their choices, by virtue of a tradition of openness and international tourists now consolidated, without fences and unlikely taboos of all kinds.
The island belongs to the world.
The civic sense of the people makes the difference." says the Mayor Gabriel - "I intervened because this was an ordinance discriminatory".

Naturisimosicilia pictures the lake itself when discussing skinnydipping opportunities on the island, though does not mention the Lago itself. It does seem that such a line of thought just exemplifies the spirit of Pantelleria.