Panarea is the second smallest ( after Basiluzzo ) of the main Aeolian Islands. It has a total surface area of only 3.4 km². In antiquity, the island was named "Euonymus"; the nearby islet of Basiluzzo, administratively attached to Panarea, was named "Hycesia". There is archaeological evidence on the island dating back to Mycenaean inhabitants (~ 1200 BC ), and the island was settled by Romans. There were people still living on the island until pirates and other Mediterranean raiders made life unbearable after the Fall of Rome. The island is an ancient, inactive volcano. The highest point on the island, Punta del Corvo, is 421 meters above sea level. There are thermal springs near the village of Punta di Peppe e Maria. Scuba diving is a popular excursion on this tiny island, and you can even swim to a shipwreck between the offshore rocks of Lisca Bianca and Bottaro. There are currently about 280 residents living on the island year-round; however, with the arrival of summer holidaymakers the population increases dramatically, if temporarily.