We had come upon the semi-enclosed cove by boat after passing through a rocky tunnel. Emerging into the craggy grotto felt nothing short of miraculous, with the sun beaming angelic rays of light all around us as if by design. My friend and I dove into the water, so enthused we forgot to consider its frigid temperature.

It was one of those moments I knew instantly would register as a capital C, capital M Core Memory. For any of us who have chartered a boat from one of Italy’s most visited islands to a nearby uninhabited one, this tableau is likely familiar. In fact, it’s one you may have experienced summer after summer, craving that distinct pleasure of surfacing in a body of water largely untouched by human life.