Aeolian Islands

Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands and perhaps the best balance of scenery, fun and comfort. It feels like a small town: wild, unspoilt beaches, but also art, culture and nightlife. The bay of Marina Corta is lined with local bars and restaurants, often with live music.

The island is easy to get around by car or scooter, but to really live its rhythm we recommend a bicycle. Like all the Aeolian Islands it is volcanic: high, jagged coasts, caves, sea stacks and lava rocks. Don’t miss the viewpoints of Monte Sant’Angelo, Monte Chirica and Monte Mazzacaruso.

Lipari is separated from Vulcano by a strait about half a mile wide, the Bocche di Vulcano.

Panarea is the smallest of the Aeolian Islands and one of the best loved: a natural jewel that has charmed artists, writers and designers, and in summer the most fashionable island of the archipelago.

It offers the perfect mix of unspoilt nature, culture and nightlife. It is an island to enjoy by sailing boat, to make the most of its coastline, coves and crystal-clear sea.

Vulcano is the Aeolian island closest to Sicily. Formed by four volcanoes (Lentia, Piano, Vulcanello and the Fossa), at about 21 km² it is the third largest island of the archipelago.

Together with Stromboli it is one of the most fascinating places to see volcanic activity up close: the Gran Cratere della Fossa is the only crater still active, and the walk to its rim is unforgettable. Volcanic activity has given the island a beautiful sea and beaches, starting with the famous black-sand beach, the Sabbie Nere.

Here people and nature have lived in balance for centuries, and you can still enjoy the hot springs and sulphur mud baths in an authentic setting.

Stromboli is the most extraordinary of the Aeolian Islands. The ancients called it Strongyle, “the round one”, for its almost perfectly circular shape. Its volcano, about 920 metres high, is one of the few in the world in almost continuous activity, which is why in ancient times the island was known as the Lighthouse of the Tyrrhenian.

Lava flows down to the sea along the Sciara del Fuoco, a sight to watch at night from the deck of a catamaran. The villages are few and small, from Stromboli town to the tiny hamlet of Ginostra.

The island became world-famous with the film shot by Roberto Rossellini with Ingrid Bergman in the late 1940s. About a mile offshore rises Strombolicchio, a 56-metre rock topped by a lighthouse that still works.

Salina is the second largest Aeolian island after Lipari and is divided into three municipalities: Malfa, Leni and Santa Marina.

The ancients called it Didyme, “the twin”, after the two large extinct volcanic cones that form it: Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 m) and Monte dei Porri (860 m). Its present name comes from a small lake where salt was once harvested.

Half the island is a nature reserve, which makes Salina the greenest of the Aeolian Islands, with beautiful trails and views. It is famous for Malvasia delle Lipari, a sweet dessert wine, and for its capers: the right mix of nature, relaxation and social life.

Alicudi is the westernmost of the Aeolian Islands: small, inhabited only on its eastern side, with no roads for cars.

It is wonderful to discover by boat, with crystal-clear water and high, jagged cliffs. Perfect for anyone looking for complete relaxation, silence and a direct connection with nature.

Known in ancient times as Phoenicodes for the ferns that cover it, Filicudi is a quiet island formed by a group of old craters. From the highest, the Fossa delle Felci (773 m), there is a superb view over the whole archipelago.

In the south, the headland of Capo Graziano holds the remains of a Bronze Age village. For divers, the waters off the cape hide an important underwater archaeological site with ancient shipwrecks.

On the north-west side opens the Grotta del Bue Marino, one of the largest sea caves in the Aeolian Islands. Like Alicudi, Filicudi offers days of silence and unspoilt nature.