holidays in aeolian islands

The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago located off the coast of north-east Sicily. None of the islands has an airport so the only way of reaching them is by ferry, with the port town of Milazzo offering the fastest journey. Ferries and catamarans operate throughout the year with numerous daily departures. By ferry the journey time is about 2 hours to Lipari, and about 55 minutes by catamaran. There are also services, which operate from Messina, Palermo and Naples with varying journey times and schedules. The service from Naples operates a twice-weekly overnight ferry with sleeping accommodation.

Aeolian Islands Holiday Accommodation

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The main island of the group is Lipari, which is located about 40km from Milazzo, and is about 10km long by 5km wide. The charming old town, also named Lipari, is dominated by the castle, which separates the two harbours, and has numerous small narrow streets with shops, bars and restaurants. The castle was significantly enhanced by the Spanish in the 16th century and has large impressive walls, which surround the Duomo and other buildings in the historic centre. The cathedral was originally built by the Normans in the 11th century, but has had numerous alterations in subsequent years. The town also has a Museo Archeologico, which exhibits an excellent collection of finds from the islands and Milazzo. The main peak on the island is Monte Chirica at 600m, which displays evidence of its volcanic history along with several hot springs.

To the south of Lipari is the island of Vulcano, which is separated from the larger island by a channel of less than 1km. The island has three large volcanic craters, the first near Monte Aria in the south, which has been inactive for centuries. The second, Gran Cratere, is still active and last erupted in 1890. The third, Vulcanello, is located on the north-eastern tip of the island and climbs to the summit are particularly worthwhile. Throughout the island there are hot springs, spas and mud baths.

Salina is the second largest island, approximately 7km long by 5km wide, and located 4km to the north-west of Lipari. The island was formed by two volcanic cones, Monte dei Porri and Fossa delle Felci, and has three small villages. The island became famous for its sweet malvasia, which is still bottled today.

Panarea is the smallest of the islands, located 15km to the north-east of Lipari. Ferries to the island land at San Pietro and there are two other small villages at Drauto and Ditella. The island is surrounded by cliffs and stacks and retains much of its original natural beauty, which has led to it becoming an exclusive haunt of the rich and famous. On the extreme southern promontory archaeologists have discovered a Bronze Age village dating from the 14th century BC from where numerous pieces of ceramics and pottery have been found.

Located a further 20km north-east of Panarea is the famous island of Stromboli, which contains an active volcanic crater. The island comprises of a single cone with a height of 925m, around which a number of villages have grown. The characteristic features of Stromboli are best symbolised by the stunning cliffs, deep clear waters and of course the volcano which appears to rise out of the sea.

The last two Aeolian islands are Filicudi and Alicudi, which are located to the west of Lipari. Both islands are small and support relatively few people, although tourism is becoming ever popular particularly on Filicudi.

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