DISTANCE: From Milazzo to Lípari, then to the other islands: 356 km (221 miles)
TIME: 3 days
START: Milazzo
END: Lípari
POINTS TO NOTE: For information on how to get to the islands, for more information, click here. Cars are not allowed access in summer unless you are staying for at least a week, but vehicles can be left in private garages in Milazzo. If you only have a day to spare, consider a Panarea and Strómboli excursion (www.minicrociereisoleeolie.com), leaving Milazzo at noon, returning at 11pm, enabling you to watch Strómboli erupt at night. If climbing the Gran Cratere on Vulcano, take water, stout shoes, hat and sunscreen. For Strómboli hiking boots and clothes can be rented on the island.
The Greeks named the islands after Aeolus, the hospitable god of the winds who lived on Lípari and gave Ulysses a wineskin of winds to guide his ship back home to the Greek island of Ithaca. But even Aeolus, assuming he was more than a myth, is recent compared to the first settlers who arrived in Lípari in the 5th millennium BC. Prior to their arrival a volcano on Lípari had erupted, spewing huge quantities of magma which solidified to become obsidian. The hard black volcanic glass was much prized for crafting sharp tools and the island grew prosperous by trading them in the Mediterranean.
View over the Aeolian Islands from Vulcano
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
The islands were regarded as remote and inhospitable until around 50 years ago. Today these Unesco World Heritage dots in the Tyrrhenian Sea are inundated from mid-July to the end of August, but they are a delight in spring, early summer and autumn. Winter, when boats are often cancelled and you can get stranded on the islands, is best avoided.
Lípari (36 sq km/14 sq miles) is the largest and the hub of the archipelago. With its choice of accommodation, excursions and water sports, this makes the best base. The tours below take you to smouldering Vulcano, spectacular Strómboli, chic Panarea and laidback Salina, but if staying longer you might also consider seeing Filicudi and Alicudi, remote rocky outcrops at the western end of the archipelago, with wild unspoilt scenery.
Lípari harbour
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Lípari
Hydrofoils from Milazzo take around an hour and most stop at Vulcano en route. Ferries and hydrofoils dock at Marina Lunga, the bustling main port of Lípari 1 [map]. From here take the café- and shop-lined Corso Vittorio Emanuele, where the passeggiata seems to take place most of the day. Tiny vici or alleys, crammed with potted plants and Vespas, lead up from this main corso, linking with the only other main road, the Via Garibaldi. Liparí town is the main attraction of the island, but away from the town there are mountains to climb, hot springs and bright white hillsides and beaches of pumice. Cars, scooters or bikes can be hired, or there are public buses that do a full circuit of the island from June to September. The coast, with its multicoloured cliffs, clear indigo waters, caves and grottoes is best explored on a boat excursion.
The Citadel
From Via Garibaldi the Via Concordato, a wide cobbled stairway, leads up to the splendid Citadel A [map], built by the Spanish in the 16th century and absorbing a Greek tower and walls from the 4th century BC. The Norman cathedral was burnt down by Barbarossa in 1544 and the church you see today, the Cattedrale di San Bartolomeo, crowning the Citadel, is largely Baroque, but retains Norman vaults and cloister.
Archaeological Museum
Over the centuries, volcanic ash, spread by the Mediterranean mistral, formed 9m (29.5ft) strata on the citadel. A huge, painstaking excavation in the 1950s–70s yielded evidence of continuous occupation from the 4th millennium BC. The outstanding Museo Archeologico Eoliano B [map] (Mon–Sat 9am–1pm, 3–6pm, Sun 9am–1pm, by reservation only in winter; charge), in buildings either side of the cathedral, holds a treasure trove of prehistoric and classical artefacts found on Lípari and other parts of southern Italy.
The former Bishop’s Palace houses the Neolithic and Bronze Age exhibits, including many tools crafted in obsidian. The Classical section displays burial urns, decorated vases and an extraordinary rich collection of 100 terracotta theatrical masks discovered in tombs from the 4th to 3rd century BC.
Marina Corta
Via Garibaldi drops down to Marina Corta, a colourful and busy little port, with small boats coming and going. Survey the scene from an alfresco table or have a leisurely typically Aeolian lunch in a lovely setting at nearby La Nassa, see 1.
Mud bath on Vulcano
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Vulcano
Vulcano 2 [map] is home of the god of fire. Excursion boats depart regularly from Marina Corta (try bargaining off season), fishermen offer scenic trips in summer or hydrofoils/ferries depart from Marina Lunga.
On arrival you’re greeted by sulphurous odours coming from the smouldering Gran Cratere, but don’t be put off by the fumes – the volcano has been dormant since 1890. The hour’s hike up (charge for the path) is not too challenging but can be very hot. Allow time for walking around the peak and admiring the dramatic views.
The volcano supplies the island with its other main activity: thermal mud baths, said to cure skin disorders and rheumatic pains. Below the crater you can wallow in the warm fanghi (7am–11pm summer, 8am–5pm off season; charge), shallow pools of thick mud, then clean up in the thermally heated seawater pool, or head on to Spiaggia Sabbia Nera, a big sweep of black volcanic beach with red-hot sand where you can take a refreshing dip and admire the sunset.
Back on Lípari, try Il Filippino, see 2, in the upper town.
Pretty Panarea
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Panarea and Strómboli
Combine the islands of Panarea 3 [map] and Strómboli 4 [map] on a day trip, staying to watch the sunset and the volcano explosions. An excursion which costs little more than the hydrofoil is the simplest option. Hydrofoil and ferry services are limited, especially off season when you cannot see both islands and be back in Lípari in a day.
Fashionable little Panarea is the prettiest of the Aeolian Islands, with its dazzling white cubed houses, spectacular formations of volcanic rock and divinely clear waters. Wealthy Italians from the north have villas here and international celebrities visit in the summer. Apart from people-watching you can swim in the aquamarine waters of Cala Junca, visit the Neolithic village at Punta Milazzase and take boat trips to offshore islets.
Feisty Strómboli
Dreamstime
Fiery Strómboli is the most theatrical of the islands: a volcanic cone rising out of the sea, whose crater emits a constant stream of magma. The last serious eruption was in April 2003, when rocks fell onto the rooftops in the village of Ginostra. The island was put on the tourist map in 1949 when Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini starred in the film Strómboli.
Most excursions are planned so you can watch the pyrotechnics from the sea at night. Boats stop near the dramatic Sciara del Fuoco, the fiery slope where lava from the craters flows down to the sea. More challenging is the ascent up 924m (3,000ft) with a volcanologist in the early evening, arriving before sunset. It’s a tough three plus hours up, then about two back down (for information see www.magmatrek.it, www.stromboliguide.it). The less energetic can retreat to the long, flat beaches of black sand to the north of the jetty, stone and shingly sand to the south. For refreshment, whether it’s a mulberry granita, coffee or a full-blown meal, try Il Canneto, see 3, uphill from the port.
Salina coastline
Dreamstime
Salina
Peaceful Salina 5 [map] is just a 25-minute boat hop from Lípari. Unlike the other islands, Salina is lush and fertile, producing Malvasia wine, a sweet golden dessert wine, and the capers which flavour many Aeolian dishes.
The highest point on the island is Monte Fossa delle Felci, one of Salina’s two extinct thickly wooded volcanoes, which provides a lovely walk and fine views from the top (4–6 hours’ walk depending on the route). The island has become increasingly chic over the last few years, with smart boutique hotels and excellent restaurants.
Ferries and hydrofoils dock at Santa Marina di Salina, an attractive and thoroughly laid back little port and village. (Some boats also stop at the pretty fishing port of Rinella.) The main street, Via Risorgimento, is flanked by some chic shops and well-stocked hole-in-the-wall delis.
The closest village is Lingua, 3km (2 miles) away, accessible by bus or by foot along the rocky palm-lined coast. There is not a lot here apart from a salt lagoon and small beach, but it has a sunny spacious waterfront and sea-view trattorie/cafés, including the popular Da Alfredo, see 4. The main town is Malfa, 7km (4.5 miles) from Santa Marina Salina, where you can taste Malvasia, a golden dessert wine made from sun-dried grapes and still produced by small growers on the island. The little village of Pollara, about 6km (4 miles) from Malfa, with its two beautiful beaches, was immortalised in the film Il Postino (The Postman).
Food and Drink
1 La Nassa
Via G. Franza 36, Lípari; tel: 090 9811 319; L and D Easter–Oct daily, but closed Thur Apr–June; www.lanassavacanze.it; €€
Expect a warm welcome and genuine Aeolian cuisine in this family-run restaurant. Local fish dominates the menu and full use is made of local produce: capers from Lípari, ricotta from Vulcano and Malvasia wine.
2 Il Filippino
Piazza Municipio, Lípari; tel: 0909 811 002; L and D daily but closed 15 Nov-15 Dec and Mon off season; www.filippino.it; €€€€
This superb fish restaurant flows out onto a flowery terrace overlooking the main town and harbour. Delicacies include fish risotto and zuppa di pesce (fish soup).
3 Il Canneto
Via Roma 47, Strómboli; tel: 090 986 014; June–Sept daily 8am–11pm; €€
Fish specialities here include involtini di pesce spada (swordfish rolled and stuffed), spaghetti alla strombolana (with anchovies and capers) and tonno in agrodolce (sweet and sour tuna). It’s also open all day for coffee, delicious granite (flavoured crushed ice), ice cream and pastries.
4 Da Alfredo
Piazza Marina Grande, Lingua, Salina; tel: 090 984 3075; spring to autumn daily 8am–2am; €
On the spacious seafront not far from the ferry stop, this laidback café is famous for granite. Choose from pistachio, watermelon, mulberry and more, but the firm favourite is granita alla mandorla (with almonds). If hungry, tuck into pane cunzato, a giant open sandwich with a mountain of toppings to your taste. Alfredo’s son runs a good little restaurant (Alfredo in Cucina) nearby.
