Aeolian Islands itinerary
Eight days among seven volcanic islands off Sicily, between active craters, black beaches, capers, Malvasia and a sea as clear as glass.
Italy has hundreds of islands, and each group has its own character: the elegant islands of the Bay of Naples, the Egadi of tuna fishermen, the Tuscan archipelago of Napoleon. But the most extraordinary are perhaps the Aeolian Islands, seven volcanic islands off the north coast of Sicily, named after Aeolus, the god of the winds. Here volcanoes are still alive: Stromboli erupts every few minutes, Vulcano steams with fumaroles and hot springs, and the others, from green Salina to tiny Alicudi, show every stage in the life of a volcano.
This eight-day itinerary starts and ends in Milazzo, the port for the islands, with bases on Lipari, Salina and Stromboli and day trips to Vulcano and Panarea. You move by hydrofoil and ferry, without a car, walking up to craters and swimming in coves of black sand and white pumice. See also our pages on Sicily and Italy's sea.
Itinerary at a glance
- Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
- Distance: about 150 km by sea, plus the transfer from Catania or Palermo airport to Milazzo
- Transport: hydrofoils and ferries; scooters, buses and boats on the islands
- Best time: May, June and September; in July and August the islands are crowded and expensive
- Indicative budget: about €1,300 per person sharing a double room, flights excluded
- Ideal for: couples, sea lovers, hikers, families with older children
- Milazzo: the port for the islands
- Lipari: the main island
- Vulcano: the crater and the springs
- Salina: the green island
- Panarea: the smallest and smartest
- Stromboli: the lighthouse of the Mediterranean
The Aeolian Islands in brief
The Aeolian archipelago rose from the sea over the last million years, from the eruptions of underwater volcanoes. In the Neolithic, Lipari was rich thanks to obsidian, a black volcanic glass used to make blades and traded across the Mediterranean. Then came the Greeks, who founded a city on Lipari, Carthaginians, Romans and pirates. In the 20th century the islands were poor and emptied by emigration, until cinema and tourism discovered them: Roberto Rossellini filmed Stromboli with Ingrid Bergman, and Salina was the setting of Il Postino. In 2000 the islands became a UNESCO World Heritage site for the volcanic phenomena they show.
- 5000 BCLipari obsidian is traded across the Mediterranean
- 1400 BCA Bronze Age village is built at Capo Milazzese, on Panarea
- 580 BCGreek colonists found a city on Lipari
- 1950Rossellini's Stromboli is released, with Ingrid Bergman
- 1994Il Postino is filmed at Pollara, on Salina
- 2000The Aeolian Islands become a UNESCO World Heritage site
Day 1: Milazzo
Land at Catania or Palermo and reach Milazzo by bus or car (about two hours). Visit the castle, one of the largest in Sicily, and in the afternoon walk to the tip of Capo Milazzo for a swim in the Piscina di Venere, a natural rock pool. In the evening, from the cape, you can see the islands on the horizon.
Where to stay: in Milazzo.
Day 2: Lipari
The hydrofoil reaches Lipari in about an hour. The main town is gathered around a rocky citadel with the cathedral and the Aeolian Archaeological Museum, one of the most important in the Mediterranean, with obsidian, Greek vases and theatre masks. In the afternoon tour the island by bus or scooter: the white pumice quarries of Porticello, the viewpoint of Quattrocchi over Vulcano and the faraglioni. See Lipari.
Where to stay: in Lipari, for three nights.
Day 3: Vulcano
Vulcano is a short hop from Lipari (about ten minutes by hydrofoil). Climb to the Gran Cratere (about an hour, 391 metres): the path climbs on volcanic sand to the rim, where yellow sulphur fumaroles steam, and the view takes in all the islands. Back down, swim at the Acque Calde beach, where gas bubbles warm the sea, and at the black sand beach of Sabbie Nere. Access to the crater and the mud pools can be restricted when gas levels are high; check locally.
Day 4: around Lipari by boat
Take a boat tour around Lipari and Vulcano: the Grotta del Cavallo, the Venus pool and the faraglioni, with stops for swimming in coves that can only be reached from the sea. Alternatively, take the day trip to the two most remote islands, Filicudi and Alicudi, where there are no roads and mules still carry goods up the steps.
Day 5: Salina
Move to Salina (about thirty minutes by hydrofoil), the greenest island, with two extinct volcanoes and vineyards of Malvasia and caper fields on the terraces. From Santa Marina climb Monte Fossa delle Felci, the highest peak of the archipelago (962 metres), or stroll to the salt lake of Lingua, where you must try a granita. At sunset go to Pollara, at Malfa, the bay in a collapsed crater where Il Postino was filmed. See Salina.
Where to stay: on Salina, for two nights.
Day 6: Malvasia and capers
Visit a winery for a tasting of Malvasia delle Lipari, a sweet wine made from grapes dried in the sun, and a caper farm. In the afternoon swim at Rinella, at Leni, with its black beach and fishing boats, or take a boat trip around the island.
Day 7: Panarea and Stromboli
Take the hydrofoil to Panarea, the smallest and most fashionable island, with whitewashed houses and bougainvillea. Walk to Capo Milazzese, with the remains of a Bronze Age village, and swim at Cala Junco. In the afternoon continue to Stromboli. At sunset join a guided trek up the volcano to the authorised altitude, or take a boat to see the eruptions of the Sciara del Fuoco, the slope where lava and stones roll down to the sea, after dark: a show you will never forget.
Where to stay: on Stromboli.
Day 8: back to Milazzo
In the morning swim at the black beach of Ficogrande, with Strombolicchio, the volcanic rock topped by a lighthouse, offshore. Then take the hydrofoil back to Milazzo (about two hours and a half) and the transfer to the airport.
How much it costs
| Item | Indicative cost per person |
|---|---|
| Accommodation, 7 nights sharing a double room (hotels and B&Bs, May-June or September) | €490-770 |
| Hydrofoils, ferries and local transport | €160-240 |
| Excursions and guides (boat tours, Stromboli trek, Vulcano crater) | €80-140 |
| Meals | €300-380 |
| Total | about €1,030-1,530, flights excluded |
To save money: travel in May, June or September, when prices are much lower than in August; eat pane cunzato, bread topped with tomatoes, capers and cheese, at lunch. See travelling Italy on a budget.
Practical information
- Hydrofoils: in summer book in advance, especially at weekends; in rough seas crossings can be cancelled, so keep a spare day.
- Stromboli: the ascent above the authorised altitude is only allowed with licensed guides, and access can change with volcanic activity; always follow the instructions of the civil protection authorities.
- Vulcano: the smell of sulphur is strong; don't bathe in the mud pools with jewellery, and take off contact lenses near the fumaroles.
- Cash: carry some cash: on the smaller islands cards are not always accepted and there are few ATMs.
Variations
- The Bay of Naples: Capri, Procida and Ischia, easily reached from Naples.
- The Egadi: Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, off Trapani.
- The Tuscan archipelago: Elba, the island of Napoleon's exile.
What to read before you go
A guide to the Aeolian Islands with hiking maps, a book on Sicily's volcanoes and a novel set in the islands. See also our practical tips for Italy.
Final tips
- Pace: change islands no more than every two or three days; ferries take time and the beauty is in staying.
- Combinations: from Naples you can link up with the Grand Tour itinerary, and from Sicily with the Italy by train itinerary.
- A tip: on Stromboli, have dinner at one of the restaurants on the path to the volcano: from their terraces, between one course and the next, you can watch the eruptions light up the night.
Where to stay
Tours and experiences along the way
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