The Amazing Aeolian Islands

What a wonderful treat the Aeolian Islands were! Sometimes called the Lipari Islands for the largest of the seven islands in the volcanic archipelago, this cluster of beautiful islands sits just north of Sicily. This Sicilian archipelago happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it has been so important to the study of vulcanology for over 200 years. 

Over the course of a week, we managed to visit five of the seven islands and found each one to have its own character and charm. The most striking consistent feature, though, was the absolute pristine blue waters throughout the islands that rivaled Croatia. (We still have not made it to Greece, so I can’t make that comparison.) This level of water quality is not what I think of when I think of Italy. (Amazing food? Definitely!) We’ve sailed the majority of the coast of Italy at this point, and I would still say wholeheartedly that the Aeolian Islands have the most stunning seas. 

So let’s get to them…

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Vulcano – Given it was still May and the large crowds had not yet arrived, we were able to anchor in a prime bay with a black sandy beach and a great view of the volcano. We waited out some stormy weather for a couple of days, and in between showers we were able to explore the quaint main town and do the #1 thing you must do while in the Aeolians – climb the Vulcano crater. On the way up, the terrain interestingly changed multiple times and we enjoyed splendid views of the islands. Thankfully, the wind was blowing the sulfur fumes away in just the right direction. Speaking of winds, there were literally stop lights at the bottom of the mountain indicating whether it was safe or not to ascend the crater. It was green as we went up but had changed to red by the time we returned to the bottom. Good timing. If you’re into hiking and volcanoes, this could be the island for you. They also have therapeutic mud baths, but we didn’t test those out.

If you recall from my last post – Breaking in the New Season – we had our share of technical challenges, including a lazyjack line that snapped on our way here. We stumbled upon a marine shop in town and managed to find some replacement lines, which was lucky. Conor needed to climb the mast again to fix these, and that is better done at a solid marina…

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Lipari – We spent a night in the marina here so we could replace the lazyjack lines, solve our remaining inverter problem, and throughly wash the boat. As the largest of the islands, Lipari attracts the most tourists with its plethora of restaurants, shops and nightlife. We strolled through the nice town, but most of our time here was spent working on the boat. 

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Salina – Considered the greenest of the islands, Salina was just beautiful. We had a lovely anchorage just outside the (overpriced thus empty) marina, and the lush landscape reminded us a bit of Hawaii. I am continually reminded that the flora in Sicily reminds me so much of home in Northern California. The town was very quiet in May but had one Main Street with lovely shops. We enjoyed strolling there and along its promenade where we enjoyed a peaceful aperitivo. For dinner we found a fun “Are you tired of seafood?” restaurant that was delicious. And what the island currently lacked in tourists, it made up for in cats! Overall, a lovely lush place to relax.

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Panarea – Another quite lush island, Panarea is considered more exclusive and posh. It’s been said that many celebrities like to steal away here during the summer months to enjoy the peace and quiet, upscale boutiques, and fancy restaurants. There are no real streets on the island, thus you move about on foot or via scooters or golf cart taxis. A few locals had those cute little three-wheeled Italian trucks. And, it did have a helicopter pad! We enjoyed strolling the path through the lovely homes, hiking to the end of the island for nice views, and eating a delicious gelato by the port watching ferries come and go. Our beachy anchorage was a beautiful spot too. This is the spot for relaxing in a secluded, pampered sort of way.

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Stromboli – We didn’t actually go on land here, rather we anchored out for a night and simply marveled at its beautiful island and volcano. I had to get some work done, and it was not a bad office view! People come here, especially at night, to climb the crater and see the constant lava flow. Conor did kayak around to the other side to try and catch a glimpse. While we could see smoldering the whole time, we saw no lava, unfortunately. We also, unfortunately, experienced our most turbulent night at anchor ever here (read: high confused swell). The anchorage is not really protected, but we needed to stop somewhere on our way back to mainland Italy. The view was worth it, though!

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You might be wondering if people actually live on these active volcanic islands, and indeed they do. Overall, the Aeolian Islands have around 15,000 local inhabitants, with nearly 12,000 of those on Lipari. Salina has the next largest population with around 2,500. Vulcano and Stromboli each have around 400-500 residents, and they are well used to living near an active volcano. Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but volcanos do offer rich soil, thermal waters, and strong lava rock. Volcanos also bring tourists!

If you ever visit Sicily, I can’t recommend enough a ferry trip over to these beautiful islands. You can also take a ferry from Naples. Either way, do consider a visit!

BONUS: This was a special Mother’s Day treat! 🙂