Where to stay in the Aeolian Islands?

Lipari, Îles Eoliennes

Are you heading to Sicily for your 2019 summer vacations? What if you went from island to island? Here’s where to stay on the Aeolian Islands!

The Aeolian Islands – Isole Eolie in Italian and also known as the Lipari Islands – are an archipelago of volcanic origin located north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and belong to the Italian state. The archipelago comprises 17 islands, islets and rocks.

7 islands are inhabited, and only 3 of them are accessible to motorists. The famous Vulcano and Stromboli islands – which are active volcanoes – are located in the Aeolian Islands. They have a population of 14,016, spread over the 7 islands of Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi.

Occupied by the Greeks as early as 580 B.C., the Aeolian Islands have been the subject of many legends, including one according to which the god Aeolus – master and ruler of the winds in Greek mythology – colonized the archipelago during the Trojan War.The Aeolian archipelago has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, and is visited by more than 200,000 people every year.

Would you like to visit the Aeolian Islands? Isn’t it classy and unusual to sleep on the slopes of an active volcano? Here’s where to stay in Lipari, Stromboli, Vulcano and Salina!

Lipari

Lipari, Îles Eoliennes

Photo credit: Shutterstock / Diego Fiore

The main island of the archipelago, Lipari has a permanent population of 16,000, and is administratively part of the province of Messina in Sicily. Occupied since Neolithic times, it is the largest of the 7 islands. We recommend that you choose to spend the night in Lipari if you want to enjoy the social activity of the « capital » or discover the obsidian and pumice quarries.

Its acropolis, dominated by St. Bartolomeo’s Cathedral, built by the Normans in the Middle Ages, is immediately apparent on arrival at the port. The medieval Cathedral dell’Addolorata, built in Baroque style, overlooks the port and the town. The Aeolian Archaeological Museum is a must-see. It houses one of Italy’s largest archaeological collections, and traces the history of the Aeolian Islands from prehistoric times to Roman times.

Via Garibaldi, in the Marina Corta district, is the main shopping street, with numerous shops, souvenir boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafés. Don’t miss a swim at the magnificent beaches of Porticello, Canneto and Acquacalda! The Lipari coast is well worth a visit, especially the Roman thermal baths of S. Calogero (no, not the singer…), which are the oldest thermal baths in the world.

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Salina

Salina, Îles Eoliennes

Photo Credit: Shutterstock / 1234zoom

Salina is the second largest volcanic island in the archipelago. The town of the same name reflects the quintessence of Italy, with its brightly-colored village houses, churches and ancient palaces adorned in yellows, ochres, pinks and oranges. The streets are dotted with bougainvillea, jasmine and lemon trees. In the countryside, vineyards and orchards.

The island’s specialty is tile-making. To sleep in Salina, opt for the village of Malfa, to the north. This is the production area for capers and the famous Malvasia wine.

You can also hike the slopes of the island’s two extinct volcanoes: Fossa delle Felci (at 961 meters) and Monte dei Porri, at 860 meters. For a peaceful night’s sleep in Salina, choose Leni, inland and in a green paradise.

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Vulcano and Stromboli

Stromboli,  Îles Eoliennes

Photo Credit: Shutterstock / A Periam Photography

If you decide to climb the volcano of the same name, it’s only logical that you should spend the night on Vulcano, « the island of demons ». The port smells of rotten eggs due to the sulfur exhaled by the volcano, and the island is a lunar desert landscape bordered by black sand beaches. You can walk around the crater and then go for a swim at the Sabbie Nere beach in Vulcano Porto.

Two harbors provide anchorage on Stromboli, the easternmost island of the archipelago. The island is home to the famous Stromboli volcano, one of the most active in Europe. After climbing the volcano, relax on the beaches of Ficogrande, Forgia Vecchia, Spiaggia Lunga or Scari.

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