Guided Stromboli Sunset Hike, Up to 400 m
5 h · 8 kmAdults and children used to walkingFrom 15 March to 31 October
Guided hike · 5 h · +500 m · From €30 · March to October
From €30
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Stay4–6 nights
Best timeMay, June, September, October
RegionSicily
What to do
What to do in Aeolian Islands
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Boat Trip Around Vulcano from Lipari, with a Stop at the Harbour
7 hAll agesSwimming season; ask the operator for dates
Boat and swimming · 10:00 to 17:00 · €35 · Swimming season
From €35
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Boat from Lipari to Salina with a Swim at Pollara and Lunch in Lingua
7 hAll agesSwimming season; ask the operator for dates
Boat and swimming · 10:00 to 17:00 · €50 · Swimming season
From €50
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Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Aeolian Islands, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Aeolian Islands
May, June, September and early October: warm sea, frequent boats and reasonable prices. July and August are expensive and crowded. From November to March there are fewer boats and many places to stay close.
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How you travel
Aeolian Islands your way
The ways of travelling that suit Aeolian Islands. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
Car-freeOn footLuxuryBackpacking
Where to stay
Where to stay in Aeolian Islands
B&B Diana Brown
Why we like it: Twelve-room bed and breakfast on an alley in the centre of Lipari, five minutes' walk from the harbour, with breakfast on a panoramic terrace.
From €60
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Hotel Signum
Why we like it: Boutique hotel of the Caruso family in Malfa, Salina: a small restored Aeolian borgo with a geothermal-water spa and Martina Caruso's Michelin-starred restaurant.
La Sirenetta Park Hotel
Why we like it: White hotel on the black beach of Ficogrande, on Stromboli, born after Rossellini and Bergman's 1949 film shoot: garden, seawater pool and the La Tartana bar.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Aeolian Islands
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Filippino
What to order: the zuppetta di mare di nonno Filippino, which the Michelin guide recommends, the totani ripieni all'eoliana and, for dessert, the Corinth grape mousse with Malvasia
Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening. Book in summer, especially the terrace.
Nni Lausta
What to order: the ceviche of the day or the cuttlefish battuto with citron, the home-made tagliolini with lemon pesto and tuna bottarga, the Aeolian-style rabbit with vino cotto and almonds, and the ricotta cannolo
Open every day from 1 April to 31 October. Booking is recommended.
Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci
What to order: raw seafood to start, pasta with sardines or alla Norma, and the fish of the day fried or grilled; if they have it, the pesce alla cipollata, the house speciality
Far from the harbour, about 15 km across the island. Book well in advance.
Nearby
Near Aeolian Islands
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy hydrofoil tickets in advance in August
Mid-morning boats fill up, and in high season there isn't always space on the same day.
- 2Check the sea before planning
In strong wind the hydrofoils are cancelled. Don't leave the boat to Milazzo for the day of your flight.
- 3Wear shoes for ash and rock
The beaches are pebble or volcanic sand and burn at midday.
- 4For Stromboli, sleep on the island
The explosions are best seen at night, and without sleeping there you depend on the last boat.
Local tip
Go up Salina and walk to Monte Fossa delle Felci, at 962 m, the highest point of the Aeolians, inside a nature reserve. It's a hard climb: bring water and set out early.
Trying to see all the islands in three days
Each transfer means hours at port and on a boat. Choose two or three islands and stay on them.
Which island should you choose?
There are seven and each is a different trip. Lipari is the largest and the best base: it has the harbour with the most boats, shops, restaurants and an old town on the castle rock. Vulcano, south of Lipari and a hydrofoil hop away, smells of sulphur from the quay: it has fumaroles, black sand beaches and the La Fossa crater above the harbour. Salina is the greenest, with two extinct volcanoes covered in woodland, Malvasia vines and capers. Stromboli is the erupting volcano, with almost constant explosions that can be seen at night. Panarea is the small, elegant one, with narrow streets and white houses. Filicudi and Alicudi, to the west, are the quietest, with few cars or none.
For a first five-night trip it works to sleep three in Lipari or Salina and get around by boat by day, and two on Stromboli to see the volcano unhurried. If you only have three days, stay in Lipari and make excursions to Vulcano and Salina.
How do you get there from Spain?
Fly to Catania or Palermo, with direct flights from several Spanish cities. The main port is Milazzo, on Sicily's north coast: from there Liberty Lines hydrofoils leave all year round, several times a day, as do ferries that take cars. From June to September there is also a daily hydrofoil from Palermo to the islands.
Can you take your car?
Almost certainly you don't need it, and in summer on many islands you can't. In 2026, non-residents cannot land cars or motorbikes on Panarea and Stromboli from 1 May to 31 October, on Alicudi from 1 June to 31 October, and on Lipari, Vulcano and Filicudi from 1 June to 30 September. On Lipari, Vulcano and Filicudi there is an exception if you show a booking of at least seven days at accommodation, with private parking if it's in the town centre. Motorhomes only enter Lipari and Vulcano with seven days booked at a campsite. Leave the car in Milazzo and hire a scooter or use each island's buses.
Can you climb Stromboli?
Only to mid-height, and the rules change with the volcano's activity. According to the latest ordinance of the Comune di Lipari, from May 2025, from the village of Stromboli you can climb unaccompanied to 290 m, and with an authorised guide to 400 m, from where you can see the explosions and the Sciara del Fuoco. Above 400 m only scientists and civil protection are allowed. From Ginostra, the island's other village, you can climb freely to 130 m and with a guide to 400 m. Before going, check the current ordinance and the bulletins of INGV, the institute that monitors the volcano.
The other way to see it is from the sea: at dusk boats leave and stop in front of the Sciara del Fuoco to watch the explosions.
And the crater of Vulcano?
The trail to the La Fossa crater starts near the harbour and climbs over loose ash, with no shade. It has been closed several times because of increased gas emissions, the last time for more than a year. Openings and closures are decided by the Comune di Lipari: check before you cross, and if it's open go up early.
What can you see in Lipari?
The Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano Luigi Bernabò Brea, inside the castle precinct, explains the islands from prehistory, with pottery, Greek theatre masks and amphorae from shipwrecks. Entry costs €8 (€4 reduced) and it opens daily from 9:00 to 19:30, with reduced hours on public holidays. The castle precinct, with its churches and excavations, is free. From there you go down to Marina Corta, the small harbour, for dinner.
What to do, where to eat and where to sleep
The most worthwhile things are done by boat. From Lipari leave the tour round Vulcano, the boat to Salina with a swim at Pollara and the sunset among the sea stacks. On Stromboli, the guided sunset climb to 400 m. For a windy day, the archaeological museum in Lipari castle.
For eating, Filippino, at the foot of Lipari castle since 1910; 'nni Lausta, on a terrace in Santa Marina Salina, and the Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci, above the sea at Gelso, in the south of Vulcano.
For sleeping, the B&B Diana Brown, in the centre of Lipari and five minutes from the harbour; the Hotel Signum, with a spa and a starred restaurant in Malfa, Salina, and La Sirenetta, above Stromboli's black beach.
What to eat and drink?
Salina capers and Malvasia delle Lipari, a sweet wine with a designation of origin, are the islands' two products, and both are Slow Food bulwarks. Try them in Salina, where most of the vines are. Also order the catch of the day, pasta with capers and tomato, and pane cunzato, bread with tomato, capers and cheese.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need?
Four to six. With four you see Lipari, Vulcano, Salina and Stromboli as an excursion; with six you sleep on two islands and take it easy.
What's the best base?
Lipari, for the boats and services. Salina, if you want calm and nature. Stromboli, only if the volcano is what matters most to you.
Can you climb to Stromboli's crater?
Not to the summit. Unaccompanied to 290 m and with an authorised guide to 400 m, under the ordinance in force since May 2025.
Do I need a car?
No. In summer almost no island lets non-residents land cars, and between islands you travel by hydrofoil. Within each island there are buses, taxis and scooter hire.
When is it best to go?
In May, June and September. The sea is warm, boats are frequent and there are fewer people than in August.
Is the volcano dangerous?
Stromboli and Vulcano are monitored day and night by INGV and civil protection. Risk areas are closed by ordinance: respect the altitude limits and closures.