# Aeolian Islands

Seven volcanic islands north of Sicily: erupting Stromboli, Vulcano and its fumaroles, green Salina and Lipari as a base. Which island to choose and how to get around.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sicily/aeolian-islands · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## 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.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Etna (a 79.2 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Guided Stromboli Sunset Hike, Up to 400 m** (5 h · 8 km · Adults and children used to walking · Desde 30 € per person): Stromboli has been in almost continuous eruption for thousands of years: every few minutes it hurls jets of lava and incandescent rocks from its craters. By day you see a column of gas; at night, the red explosions. Climbing up to see it with a guide, as evening falls, is the reason for many trips to the Aeolians.
How high you can go
Since the explosions of 2019 the summit has been closed. According to the May 2025 ordinance of the Comune di Lipari, from the village of Stromboli you can climb independently up to 290 m and with an authorised guide up to 400 m. Only scientists and civil protection go above that. The rules change with the volcano's activity, so check the ordinance in force before you go.
The Magmatrek excursion, run by the island's cooperative of volcanological guides, goes right up to that limit: a terrace at 400 m above the Sciara del Fuoco, the bare slope down which the material spat out by the crater rolls into the sea. From there you see the explosions head-on.
What the route is like
You set off in the afternoon from the Magmatrek office, next to Piazza San Vincenzo, about three hours before sunset: depending on the time of year, between 15:00 and 18:00. The path climbs through cane and scrub up the north slope, with stops where the guide explains the island's geology, history and vegetation. It is about 8 km in total with 500 m of ascent, of medium difficulty. There are no exposed stretches, but the summer heat and the slope are tiring.
At the top you wait for dark to see the explosions. The descent, already at night and with a head torch, is along a track of sand and ash. Allow about five hours from start to finish.
Price, season and equipment
It costs €30 per person and €25 for under-12s, with the helmet included. The season runs from 15 March to 31 October. They ask you to book a week ahead in high season, by email, phone or the form on their website.
Trekking footwear and a torch or head torch are compulsory; a phone light will not do. Add a sweatshirt and windcheater, because it gets cold at the top, a spare T-shirt, long trousers for the descent, a scarf for the dust, 1.5 litres of water and something to eat. If you are missing anything, the Totem Trekking shop, on the same square, hires it out.
If you are staying in Lipari
You can go and come back in a day with Da Massimo: its boat leaves Lipari at 12:00, stops at Panarea and among its islets, drops you at Stromboli with the Magmatrek guides and returns to Lipari around 23:00. It costs €80 per person, with the guide included. It is a long day: if you can, sleep in Stromboli.
- **Boat Trip Around Vulcano from Lipari, with a Stop at the Harbour** (7 h · All ages · Desde 35 € per person): Vulcano is the island closest to Sicily and the one that gives its name to all the volcanoes in the world. From Lipari, the strait that separates them is crossed in a moment, and the boat lets you see the whole island in a day: the harbour with its smell of sulphur, the Vulcanello peninsula and the south coast, without a road, with black-sand coves.
The route
With Da Massimo, departure is at 10:00 from Marina Corta, Lipari's small harbour. The boat skirts the Vulcanello peninsula and the Valle dei Mostri, lava rocks with odd shapes, and enters the harbour of Vulcano, where it stops for a few hours.
In the afternoon it continues round the island: the rock of La Sirenetta, the Grotta dell'Allume, the black-sand beach of the Baia dell'Asino, the hamlet of Gelso at the southern end and the Grotta del Cavallo, next to the Piscina di Venere, a natural pool of clear water. There are swimming stops. The return to Lipari is at 17:00.
It costs €35 per person, with reductions for children. If you only want to go to the harbour and back, with a swim at Lipari's Spiaggia di Vinci on the way out, the short trip costs €20.
What to do at Vulcano harbour
During the long stop you can swim at the Sabbie Nere beach, of black sand, walk through the village or step into the hot water beside the sea fumaroles. The laghetto di fanghi, the thermal mud pool beside the Levante harbour, has reopened in the 2026 season after several years closed, according to the local press; confirm the hours and price there.
The path to the Gran Cratere, the crater of La Fossa, starts near the harbour. It has been closed several times because of increased gas emissions, and the Comune di Lipari opens or closes it by ordinance. If it is open and you want to climb, you need almost the whole stop: do it early, with water and a cap, because there is no shade.
Who it is for
It works for all ages: there is beach time, the boat is small and swimming is done from the ladder. With children, bring water shoes: the beaches are volcanic sand and pebbles, and they burn at midday. The smell of sulphur in the harbour is strong, but you soon get used to it.
- **Boat from Lipari to Salina with a Swim at Pollara and Lunch in Lingua** (7 h · All ages · Desde 50 € per person): Salina is the green island of the Aeolians: two extinct volcanoes covered in forest, Malvasia vines and caper terraces. From Lipari you can get there by hydrofoil, but on a small boat you also see the coast you cannot see from the road, and you swim along the way.
The route
With Da Massimo, the boat leaves at 10:00 from Marina Corta, in Lipari. First it goes round Monte Rosa and the Canneto promenade to the Cave di Pomice, the old pumice quarries, where the coast is white and the water a very clear blue: this is the first swim of the day. Then it passes Acquacalda, on the northern tip of Lipari, and crosses to Salina.
In Salina it stops at Santa Marina, the largest village, and continues past Malfa to the bay of Pollara, an old crater open to the sea where Massimo Troisi filmed Il Postino. There is another swim there. Then it skirts Rinella and reaches Lingua, a village beside a salt lagoon, where you stop to have lunch on your own.
In the afternoon the boat returns to Lipari along its west coast: the Grotta degli Innamorati, with a swim, the beach of Vallemuria, the sea stacks, the Grotta degli Angeli, the Scoglio della Mummia and the Spiaggia di Vinci. You arrive at 17:00.
Price and what to bring
It costs €50 per person, with reductions for children. Lunch is not included: in Lingua there are bars and restaurants by the sea. Wear your swimwear, and bring a towel, water shoes, a cap, sun protection and some cash. The boat has partial shade, but the midday sun at sea burns.
Who it is for
It is the most complete excursion for seeing Salina without sleeping there, and it works for families: the swimming stops are long and children can go down the ladder. If you get seasick, sit at the stern and ask the skipper to warn you at the most open crossings, between Lipari and Salina.
If you would rather stay in Salina, the Liberty Lines hydrofoil stops at Santa Marina and Rinella. In Santa Marina you can eat at 'nni Lausta, on the terrace on its first floor.
- **Sunset Boat Trip to the Lipari Sea Stacks, with a Toast** (2 h · All ages · Desde 30 € per person): South of the town of Lipari, opposite Vulcano, two needles of rock rise from the sea: Pietralunga, tall and narrow, and Pietra Menalda, lower. These are the Lipari sea stacks, and at sunset the sun drops behind them and the islands to the west. It is a good way to end the day of your arrival or your last day before heading home.
The trip
Da Massimo leaves at 19:00 from Marina Corta, Lipari's small harbour. The boat skirts the south-east coast of the island, with its cliffs and coves, as far as the two stacks, and stops there to wait for the sunset. On board there is a toast, and if the sea is calm you can swim. You are back at Marina Corta at 21:00, in time for dinner in town.
It costs €30 per person. The agency's boats are small, with few places, so it is best to book at its office on Via Maurolico, five minutes' walk from the harbour, or by phone.
When to go
The departure time is fixed and the sunset changes with the month: in June and July the sun sets around 20:30 and the trip fits perfectly; in May and September you see it earlier and return in the blue light. The trip depends on the sea: in strong wind it is cancelled. Ask at the office in which months they run it.
Who it is for
It is short and relaxed, and suits almost everyone: couples, families with children who cannot manage a whole day on a boat, or anyone just off the hydrofoil who wants to see something before dinner. Bring a light jacket: it gets cool at sea when the sun goes.
If you are left wanting more, the same agency runs the tour round Vulcano and the Lipari and Salina daytime trip, and the Panarea and Stromboli trip with the volcano climb.
Afterwards, dinner
Marina Corta is Lipari's restaurant area. Going up towards the castle, in Piazza Mazzini, Filippino serves dinner from 19:00 to 22:30 every day, on a terrace under a pergola.
- **Luigi Bernabò Brea Aeolian Archaeological Museum and the Lipari Castle Precinct** (2 h 30 · All ages): Lipari Castle is the high rock that separates the town's two harbours, Marina Corta and Marina Lunga, surrounded by walls. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic, and inside there are churches, open-air excavations and the Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano Luigi Bernabò Brea, named after the archaeologist who excavated the islands from the 1950s.
What is in the museum
The museum occupies several restored buildings in the precinct, some used as places of confinement under Fascism. You go round it in six pavilions, in chronological order:

Prehistory, with finds from Lipari and the smaller islands, such as Filicudi and Panarea. The Aeolians were settled because of obsidian, the black volcanic glass used to make blades.
Ancient history of Lipari and the founding of the Greek city.
Epigraphy, with funerary inscriptions.
Greek and Roman periods, with urban and religious life.
Volcanology, on how the islands were formed.
Underwater archaeology, with reconstructions of the cargoes of sunken ships, full of amphorae.

There is also a room devoted to theatre masks and red-figure vases linked to the cult of Dionysus. In the old prison, since 2014, there has been the contemporary art exhibition Mare Motus. Everything on display comes from excavations on the islands and is presented in its context: huts, houses, tombs, sanctuaries or shipwrecks.
Hours and admission
According to the Parco Archeologico delle Isole Eolie, the museum is open every day from 9:00 to 19:30, and on public holidays from 9:00 to 13:30. The castle precinct, with the churches and the excavations, is open from May to October from 9:00 to 19:00 and from November to April from 9:00 to 16:00; on public holidays, from 9:00 to 13:00.
The price does not appear on the Parco's opening-times page and the sources that give it do not agree: between €7 and €10 for a full-price ticket. Ask at the ticket office or write to the Parco's information office (telephone +39 090 988 0174).
Getting there
From Marina Corta you walk up a flight of steps to the precinct; from the hydrofoil harbour it is about ten minutes on foot. The climb is short but steep.
When to go
It is the plan for a windy day, when the boats do not sail, or for the hottest hours. Allow two or three hours to see it at leisure. When you come out, go down to Marina Corta or stay in Piazza Mazzini, at the foot of the castle, where Filippino is.

## Dónde comer
- **Filippino** (Restaurant, Lipari, €€). Qué pedir: 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
- **Nni Lausta** (Restaurant, Santa Marina Salina, €€€). Qué pedir: 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
- **Trattoria da Pina di Maniaci** (Restaurant, Gelso (Vulcano), €€). Qué pedir: 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

## Consejos

### Buy hydrofoil tickets in advance in August
Mid-morning boats fill up, and in high season there isn't always space on the same day.

### Check the sea before planning
In strong wind the hydrofoils are cancelled. Don't leave the boat to Milazzo for the day of your flight.

### Wear shoes for ash and rock
The beaches are pebble or volcanic sand and burn at midday.

### For Stromboli, sleep on the island
The explosions are best seen at night, and without sleeping there you depend on the last boat.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.