Vulcano by boat, fumaroles, black sand and the Piscina di Venere.

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.