The Aeolian Islands
Where do I start?!?!?!?! I know most of you have probably never heard of the Aeolian Islands, but let me be the first to tell you they are absolutely AMAZING. To give you proof (and to maybe keep you intrigued), here is a beautiful view from our first day there:
Now here is a less interesting, but helpful map to show you just exactly where they are:
Planning this trip was somewhat difficult, as there is not a ton of information out there! It was particularly hard finding ferry information and we relied quite heavily on some lonely planet books we had lying around (thanks, Anne!). I'll try to give you the scoop in case you found this post googling information on the islands (while also keeping it light and fun for those of you who just want to know what we did while we were there!). A bit of advice up front: bring cash or visit an ATM on Lipari before exploring. And bring sunscreen...lots and LOTS of sunscreen.
Logistics and travel:
First of all, ferries run pretty regularly during peak season but we went before June 1 so ferries only ran twice a week. Therefore we HAD to stay in the islands for one week to get more than just a weekend in 😉 We took a Siremar ferry direct from Naples, which left Naples at 8pm and arrived in Lipari at 9:40am the next morning. The ferry also stopped at Stromboli and Salina on the way. Be sure to get to the ferry dock in Naples early, as it's a bit hard to find. We got there two hours early to get our ticket and only one ID was needed for our group of six. Boarding started an hour before departure and we got our cabin assignments once we got on board. The ferry was about €50 one way and €20 per person extra for a cabin (you can also choose to stay on deck or get an armchair for €5 extra but I personally think the cabin is worth it and we slept surprisingly well). I have heard that prices increase during the summer (tourist season - also packed and maybe too hot to handle). There is a bar and restaurant with reasonably priced food and drinks, but don't let that stop you from bringing pizza, beer, and wine on board!!
We decided to stay on Lipari the entire time, as it is the largest island and also has the most restaurants, bars, hotels, etc. We stayed at an airbnb that was close to both ports (the large one we arrived on and the smaller one where many excursions depart from) for around $75/night for the entire house; our host was absolutely wonderful and I would definitively stay there again.
Once you get to the islands, there are TONS of tour companies. Honestly, they're all the same and have a similar price tag (€25-40 day tour depending on the island; around €75-80 for the Stromboli hike and stop at Panarea). Just pick one company and go. You can arrange ahead of time or book something on arrival. There are also ferries (Siremar & Liberty) that go to all the islands if you don't want to deal with a company and are fine exploring on your own. While we were there we did organized tours of some islands, took a private boat, and also took a ferry. I'd recommend an organized tour for the Stromboli hike and Alicudi/Filicudi. For the others, just take a ferry; rent a car on Lipari and Salina.
And now for the more interesting part - our vacation (there are 7 islands and we saw them all)...
Day 1 - Lipari:
After checking in, we rented two open-roof cars (€60 or €10/person) and drove around the island. It was great, and probably my favorite thing we did because we saw SO many amazing views. I would highly recommend renting a scooter or car here. There's one main road around the island and you can stop along points to take a dip in the water and see spectacular views (you can also hike and snorkel!). Be sure to stop at: Canneto, Spiaggia della Papesca, Porticello, Acquacalda (and maybe have an aperitivo), Quattropani, and Quattrochi.
In town, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is the main street, and much of it is a pedestrian road. Stop by Subba for a fresh filled ricotta cannolo EVERY DAY and taste salted caramel and salted pistachio gelato at Fiore del Sale then go across the road to the Fish Corner, for an amazing plate of spaghetti with clams and pesto sauce, pasta alla vongole, or pasta and eggplant, pasta all norma (always eat dessert first so you have room 😁). You should also eat arancini alla norma, granita (almond or pistachio, only available in Sicily) with brioche, and some seafood.
Day 2 - Salina:
On the second day we took a private boat to Salina for around €25/person. It was nice having a boat to ourselves, but if we were to do it again I'd probably just take the ferry over, as a smaller boat is also slower and we couldn't go around the entire island because the water was too choppy. Our original plan was to hike to Monte Fossia delle Felci, the highest point in the Aeolian Islands. However, it was a bit cloudy out and we spent our time seeing other things (which I don't regret... the hike is 4-5 hours and by the time we got to the starting point we were also out of time!).
We decided to also rent a van here to see the entire island. I would highly recommend doing this! It was €70 for the day plus €10 gas (we bargained the price down). We took a map from the rental place and hit all the spots they recommended - it was also easy as there is also one main road in Salina! We tried to stop at a winery to taste some local wine and food but everything seemed to be closed (downside of going during low season). But we did see some more spectacular views, a black sand beach, and took a dip at another secluded beach! Salina is also home to Pollara, a town featured in the film "Il Postino."
Before you leave eat pane crunzato, an invention of the island. It's delightful.
Day 3 - Alicudi & Filicudi:
On day three Matt and I took a trip to Alicudi and Filicudi while the girls stayed on Lipari and had a beach day (Kim got stung by a jellyfish, so attenzione everyone!). These islands take a while to reach and are not very developed (donkeys are used as transportation on Alicudi) but they are beautiful. If you need to skip something, you could go without seeing these two (much of the day is spent on a boat full of tourists); however, if you have the time, I think they are worth the stopover.
We arrived in Alicudi first, and spent an hour here walking around town. Definitely take a walk up to the church to see breathtaking views on the way!
After Alicudi we spent a few hours on Filicudi. We had a nice lunch by the water and then hiked up to see a prehistoric village.
Day 4 - Panarea & Stromboli:
This was the day I think everyone was looking forward to - hiking up a volcano to see lava fireworks at night!
Every Italian I talked to before going to the islands told me Panarea was the most beautiful island (it is also the VIP island, and apparently George and Amal Clooney have a house there....we did see a helicopter fly in and we choose to believe it was them!). We had a stopover for about an hour in Panarea before heading to Stromboli. It was enough time to take a dip in the clearest blue water I have ever seen, followed by a splendid picnic lunch on the beach.
After lunch, we went to Stromboli and prepared for our hike - hiking boots, water, a jacket, and a headlamp are a must! We rented our boots (€6) and headlamps (€3) on the island. The six of us hiked up about half of the way where we split and the girls climbed to the top while Matt and I went to the end of the village and watched the explosions from a viewpoint on the other side of the mountain (the lava fireworks can be see at night from the top of the volcano, from a viewpoint, or from a boat). Be prepared for the descent from the hike - it's a bit tricky coming down in sand! (It's also no picnic climbing up a steep volcano in the blistering sun).
Day 5 - Vulcano:
This was our relax day! And how did we relax? By taking a ferry to Vulcano and bathing in sulfuric mud!!! (no joke...). The mud baths are supposed to help with various health issues, but beware, the sulfur smell is so pungent that you might need to throw away your clothes after you visit.
No worries, we also took a dip in some hot springs and spent most of the day on a black sand beach (we were supposed to hike up this volcano as well but we didn't quite make it...).
Day 6 - Lipari (Old Town):
Our last morning we spent walking around Old Town. Definitely walk around the quaint streets and get lost a bit. And be sure to go to the amphitheater and take in the views from the top of the city. You can also check out the cathedral and archaeological museum on the way!
As always, don't forget to stop for a few photo shoots!
Now here is a less interesting, but helpful map to show you just exactly where they are:
Planning this trip was somewhat difficult, as there is not a ton of information out there! It was particularly hard finding ferry information and we relied quite heavily on some lonely planet books we had lying around (thanks, Anne!). I'll try to give you the scoop in case you found this post googling information on the islands (while also keeping it light and fun for those of you who just want to know what we did while we were there!). A bit of advice up front: bring cash or visit an ATM on Lipari before exploring. And bring sunscreen...lots and LOTS of sunscreen.
Logistics and travel:
First of all, ferries run pretty regularly during peak season but we went before June 1 so ferries only ran twice a week. Therefore we HAD to stay in the islands for one week to get more than just a weekend in 😉 We took a Siremar ferry direct from Naples, which left Naples at 8pm and arrived in Lipari at 9:40am the next morning. The ferry also stopped at Stromboli and Salina on the way. Be sure to get to the ferry dock in Naples early, as it's a bit hard to find. We got there two hours early to get our ticket and only one ID was needed for our group of six. Boarding started an hour before departure and we got our cabin assignments once we got on board. The ferry was about €50 one way and €20 per person extra for a cabin (you can also choose to stay on deck or get an armchair for €5 extra but I personally think the cabin is worth it and we slept surprisingly well). I have heard that prices increase during the summer (tourist season - also packed and maybe too hot to handle). There is a bar and restaurant with reasonably priced food and drinks, but don't let that stop you from bringing pizza, beer, and wine on board!!
We decided to stay on Lipari the entire time, as it is the largest island and also has the most restaurants, bars, hotels, etc. We stayed at an airbnb that was close to both ports (the large one we arrived on and the smaller one where many excursions depart from) for around $75/night for the entire house; our host was absolutely wonderful and I would definitively stay there again.
Once you get to the islands, there are TONS of tour companies. Honestly, they're all the same and have a similar price tag (€25-40 day tour depending on the island; around €75-80 for the Stromboli hike and stop at Panarea). Just pick one company and go. You can arrange ahead of time or book something on arrival. There are also ferries (Siremar & Liberty) that go to all the islands if you don't want to deal with a company and are fine exploring on your own. While we were there we did organized tours of some islands, took a private boat, and also took a ferry. I'd recommend an organized tour for the Stromboli hike and Alicudi/Filicudi. For the others, just take a ferry; rent a car on Lipari and Salina.
And now for the more interesting part - our vacation (there are 7 islands and we saw them all)...
Day 1 - Lipari:
After checking in, we rented two open-roof cars (€60 or €10/person) and drove around the island. It was great, and probably my favorite thing we did because we saw SO many amazing views. I would highly recommend renting a scooter or car here. There's one main road around the island and you can stop along points to take a dip in the water and see spectacular views (you can also hike and snorkel!). Be sure to stop at: Canneto, Spiaggia della Papesca, Porticello, Acquacalda (and maybe have an aperitivo), Quattropani, and Quattrochi.
In town, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is the main street, and much of it is a pedestrian road. Stop by Subba for a fresh filled ricotta cannolo EVERY DAY and taste salted caramel and salted pistachio gelato at Fiore del Sale then go across the road to the Fish Corner, for an amazing plate of spaghetti with clams and pesto sauce, pasta alla vongole, or pasta and eggplant, pasta all norma (always eat dessert first so you have room 😁). You should also eat arancini alla norma, granita (almond or pistachio, only available in Sicily) with brioche, and some seafood.
Day 2 - Salina:
On the second day we took a private boat to Salina for around €25/person. It was nice having a boat to ourselves, but if we were to do it again I'd probably just take the ferry over, as a smaller boat is also slower and we couldn't go around the entire island because the water was too choppy. Our original plan was to hike to Monte Fossia delle Felci, the highest point in the Aeolian Islands. However, it was a bit cloudy out and we spent our time seeing other things (which I don't regret... the hike is 4-5 hours and by the time we got to the starting point we were also out of time!).
We decided to also rent a van here to see the entire island. I would highly recommend doing this! It was €70 for the day plus €10 gas (we bargained the price down). We took a map from the rental place and hit all the spots they recommended - it was also easy as there is also one main road in Salina! We tried to stop at a winery to taste some local wine and food but everything seemed to be closed (downside of going during low season). But we did see some more spectacular views, a black sand beach, and took a dip at another secluded beach! Salina is also home to Pollara, a town featured in the film "Il Postino."
Before you leave eat pane crunzato, an invention of the island. It's delightful.
Day 3 - Alicudi & Filicudi:
On day three Matt and I took a trip to Alicudi and Filicudi while the girls stayed on Lipari and had a beach day (Kim got stung by a jellyfish, so attenzione everyone!). These islands take a while to reach and are not very developed (donkeys are used as transportation on Alicudi) but they are beautiful. If you need to skip something, you could go without seeing these two (much of the day is spent on a boat full of tourists); however, if you have the time, I think they are worth the stopover.
We arrived in Alicudi first, and spent an hour here walking around town. Definitely take a walk up to the church to see breathtaking views on the way!
After Alicudi we spent a few hours on Filicudi. We had a nice lunch by the water and then hiked up to see a prehistoric village.
Day 4 - Panarea & Stromboli:
This was the day I think everyone was looking forward to - hiking up a volcano to see lava fireworks at night!
After lunch, we went to Stromboli and prepared for our hike - hiking boots, water, a jacket, and a headlamp are a must! We rented our boots (€6) and headlamps (€3) on the island. The six of us hiked up about half of the way where we split and the girls climbed to the top while Matt and I went to the end of the village and watched the explosions from a viewpoint on the other side of the mountain (the lava fireworks can be see at night from the top of the volcano, from a viewpoint, or from a boat). Be prepared for the descent from the hike - it's a bit tricky coming down in sand! (It's also no picnic climbing up a steep volcano in the blistering sun).
Day 5 - Vulcano:
This was our relax day! And how did we relax? By taking a ferry to Vulcano and bathing in sulfuric mud!!! (no joke...). The mud baths are supposed to help with various health issues, but beware, the sulfur smell is so pungent that you might need to throw away your clothes after you visit.
No worries, we also took a dip in some hot springs and spent most of the day on a black sand beach (we were supposed to hike up this volcano as well but we didn't quite make it...).
Day 6 - Lipari (Old Town):
Our last morning we spent walking around Old Town. Definitely walk around the quaint streets and get lost a bit. And be sure to go to the amphitheater and take in the views from the top of the city. You can also check out the cathedral and archaeological museum on the way!
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