Aeolian Islands
Tourist Attractions
What to see in Aeolian Islands
If you are a lover of the sea and nature, the Aeolian Islands are a must for your beach holiday in Sicily.
The archipelago of the Aeolian Islands consists of the islands of Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea, is located in the North East of Sicily and is a place of extraordinary charm with wonderful beaches, coves, caves, inlets, stacks, a splendid sea and a large variety and richness of seabed.
The Aeolian Islands are the peaks of an underwater chain of reliefs of volcanic origin and for their unique modeled morphology over the millennia since the presence of volcanoes and their activity, UNESCO has recognized the Aeolian Islands as a World Heritage Site. Volcanic activity still in progress, it has shaped the landscape, given these islands a luxuriant nature and every day offers an evocative spectacle that is unique in the world.
If you are wondering how much time to spend visiting the Aeolian Islands read on.
How many days does it take to visit the Aeolian Islands?
If you are planning your beach holiday in the Aeolian Islands you can decide to spend only three or four days to succeed to visit the main islands and enjoy their sea, but to immerse yourself in the beauties of the seven islands of the Aeolian archipelago it will take a few days more.
How to reach the Aeolian islands?
The Aeolian Islands can be reached by hydrofoil, ferry or helicopter. Ferries and hydrofoils for the Aeolian Islands depart, mainly, from the port of Milazzo and are very frequent. The Milazzo - Lipari crossing by hydrofoil has travel times ranging between 55 minutes and 1 h 15 minutes, depending on the port of arrival and the type of hydrofoil. Ferries, on the other hand, take an average of 2 hours to reach the destination port. The Aeolian Islands are reachable by sea also from the ports of Naples, Messina, Milazzo, Palermo and Reggio Calabria. The Aeolian archipelago can also be reached by helicopter from Catania, Naples, Palermo and Reggio Calabria airports thanks to the transfer service offered by some companies.
How to get around the Aeolian Islands?
It is possible to move between the Aeolian Islands by ferry, ship or taxi boat. Connections from Lipari, the main island of the archipelago, are the most comfortable: Vulcano is easily reachable in 10 minutes by boat, Salina in just 20 minutes, Panarea in an hour, and Alicudi, Filicudi and Stromboli in about an hour and 30 minutes. With hydrofoils, travel times are much shorter. Connections during the summer season they are very frequent.
The easiest way to get around an island is on foot, by bike or by scooter. Taxis can also be used, taxi boat or public transport. In high season there are limitations to take the car to Salina, Lipari or Filicudi, usually on the other islands forbidden.
What are the most beautiful islands of the Aeolian Islands?
The island of Lipari is the largest and most precious, it is a place of continuous discoveries and architectural wonders. Panarea is the most small but also the most popular with young people and offers a lively nightlife. Salina is famous for its landscape views and its characteristic villages. In Stromboli, when the sun sets, the flame of the volcano offers a unique spectacle in the world. In Vulcano it is possible to enjoy the benefits of the thermal waters and of sulphurous waters and immerse yourself in the natural lake of warm mud. Alicudi and Filicudi are uncontaminated places with a wild charm, places where where man and nature have learned to coexist in harmony.
If you are planning your holiday in the Aeolian Islands you will surely be interested in knowing which are the most beautiful beaches of the Aeolian Islands.
What are the most beautiful beaches of the Aeolian Islands?
Each beach has its own peculiarity which makes it unique and which gives it a particular charm, therefore make one ranking of the most beautiful beaches of the Aeolian islands would be impossible. We limit ourselves to indicating which are the beaches of the Aeolian Islands that you absolutely must visit: the white beach in Lipari located in the area of the obsidian and pumice quarries, is characterized by a white coast bathed by a turquoise sea; the beach of Pollara in Salina, a natural amphitheater located under a steep cliff surrounded by the "Balate", shelters dug into the tuff, the Perciato, a natural arch, and the faraglione; the black sand beach in Vulcano, a splendid bay of volcanic origin where the crystal clear water of the sea mirrors the black intense lava sand that covers the beach; the beaches of the coves of Piscità in Stromboli with volcanic pebbles or very fine black sand, separated one from the other by the ridges of lava flows; Cala Junco in Panarea bordered on the sides by rock formations that create a spectacular natural pool; there small Bazzina beach in Alicudi with a shoreline made of pebbles, clear and crystalline waters and the seabed rich in marine flora and fauna; Capo beach Graziano in Filicudi characterized by volcanic pebbles and splendid waters and rich seabeds.
In addition to the splendid beaches of the Aeolian archipelago, the seven islands are home to others splendid treasures that you absolutely must visit during your holiday in the Aeolian Islands. Here are the main steps from do not miss the Aeolian Islands.
In the Aeolian Islands, the sea holds other natural beauties of incredible charm: splendid caves, suggestive rock arches, imposing stacks and incredible seabed.
The beauty and richness of nature is another valid reason to visit the Aeolian Islands: an active volcano that offers a wonderful show that you can admire by boat from the sea, natural mud pools in which being able to immerse yourself, the dense vegetation and the magnificent views that you can meet along the paths of the islands, nature wild and unspoiled of Alicudi and Filicudi.
To complete your journey to discover the Aeolian Islands, here are the main stops of an interesting archaeological itinerary: the castle of Lipari, the prehistoric village in Panarea, the Roman port submerged in Lipari, ...
To discover all the places to visit in the seven islands of the Aeolian archipelago select the island you want to explore from the menu at the top.
Events
What to do in Eolie Islands
Traditional and Religious Festivals, Historical reenactments, Exhibitions, Musical enterteinment, Sport events, guided Tour,...
Typical Products
What to taste in Aeolian Islands
The fertile volcanic lands of the Aeolian islands guarantee excellent agri-food production. The culinary tradition Sicilian of the Aeolian Islands enhances these products by offering dishes of great taste and tradition.
If you want to find out what you eat in the Aeolian Islands, read on.
What to eat in the Aeolian Islands?
Famous is the production of Malvasia delle Lipari, the "nectar of the gods", a DOC wine that comes from climbing vineyards on terraces overlooking the sea. The Salina PGI deserves particular mention, a wine of great territorial recognition thanks to the contribution of volcanic soils rich in Magnesium and Potassium, the scarcity of water during the vegetative cycle of the plant and the intense solar radiation of the period summer. Another product that is the pride of local food and wine for its intoxicating scent and intense aroma is the Aeolian Islands Caper, which with its taste intense embellishes some of the most famous Sicilian recipes.
Aeolian cuisine is characterized by the skilful use of typical products of the Aeolian islands and has given rise to rich dishes of taste, aroma and tradition: Calamari alla Malvasia, Pasta Alicudi, Spaghetti alla Aeoliana, Aeolian-style Redfish Soup, Aeolian Cunzato Bread, Salad Liparota, Pate 'of filicudari capers, Filicudi pasta, Swordfish pie with capers,...
The confectionery tradition of the Aeolian islands offers many delicacies that you absolutely must taste during your stay in the Aeolian Islands: Sesamini Aeolian, Gigi Aeolian, Vastidduzze Sicilian, Spicchiteddi Aeolian,...
Discover all the dishes and typical products of the Aeolian Islands and where you can taste them by selecting the location of your interest from the top menu.
Handicrafts
What to buy in Aeolian Island
If you are wondering what to buy in the Aeolian Islands to take with you a souvenir of your holiday in Sicily you must know that you can choose from a wide range of clothing products, costume jewelery and various objects, browsing among the many small shops on the main islands and, in the evening, strolling among the stalls of handicraft products set up in the main streets of inhabited centers.
Among the typical handicraft objects that you can find in the Aeolian islands there are tiles and ceramics Aeolian that re-elaborates the characteristic decorations of the ancient Aeolian tiles. Other local products are objects and jewels of lava stone and pumice stone crafts, objects that recall the origin of the Aeolian Islands. Other object you can buy and immediately use in the Aeolian islands are the Sicilian coffees, a product of the Sicilian tradition that is widely used, given its capacity, even as a beach bag.
Discover all the typical handicraft products of the Aeolian Islands and where to buy them by selecting the island you want to visit from the menu above.
Curiosities
What to know about Aeolian Islands
To be able to immerse yourself completely in the beauties of the seven Aeolian islands, to fully enjoy the flavors of these lands, to understand the traditions of its inhabitants we invite you to discover the legends that surround a place, to know the origins of a dish, to rediscover the places already seen in a film.
Legend of the females that fly
In Alicudi, in the Aeolian Islands, a popular legend speaks of females who fly, in the local dialect Mahare Arcudare.
Origins of Malvasia di Salina
According to popular tradition, the start of the cultivation of Malvasia in Salina is linked to the arrival on the island of Venetian colonists.
Places of Il Postino - Salina
Some famous scenes from the film "Il Postino: the postman" were shot in Salina, in the small village of Pollara.
The Aeolian Islands are ancient lands and their history is intertwined with myth: their name is linked to the god Aeolus who here had his home, Homer talks about it in the Odyssey, in these lands is the legendary forge of Hephaestus, the place where the most precious and powerful used by gods and heroes of Greek mythology, the myth of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld and judge is closely connected to them of the dead, ...
Aeolian Islands and the god Aeolus
According to Greek mythology, the Aeolian Islands are named after the god Aeolus, the tamer god of the winds.
Vulcan and the god Hephaestus
Vulcano island, starting with its name, is closely linked to myth of god Hephaestus, identified by Romans with the god Vulcan.
Ulysses and the Aeolian Islands
In the famous Homeric poem "the Odyssey", Ulysses also reaches the Aeolian islands where he meets the god Aeolus.
If you want to learn more about this aspect, select the location of your interest from the menu above and in the section what to know you will find all the anecdotes and curiosities related to that place.
Places to visit in Aeolian Islands
Alicudi | Filicudi | Lipari | Panarea | Salina | Stromboli | Vulcano |
Nearby Areas
Areas you can visit close to Aeolian Islands
