Aeolian Islands, Italy

The Aeolian (Eolie) islands are a group of attractive islands in the Tyrrheanian Sea about 25-50km north of Sicily in Italy. Formerly off the beaten track, this diverse group of volcanic islands is becoming more popular, attracting up to 200,000 visitors annually.

The main island and transport hub is Lipari which is next to Vulcano; this island is famous for its mud baths and by the Gran Cratere volcano. Salina is lush and hilly, Stromboli is the most remote of the islands and popular for viewing its eruptions. Panarea is much smaller and very upmarket and Filicudi and Alicudi lie to the West and are much less visited.

Things to See & Do

* Fango mud baths
* Vulcano summit climb
* Lipari old quarter
* Stromboli night climb to the volcanic crater

General information

Cruise Season - Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language - Italian
Land Area - 12.16 km²
Population - 11,000 approx
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC + one hour
International Country Telephone Code - 010

Port Location - The main port is located on Lipari and is situated within walking distance of the town.

Transport Links - There are frequent car ferries and much quicker hydrofoils from Milazzo and Messina on Sicily , and from Reggio di Calabria on the mainland, to and between the islands. Most call first at Lipari, and then proceed to the other islands. Ferries are frequent in Summer, with fewer during Spring, Autumn and Winter and on Sundays.

The Aeolian Islands are quite remote, which is part of their appeal. No air travel is available to the archipelago, except for the very expensive helicopter service which runs during high season from the Catania airport.

The larger islands, Lipari, Vulcano and Salina have quite good bus services. Those islands also have scooters for rent, and are the only of the islands with comprehensive systems of roads. Panarea and Stromboli are small enough to have no roads or automobiles to speak of; Panarea in particular is completely accessible by foot.