In October 2023, Laura and I spent a month in Italy on Walk About Italy tours in Tuscany, along the Amalfi Coast and in Sicily, a journey we call the “Italian Adventure”. This is the second half of our Sicilian chapter, the Aeolian Islands.
The Aeolian islands, known as the Seven Sisters, are a chain of volcanic islands off the northeastern tip of Sicily. There are two active volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano, and steaming fumaroles and thermal waters on most of the islands. The volcanic activity has also left the islands with very fertile soil, and the grapes grown there result in unique tasting wines.
We arrived at the port city of Milazzo to take a ferry to the largest of the islands, Lipari. While large ferries are available for vehicles, we were just passengers and could take the hydrofoil for the one-hour trip.
The ferry dropped us off at Marina Lunga harbour, and a short walk through pleasant colourful streets took us to the pretty, historic harbour of Marina Corta. Lipari is the island of colors: the white of the pumice, black obsidian, the turquoise sea. Above the harbour stands the 16th century Lipari castle, on the old Greek acropolis, built as a safe haven for the people in the event of a raid.
We stayed at the Hotel Aktea. Its swimming pool would prove to be a major focus for our group at the end of our daily jaunts, a cool and refreshing comfort after a day’s slog, and breakfasts in a beautiful outdoor portico by the pool had views to the sea.
On our first full day on Lipari, we took a trail at the southern end of the island with wonderful seascapes and views of the closest island to us, Vulcano. Notice the fumaroles of volcanic gas coming out of the crater: this is one of the two active volcanoes of the Aeolians.
I remarked to Gianni, our tour leader, about the remarkable view and he said, “wait until tomorrow … we’re going to climb that volcano!”
Surprised by this statement, I asked about the risks, especially the fumarole gases, as some of those, such as sulphur dioxide, can be quite toxic. He said there are certain times of the day when it is safe to climb and we would be ascending in the morning, when emissions are at their lowest. He claimed the area is monitored quite frequently and there is a demarcated trail to the top. There was also a geophysical crew in the area (they were staying at our hotel) who would be on the mountain at the same time.
After a rest back at the hotel, we drove 20 minutes to Quattropani on the northwestern side of the island for dinner. After a short, pleasant walk we arrived at a quaint little outdoor grill and hideaway that served us seasonal specialties and offered beautiful sunset views of the sea.
We had hand-made pasta with tomato and basil, and caponata: a tasty melange of eggplant, onions, bell pepper and tomatoes with briny olives and cucunci (caper buds), the essential Sicilian dish.
A quick note on the wines we had the opportunity to taste on this trip. The volcanic soil on Sicily, and in particular on the Aeolians, imparts a distinctiveness that cannot be duplicated anywhere. The aroma of Malvasia delle Lipari, the uniqueness of Corinto Nero, the marine acidity of Carricante, the Sicilian quality of Nero d’Avola and the structure of Nerello Mascalese provided us with unique flavors that accompanied the best moments of our day.
The next morning, we made sure to have a hearty breakfast to prepare us for the hike on Vulcano. The Romans believed that the island was the chimney of their god Vulcan’s workshop and, therefore, named it after him. The last eruption was recorded around 1890, and today the activity of Vulcano is monitored 24 hours a day by a network of instruments.
After a short boat ride to the island, we had a pleasant walk to the base of the volcano. At the trailhead was a warning sign alerting the hiker to the possible risks, but the electric sign showed us a green symbol, so we began our ascent. The trail is well marked but has some washed out sections, and footing on the loose tephra can be challenging.
The summit offered a special view of the town of Vulcano Porto, with Lipari island in the upper centre and the two dark mounds in the upper left indicating Salina.
After a day of volcano climbing, relaxing poolside was a necessary and welcomed relief.
The next day would be our last full day on the Aeolians, and we visited our third island: Salina. Salina is best known for three products: fish, capers and wine. Capers are an essential ingredient in much of the local cooking, adding a certain piquancy to fish dishes. They are picked one by one by hand and marinated in sea salt, and many food experts claim that capers from Salina are the best in the world. We discovered caper plants and wild fennel growing along our trails that day.
Landing at the town of Rinella, notice the black sand beach, made of volcanic material, and the caves hollowed out of the ancient lava that were used to protect fishing boats.
The trail afforded us views of the other islands of the Aeolian archipelago: Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea and Stromboli. The volcano that makes up Stromboli is the other active one in the chain and emits a “puff” about every 15 minutes. We set up for an al-fresco lunch, and afterwards Gianni and our host led us in a sing-along.
… and this prompted a few of our group to do some dancing.
Sicily has a poetic charm that can entrance any visitor: hiking volcanic landscapes, luxuriating in crystal clear waters, treasuring the Aeolian Islands, sampling sumptuous cuisine, enjoying warm hospitality. It delivered unforgettable memories unlike any other destination.
More from Laura and Gerald’s Italian Adventure:
Our trip to Tuscany: farm lunches, wine and hill towns
Our trip to Sicily: Greek temples, wild beaches and Baroque Noto
Gerald W. from Canada
Walked Secret Sicily in October 2023, as a couple.
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Secret Sicily
The real Sicily beyond the tourist trail: baroque towns, street food and dramatic landscapes. Small groups, local guides.
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