Aeolian islands (7 days- 80mn)

There are no airports on the Aeolian Islands so the best way to reach them is by ferry from the Italian Peninsula (Regio Calabria or Naples) or from Sicily (Mesina or Milazzo). We will take the ferry to Lipari and there we will embark our sailing boat or gulet charter and start our cruise on Saturday afternoon. On our way to Panarea, our first destination, we will have time to comfortably settle in to what will be our floating house for the next seven days.

Panarea is located 15 kilometres northeast of Lipari and is the smallest and most picturesque of the Aeolian Islands. It is also the most exclusive as over the last few years it has been transformed into a haven for many celebrities. Not so long ago, electricity was nonexistent but the celebrities have restored the typical white houses, transforming them into comfortable summer houses. The population is concentrated on the east side of the island and dispersed among three points (San Pietro, Ditella and Drauto) while the west coast remains completely uninhabited. In the south, we can anchor our yacht or catamaran charter in Junco Cove, at the foot of Milazzese Cape where the remains of an ancient prehistoric village are located.

Exploring Stromboli in a sailing boat, yacht or gulet is an unforgettable experience. At first, you will only perceive a smoking cone lost in the sea, but then all of a sudden the mythical black mountain almost 1000 metres in height will appear right before your eyes. Once we’ve docked the boat, if curiosity begs then don't miss the excursion to the crater where you can get an up-close look at incandescent magma. The trajectory takes between four and six hours and it is done in the afternoon with an authorised guide. You must be well-equipped with proper footwear, warm clothes and sufficient water and food. Your efforts will reward you with an up-close experience of an active volcano. Every 20 minutes following powerful rumbles and earth tremors, the volcano spews fire and lava. You will feel like a character in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth!

Salina is also a volcanic island with two inactive volcanoes located on each end of the island: Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri. In the middle of both lies the Valldichiesa Valley. We suggest circumnavigating the entire island so as not to miss spectacular spots such as Pollara Bay where the film Il Postino: The Postman and Pablo Neruda was filmed. You will definitely feel like anchoring your sailing boat charter here and taking a dip at the base of the cliff. From Salina, we will cruise to the two most westward lying islands in the archipelago: Filicudi and Alicudi.

The sea and its wealth of flora and fauna are the main attractions on Filicudi Island whose name comes from its typical vegetation, ferns (“feici”). On the west coast we will find the best sea floors for scuba diving as well as beautiful sea caves such as the Grotte del Bue Marino which can be reached by boat. La Canna, a basalt cliff that rises 70 meters from the sea is also another main attraction for scuba divers. We can anchor in front of the coasts of Graziano Cape, a small peninsula right next to the Fossa delle Felci Volcano, to relax and have lunch on board. If we are travelling in a gulet or a crewed yacht, the chef will take care of everything. In the afternoon, we will head to Alicudi Island where scuba divers mustn't miss out on seeing the Scoglio Della Galera or Galera Rock. Skirting the coast, we will discover nearly vertical cliffs towering up to 500 metres in height.

The end of our boat trip is nearing but we still have one more of the seven Aeolian Islands to visit: Vulcano, the island where, according to Greek mythology, the god of fire kept his forge. The island can be reached from Porto di Levante, just below the Grand Crater of the volcano which can be hiked pretty easily in less than an hour. From the summit you will have spectacular views of the entire archipelago. Another main attraction on the island is the therapeutic hot mud baths (fanghi bollenti). Cover your entire body in mud while sitting in a bubbling mud bath. However, keep in mind that the smell of sulphur will take a couple of days to fade from your bathing suit.

After spending Friday night in Lipari, Saturday morning around 9am we will have to leave the boat charter we have been cruising in around the Aeolian Islands. We can spend our last night enjoying the nightlife in Lipari, a beautiful city made up of two inlets known as Marina Larga and Marina Corta in the middle of which stands a walled acropolis. In Marina Corta, there are many lively bars such as Il Gabbiano or Il Pescatore where you can have a drink before going to bed.