Alicudi

Alicudi was known in the past as Ericusa, due to the overwhelming abundance of the "Erica" plant. Even today, this plant continues to characterize the steep slopes of the extinct volcano and the inaccessible valleys. The east-facing houses are found primarily midway up the Volcano. Recently, there have been restoration of old, beautiful villas along the beach.

There are no motor vehicles on Alicudi, except in emergencies and only in the vicinity of the wharf. Today, as in the past, pack animals are used for transportation and are common throughout the island. The extraordinary natural beauty of Alicudi is enhanced by the characteristic Aeolian constructions, which are connected to each other by mule trails.

Filicudi

Spring comes early to Filicudi and brings with it an explosion of multi-coloured flowers, making it a beautiful time of year to walk along the ancient pathways which cross the island. The pathways and terraces, laid down over the centuries to allow the cultivation of the land, are a marvellous and impressive example of human endeavour. The pathways, made of earth or stone slabs, are about a metre wide to allow the passage of donkeys, which are still necessary today to reach many parts of the island. Capers, vines, olive trees and carob trees are characteristic of the wild countryside, dominated by red rocks with various weather-beaten shapes.

Hills and valleys give the countryside a broken look. The Mediterranean brush covers the entire island and is particularly thick on the northern side. The coastline is not sheer but gradual, creating a variety of colours in the sea from green to blue and violet. Then there is the Grotta del Bue Marino, with its mystical atmosphere, and finally La Canna, a rock about 70 metres high: a black blade sticking out of a blue sea. The climate, the brilliant light, the gentle violence of Mediterranean nature, the perfume of its maquis and the silence make this island almost unique.

Lipari

Lipari is the largest and most heavily populated island of the archipelago. The town is spread out under the imposing Castle rock, the ancient Greek acropolis, and along the bays of Marina Corta and Marina Lunga, to the north and south. The houses climb up under the ramparts and via Garibaldi follows them around, from Piazza Mazzini to the lovely Marina Corta.

Lipari or Meligunis, as the Greeks called it because of its mild climate, has a surprising variety of scenery due to its geological complexity. Twelve volcanoes have shaped the island over thousands of years.

Its volcanic origin is evident in the Muria Valley, with its red rocks, and on the north-east coast, covered by a vast flow of pumice, which hides Roman ruins of the 4th century AD. On this white mountain three flows of obsidian criss-cross, the Forgia Vecchia, the Rocche Rosse and the most ancient one Canneto. Pumice and obsidian, black and white, are both glassy and made of silicon but differ regarding specific weight, the way in which the eruption and cooling of the magma happened, acidity and viscosity. The plates and points produced with the precious obsidian determined the wealth of Lipari before the Bronze Age, as they were goods to exchange with peoples who didn’t have them.

Today, the pumice deposits are spread over eight square kilometres and are the second resource of the island after tourism. For more than a century pumice has been exploited for its various uses in the tanning of hides, in building, and as a coating and abrasive.

Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the old Roman decuman, is still the main street. In the summer months it is always lively, full of tourists and locals. You can go shopping or just take an evening stroll past the rows of shops, agencies and bars.

Among the many things on sale, malmsey and capers are the most common and can be found just about everywhere.

Via Garibaldi is a series of artisans’ shops and restaurants.

Marina Corta is connected by an isthmus to the peninsula where the small church of the Souls in Purgatory stands. Jetties have been built which have rather changed the natural look of the place. However, even today, especially out of the tourist season, it still retains the charm of a fishing village.

Panarea

Panarea is  the smaller than the islands Eolie.

Together with the islets of Basiluzzo, Spinazzola, Lisp Bianca, Dattilo, Bottaro, Black Lisp and the rock-clifves of the Panarellis and the Ants, form a minuscule archipelago. Elegant and romantic it is the chic island for excellence, so much to make all over the world her famous as "the island of the Vip."

Exuberant and worldly, Panarea welcomes indeed typically the visitor with an architecture eoliana of charme: the narrow street pick up white houses with front doors and blue windows, decorated from garish bougainvillae, the characteristic shops contain precious tied up gifts in indissoluble way to the tradition as the sandals realized to hand and refined and candid fabrics

It glorifies natural swimming pool it is Caljunco, an enchanting bay surrounded by walls of it washes where water is crystalline and blue.

Cove of the Zimmaris is instead the only beach of sand, indeed very frequented, from where. through a path. you can  reach the prehistoric village of capo Milazzese. Perfect both for small that for long walks it is an it isolates to live both by the sea and by earth.

Salina

Second largest in the archipelago, Salina is the greenest island of the Aeolian Islands, formed from two different volcanic structures side by side.The two main peaks are the "Monte Fossa delle felci", highest peak in the archipelago and the "Monte dei Porri". Hence its peculiar shape and its ancient name, Didyme, meaning twins.

The name Salina is known worldwide not only for its beauty of colors and scents of the Mediterranean, but also to be the main production site of Malvasia wine, from grapes grown on the fertile and generous climate, full of olive groves, vineyards and orchards.

Its name comes from the brackish pond on the coast opposite to Lipari and its cultivation of salt.

Salina is an island rich in vegetation, occupied for over half by a nature reserve that provides enthusiasts with hiking and nature, between migratory birds and chestnut.

Also the beautiful coastal part characterized by rugged coast rich in inlets and the beautiful Bay of Pollara made famous worldwide by the famous film by Massimo Troisi "Il postino".

Stromboli

A black giant’ stands out imposingly against the intense blue sea.

For thousands of years the volcanic cone with its ‘spurts’, as the roars of the explosions are called, has been like a lighthouse for mariners. For those who approach the island, as soon as darkness begins to fall, the flame of the volcano becomes visible at 15/20 minute intervals. A timorous respect is commanded by this young volcano of 100,000 years, maybe unique in the world for its three mouths in continuous explosive activity, among the highest in Europe, 2,400 metres from cone and base: ‘A 5-star volcano’.

In 1949 the director Roberto Rossellini made ‘Stromboli’ with Ingrid Bergman. In Via Vittorio Emanuele there is a plaque which shows the house where the two had their love affair. In the last 40 years some new inhabitants have arrived from Campania and Sicily. In summer there are numerous commercial activities thanks to the visitors who have changed the traditional character of the community. Stromboli, for the ancients Strongyle (round), has two landing-places. The first, Pertuso, (Pertugio) is on the south-western side, in the village of Ginostra. It is the smallest natural port in the world, big enough for just one boat.The second, to the east  is the Scari (port) of the village of San Vincenzo. From here to Ficogrande and Piscità there is a series of beaches of pebbles and fine black sand, typical of the island.

Every evening, groups of people meet up, adequately equipped, to climb up the volcano, coming back down at 11 pm. A guide is obligatory if you want to reach the Pizzo at an altitude of 900 metres. Others board boats at Scari to go under the Sciara del Fuoco and watch from the sea the spectacle of incandescent rocks. When there are violent eruptions, as happened in 2003, the flow of lava slides down the slope and ends up in the sea giving off great columns of steam.

The best beaches on Stromboli are the little coves of black sand tucked into lava crags along the coast at Piscità, from which there are fine views of the islet of Strombolicchio.

Vulcano

Vulcano is the first island you meet coming from Milazzo, just 12 miles away. Near the port you are struck, both by the beauty of the place, and by the acrid smell of sulphur which fills the air. This phenomenon, which you soon get used to, is due to the ‘fumaroles’, the venting of steam, sulphur and carbon dioxide at a high temperature from the crater or from cracks in the ground. The fumaroles are a reminder that the volcano is still active.

The ancient Hierà , is the southernmost island of the archipelago . Its area is 21 square kilometers , from the geological point of view is formed by four volcanoes , the only one still active is the Great Crater of Fossa still active in fumarolic stage.

The island takes its name from the considerable volcanic activity that has taken place over thousands of years. Along with Stromboli, it is the only volcano still active in the archipelago, and the youngest (90,000 years compared with the 100,000 years of Stromboli).

Chance to make the tour of the island via sea , admiring , coastline, inlets and caves : in particular the cave of the horse and the pool of Venus

Once on the ground chance to climb the volcano and admire the majesty , or to reach the Vulcanello and the Valley of the Monsters .

Interesting in the port area , fumaroles , hot water and the bay of Black Sand