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Lipari - Photo (c)
Sossio
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Isole Eolie - Aeolian Islands
The Aeolian islands (Isole Eolie) are a group of attractive islands in the
Tyrrhenian Sea about 25-50km north of Sicily in Italy. Formerly off the beaten
track, this diverse group of volcanic islands is becoming more popular and can
be very busy during July and August.
The Islands:
- Lipari - the main island and the main town (called Lipari as
well) is the transport hub, with plenty of hotels and makes a good
base.
-
Vulcano - right next to Lipari, this island is dominated by the
Gran Cratere volcano cone giving off clouds of sulphurous
gas. This peak gives great views. The island is popular for its
beaches and mud baths.
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- Salina
is lush and hilly - great for a relaxing walk. Some of the film
Il Postino was shot here.
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Panarea - a smaller, upmarket island with great views across to
Stromboli.
- Stromboli - the most remote of the islands, it is little more
than a volcano rising out of the sea. Popular for trips out at night
to see magma spurting out of the cone.
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Filcudi and
Alicudi lie to the West and are much less visited, particularly
Alicudi, which is still primarily agrarian.
Communication
Although local dialects of Sicilian are spoken among
the locals, the traveler will find that standard Italian is also spoken
by most people he will encounter. Those involved in the tourist trade
may also speak some English, German, or French. Cellular telephone
coverage is dependable in the settled areas, but access to the internet
is rare. There are a few internet cafes in Lipari Town.
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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. For timetables see
SIREMAR,
Ustica Lines and
NGI.
It is important to check the timetables in advance, and to
allow plenty of time for connections, as boats can be early or late.
A few car ferries a week also continue on to Naples (see
SNAV) and during the summer hydrofoils run to and from Naples, Cefalu,
Palermo and Messina.
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. For more information see
Air Panarea. Most international travelers, then, will arrive at the
airport of either Palermo or Catania airport in Sicily, or Reggio di
Calabria, across the straits of Messina on the mainland.
Although the Reggio airport is relatively near the
port, boats from Reggio are infrequent. Likewise, only a few ferries per
day run from Palermo during high season, and the airport is far from the
city.
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These ports are best used by the traveler who is already in
Italy, as is Naples, a much longer boat trip that is convenient for
travelers arriving by plane or train in Naples from points north.
For
the traveler arriving directly from abroad, numerous budget airlines
have routes from around Europe to Catania. From there, one can take the
train, or an express bus, to Messina, connecting to a boat; or, at
Messina, one can connect to a second train or bus to Milazzo, which has
by far the most boat departures. Although it is convenient to change
trains in Messina, the Milazzo train station is a few miles from the
port. On the other hand, the bus from Catania arrives at the train
station, while the bus for Milazzo departs from a separate bus station a
few blocks away. Ask for help at the information booth outside the train
station.
One express bus per day departs from Catania airport for Milazzo, but arrives there so late as to miss the boat for certain of
the islands. One may wish to spend the first night in Lipari, with its
charming town, and then depart for the outlying islands. As another
alternative, the car rental agencies have special deals allowing the
traveler the use of a car one-way from Catania to Milazzo - inquire in
advance as these deals may not be available without reservations. The
car rental agencies in Milazzo are a few blocks from the port.
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Getting Around
The larger islands, Lipari, Vulcano and
Salina have quite good bus services. Timetables are available at the
tourist offices in each island's port. 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. Alicudi and
Filicudi are so remote that they have little in the way of developed
tourist industries or infrastructure.
On those islands, transport from
the port, and scooter rental, should be arranged with one's innkeeper.
Boat rental is also popular for touring the periphery of each island;
although the small boats for rent are not adequate for travel between
the islands, but are popular for the excursion from Panarea to the
islets of Basiluzzo and Drauto.
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Guided tours in the Aeolian Islands
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(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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