Aeolian Islands
Isole Eolie
Clustered in the blue-green Mediterranean an hour’s boat ride north of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands are one of Europe’s most visually stunning and historically intriguing archipelagos. Each of the seven volcanic islands has its own distinct character, allowing for an enticing variety of activities as you island-hop across the chain.
The seven islands, all of volcanic origin, each with its own strong identity, are located off the northern coast of Sicily. These seven inhabited islands in this volcanic archipelago, each offering its own distinct atmosphere, sense of hospitality and charm are: Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Salina, Alicudi, Filicudi, Stromboli.
Lipari
Lipari is the biggest and most populous of the Aeolian Islands, it is a beautiful locale with great sea views and lovely homes and buildings, historically, it has been the most important island over the centuries, since Neolithic times. This island was created by volcano activity resulting in a large amount of volcanic stone within the area. Before the widespread use of metal, obsidian, a type of volcanic glass was commonly used on the islands. Other than the beautiful walks along the Aeolie coast the ‘must’ of the island is the ‘Museo Eoliano’ an impressive archaeological museum, housed in the buildings around the Duomo, in the upper town of Lipari, still surrounded by its’ old city walls.
Stromboli
Stromboli, a small island north of Sicily, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and famous for its normally small, but regular explosions exhuming glowing lava from the vents inside its summit crater. This volcanic activity has been going on for at least 2000 years, for as long as there is written history of the island, which Stromboli lended its name to. The Northern-most island of the Eolian Islands is famous for its spectacular incandescent nighttime explosions, that have long attracted visitors from all over the world and brought the volcano the nickname the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean."
As long as there are historical records, Stromboli has been constantly active, which makes it almost unique among the volcanoes in the world. Most of its activity consists of brief and small bursts of glowing lava fragments to heights of 100-200 m above the craters. Occasionally, much stronger explosions or periods of more continuous activity can occur. For those who know and love it, Stromboli is a magical place, not only for its volcano, but also for its unique charm, its beautiful beaches, the lush vegetation and its characteristic and unspoiled architecture.