Alicudi

Alicudi is the island of heather due to the pink blanket that covers its lavic surface in spring- time. This island (5.2 km2) once called "Ericusa" is an extinct volcano that rises out of the sea to reach the summit of Monte Filo dell'Arpa (657 m; also known as Timpone della Montagnola). This is the smallest and western-most of the inhabited Aeolian islands and lies about 67 miles from Milazzo. It is not part of the mass tourism circuit and the only landing area is near the Scoglio della Palomba. Tourists accommodation is only possible in boarding-houses and private homes.

Near the village there is a rise called "Timpone delle femmine'. Women used to be hidden in this almost impenetrable location to prevent them from being kidnapped by the pirates during their raids. The boat tour along the 4 kilometres of the island's coast slowly exposes enchanting spots and peculiar red and black rocks separating the little beaches from each other. The completely uninhabited western side of the island shows particularly suggestive walls falling into the water. The stair-shaped eastern side is exactly the opposite. You can see the church of San Bartolomeo rising above the houses of Alicudi and offering a wide panorama.