The Aeolian Islands (Italian Isole Eolie) are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily. They are a popular tourist destination in the summer, and attract up to 200,000 visitors annually.

The largest island is Lipari, and tourism marketing often names the entire archipelago the Lipari Islands because of the ease of pronouncing Lipari compared to Aeolian. The other islands include Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi, and Panarea. The town of Lipari has about 11,000 inhabitants. Vulcano is famous for its fango baths.

 

Seven little volcanic islands surrounded by a warm and deep sea in an out-of-time atmosphere recalling a history of sea-adventures going back 5000 years: that's how long man's presence on these islands dates back. Holiday planning offers the chance of an extraordinary range of ideas in a natural and largely untouched environment: the main island Lipari, the green landscapes of Salina, the wild nature of Alicudi and Filicudi, the sophisticated Panarea and the charming Vulcano and Stromboli. 
   
An excellent ferryboat service connects the islands to Sicily (Milazzo, Palermo and Messina), Reggio Calabria and Naples.  

 

  

    

   
Panarea

The ancient island of "Euonimo" has a surface of only 3.5 km2, but it is the island highly admired by élite tourism. The main village, Contrada San Pietro, consists of a group of white houses clustered along the eastern side of the island. The built-up area is crowned with olive trees and protected by huge walls. The other two villages north and south of San Pietro are Dittella and Drauto. The only practicable roads join the centre with Punta Calcara: this kingdom of fumaroles (emissions of hot gas and steam) is situated at the northern tip of the island. The temperature of the soil can reach as high as 100 degrees. In the exact opposite corner (the south-eastern tip of the island) lies the prehistoric village of Punta Milazzese (a hut-village dating back to the Bronze Age), which can be reached from the beach of San Pietro in an hours walk. We recommend a boat tour to the nearby small islands of Basiluzzo, Dattilo and Lisca Bianca, to the Scoglio Bottaro (with its underwater "fumaroles"), and to the crags Lisca Nera, Panarelli and Le Formiche. Fields of golden corn cover the 420-metre-high peak of Pizzo del Corvo (the island's highest point) while the mountain slopes down towards the sea on the eastern side.
   
Salina

This isle is the second largest Aeolian island (26.8 km2). It was named after the little salted lake of Lingua lying at the south-eastern tip of Salma where the inhabitants once used to gather the salt needed to preserve capers and fish. This centrally located isle, lying two miles from Lipari, is the only Aeolian island (out of seven) covered with blooming vegetation suitable for agriculture thanks to its many water sources. More than 400 different types of plants grow here. It is also the island with the highest peaks such as the three volcanoes that originated it: Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 m), which is partially covered by one of the most beautiful strawberry tree woods of the entire Mediterranean; Monte dei Porri (860 m); and Monte Rivi (850 m). Besides the three villages of Santa Marina Salma (the biggest), Malfa and Leni there are also five hamlets: Lingua, Rinella, Valdichiesa, Pollara and Torricella. Salma, too, can take pride in its past during the Bronze Age, which is demon- strated by a grave, found in Malfa, dating back to the third millennium B.C. The remains are exhibited in the Museum of Lipari.
   
Stromboli

This 924 metre high lava mountain (Serra Vancori) which drops abruptly down to 2000 metres below sea-level is Europe's biggest active volcano after Etna. Its area of 12.6 km2 is visually dominated by the crater: a sort of suggestive natural lighthouse situated in the easternmost Aeolian island. During the night, the glittering "sciara" of fire (the red-hot flow descending towards the sea) can be seen from the boats and from Panarea. During the day, the smoke of the peak joins the steam raising up from the water that cools down the red-hot lava detritus which have plunged into the water after sliding down the slope of the coast. The white houses of the little village create a unique contrast with the black lava background dotted with dark-green bushes.
   
Vulcano

It was once called 'Hierà" (the sacred), but also "Termessa" or "Terrasia". Today it is famous for the baths in the warm waters of its submarine springs. This 21 km2, 500 metre high (Monte Aria) isle is the Aeolian island closest to the Sicilian coast. Its name is a clear description of its geography: a land of lava and fumarole, yellow sulphur rocks and black sands all worth a visit. There are three volcanoes on the island: the first extinguished since the prehistoric age; the second is Vulcanello (123 metres high and dormant since 183 B.C.); the last is Fossa di Vulcano (only the fumaroles are still active).

Food & Wine

All sorts of fish delicacies can be found on the local menus. Special attention must be given to the swordfish, a typical fish of these waters, which is caught according to a very ancient and extremely picturesque "rite". Other specialities are : "maccaruni", aubergine rolls, sweet and sour rabbit, smoked ricotta cheese and the aromatic capers (their flowers are called the 'orchids of the Aeolian Islands") There is also a selection of excellent, strong and spiced local wines.

History
The Cnidian settlers under Pentathlos arrived at Lipara in 580 BC and settled on the site of the modern village known as Castello or la Cittade. They named the islands after the Greek keeper of the winds, Aeolus, whose benevolence was essential. Outside Lipara, on the road to the necropolis, a sanctuary to Demeter and Persephone has been discovered. In 394 BC the Roman embassy consisting of Lucius Valerius, Lucius Sergius, and Aulus Manlius took a golden bowl that was made as a gift to Apollo, to Delphi. The diplomats were captured by Liparian pirates, but instead of being harmed the diplomats and their offering were protected by the magistrate Timasitheus and escorted safely to delphi, this made for peacefull relations between the two states.

The islands were the site of the Battle of the Lipari Islands in 260 BC between Rome and Carthage. Biblical historian Josephus mentioned a group that is probably related to the Aeolian islands: "Elisa gave name to the Eliseans, who were his subjects; they are now the Aeolians." Elisa refers to the biblical figure Elishah, grandson of Japheth, son of Javan.

In 1544, when Spain declared war on France, the French king Francois I, asked the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman for help. The latter sent a fleet headed by Khair ad Din (also known as Barbarossa) who was victorious over the Spaniards, and managed to retake Naples from them. In the course of the battle the Aeolian Islands were depopulated. Later immigrants from mainland Italy, Sicily and Spain re-established communities on the archipelago.

The Aeolian Islands have been listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.