Must-see attractions in Aeolian Islands

  • Smoke Signals

    Stromboli Crater

    Stromboli

    For nature lovers, climbing Stromboli is one of Sicily's not-to-be-missed experiences. Since 2005 access has been strictly regulated: you can walk freely…

  • View from Belvedere Quattrocchi, Lipari, Aeolian Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean, Europe

    Quattrocchi

    Lipari

    Lipari's best coastal views are from a celebrated viewpoint known as Quattrocchi (Four Eyes), 3km west of town. Follow the road for Pianoconte and look on…

  • ITALY - APRIL 08: Amphorae in the Archaeological Museum of Lipari, island of Lipari, Sicily, Italy. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

    Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano

    Lipari

    A must-see for Mediterranean history buffs, Lipari's archaeological museum has one of Europe's finest collections of ancient finds. Especially worthwhile…

  • Sailboat in the bay of the Valle Muria, Lipari island, Sicily, Italy, Europe

    Spiaggia Valle Muria

    Lipari

    Lapped by clean waters and surrounded by sheer cliffs, this dark, pebbly beach on Lipari's southwestern shore is a dramatically beautiful swimming and…

  • Sciara del Fuoco Viewpoint

    Stromboli

    An alternative to scaling Stromboli's summit is the hour-long climb to this viewpoint (400m, no guide required), which directly overlooks the Sciara del…

  • Cala Junco - small bay of Panarea - one of Aeolian Islands near Sicily (Italy). Lipari and Salina islands visible on the horizon.

    Cala Junco

    Panarea

    Directly below Panarea's prehistoric village, about 45 minutes south of San Pietro, steps lead down to this gorgeous little cove with a rock-strewn beach…

  • Town Centre

    Lipari

    One of Lipari Town's great pleasures is simply wandering its streets, lapping up the laid-back island atmosphere. Lipari's liveliest street is Corso…

  • Pollara

    Salina

    Don't miss a trip to sleepy Pollara, sandwiched dramatically between the sea and the steep slopes of an extinct volcanic crater on Salina's western edge…

  • Villaggio Preistorico

    Panarea

    Dramatically sited on Punta Milazzese, an elevated headland surrounded by the sea, these round foundations of 22 stone huts are the only vestiges of a…

  • L'Osservatorio

    Lipari

    Down near Lipari's southwesternmost tip, this high perch commands unparalleled views south to Vulcano (backed by Mt Etna on a clear day), and west into a…

  • Citadel

    Lipari

    After the pirate Barbarossa rampaged through in 1544, murdering most of Lipari's men and enslaving the women, the island's Spanish overlords fortified…

  • Malfa

    Salina

    Tumbling down the hillside to a small shingle beach, this settlement on Salina's north coast is the island's largest, though you'd never guess it from the…

  • Santa Marina Salina

    Salina

    Salina's main port, Santa Marina is a typical island settlement with steeply stacked whitewashed houses rising up the hillside. The principal street is…

  • Lingua

    Salina

    Three kilometres south of Santa Marina Salina, the tiny village of Lingua is a popular summer hang-out, with a couple of hotels, a few trattorias and a…

  • Red House

    Stromboli

    Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini lived together in this rusty-red house while filming Stromboli, Terra di Dio in 1949. Their liaison provoked a…

  • Spiaggia della Calcara

    Panarea

    At Panarea's northeastern corner, this pebbly beach with full-on Stromboli views and jets of hot water escaping from undersea fumaroles is reached via a…

  • Cattedrale di San Bartolomeo

    Lipari

    A fine example of 17th-century baroque architecture, the Aeolians' 'mother church' was built to replace the 11th-century Norman cathedral destroyed by…

  • Spiaggia della Papesca

    Lipari

    Below Campo Bianco and the abandoned pumice mines at Porticello, this pebble beach is nicknamed Spiaggia Bianca in reference to the layers of white pumice…

  • Museo dell'Emigrazione Eoliana

    Salina

    This small museum, tucked behind the church on the main road above Malfa, documents the emigration of thousands of residents from Salina and the other…

  • Spiaggia di Canneto

    Lipari

    The nearest beach to Lipari Town, and the most popular swimming spot on the island, is the long, pebbly strip at Canneto, 3km north of town on the other…

  • Spiaggetta Zimmari

    Panarea

    This small stretch of brown sand backed by a steep overgrown dune, about 25 minutes on foot south of San Pietro, is Panarea's only sandy beach and gets…

  • Spiaggia di Piscità

    Stromboli

    Backed by rugged bluffs, this moderate-sized stretch of black-sand beach lies 2km west of Stromboli's port, at the edge of the small whitewashed…

  • Dattilo

    Panarea

    Reachable only by private boat, this dramatic islet off Panarea's east coast is best known for the pretty Le Guglie swimming spot at its southwestern tip.

  • Forgia Vecchia

    Stromboli

    About 300m south of the port, Forgia Vecchia is a long stretch of black pebbles curving around a tranquil bay and backed by the volcano's green slopes.

  • Basiluzzo

    Panarea

    The largest of the five islets off Panarea's east coast, Basiluzzo is given over to the cultivation of capers and can only be visited by private boat.

  • Lisca Bianca

    Panarea

    Only accessible by private boat, this islet off Panarea's east coast offers good swimming on a small white beach.

  • Rinella

    Salina

    This tiny hamlet on the south coast is Salina's second port, regularly served by hydrofoils and ferries. Pastel-coloured houses huddle around the…

  • Campo Bianco

    Lipari

    A few kilometres north of the beach at Canneto lies the Campo Bianco quarry, where huge gashes of white rock streak down the green hillside. These are the…

  • Bottaro

    Panarea

    Measuring only 7300 sq metres, Bottaro is the second smallest of Panarea's offshore islands. The island itself is of negligible interest, but scuba divers…

  • Parco Archeologico

    Lipari

    In the sunken area opposite Lipari's cathedral, you can see the remains of a series of circular huts, the oldest of which date to the 17th century BC…

  • Spiaggia di Ficogrande

    Stromboli

    Stromboli's black sandy beaches are the best in the Aeolian archipelago. The most accessible and popular swimming and sunbathing is at Ficogrande, a strip…

  • Chiesa di San Vincenzo

    Stromboli

    A major Stromboli landmark, San Vincenzo is the island's main church. In mid- to late afternoon, the square out front becomes a gathering point for…

  • Lisca Nera

    Panarea

    The smallest of Panarea's offshore islands, Lisca Nera is nothing more than a speck of rock protruding from the sea.