Discover the Aeolian Islands on a yacht

Cruise through the Aeolian Islands on a yacht

 

The best way to immerse oneself in the magical atmosphere of the Aeolian Islands is on a rented sailboat, motorboat, or catamaran. The archipelago lays scattered in the blue waters of the Northern Sicilian coast, where the Tyrrhenian Sea is transparent as glass. The allure of ancient volcanoes, hidden caves, and unspoiled nature attracts tourists with the promise of perfect trips and excursions.

Although close to each other each island has a separate identity. This is why a luxury yacht tour of the Aeolian Islands, a UNESCO Heritage Site, is an unforgettable travel experience.

 

Lipari, the biggest island

Lipari is the first stop of a yacht tour of the Aeolians. Travel for about two hours from Milazzo to Lipari and find yourself surrounded by an intoxicating landscape and wonderful vistas that will be hard to forget. This is the only island of the archipelago with an urban outline with the castle built on an old volcanic rock housing the Archeological Museum. After a stroll among the typical shops, restaurants, and clubs of Via Vittorio Emanuele, have a drink with your friends in Piazzetta di Marina Corta. The turquoise hue of the sea at Spiaggia della Papesca is due to the presence of pumice dust in the water.

 

Rural and quiet Salina

Rent a catamaran in Sicily to time your holiday to the rhythm of the sea, discovering exclusive locations hidden from more popular tourist destinations. Salina, also known as the Green Island for its luxurious vegetation, owes its name to a small lake of seawater that once yielded salt. Renowned are also the Malvasia wine and local biscuits produced on the island. In 1994 the Neapolitan actor-director Massimo Troisi chose Salina as the location of some of the most memorable scenes of his last film “Il Postino” (The Postman), whose iconic house is still visible in the outskirts of Pollara. Salina is a gem of the Aeolian archipelago, where tourists can bathe in the waters of a prehistoric underwater crater whose outline, molded by centuries of fire, sea, and wind, is barely visible. Enjoy one of the most spectacular sunsets of the Mediterranean and the intense hues embraced by an incomparable nature.

 

Wild and remote Alicudi

A handful of houses and shops, no cars or motorbikes, just chestnuts and basswoods, journeys on the back of a donkey and the silence of the sea that here is clearer than ever. Introspective and quiet Alicudi is the perfect destination if you want to get back to a slower lifestyle or just go on a one-day digital detox! The island is far from the stylish crowds of Panarea and Stromboli, the absence of public lighting making the sky all the more enchanting and starry at night.

 

Chic Filicudi

Filicudi is a destination for lovers of trekking, the perfect site to go on long walks on the old mule tracks that connect the small towns and go up to the island’s highest peak at 774 mt above sea level. Hop on a rented sailboat or yacht to visit the best spots of the coastline, such as Scoglio della Fortuna, the seastack called “la Canna”, and the Bue Marino grotto. The latter is a diving spot boasting underwater canyons and large fields of posidonia.

 

Trendy Panarea

Panarea is the smallest and most glamorous of the Aeolian Islands. With its white houses surrounded by colorful boungavillea and hibiscus, it is a must-visit destination of a yacht tour of the archipelago. Panarea features Cala degli Zimmari, a bay enclosed between two stacks of volcanic rock, and Spiaggia della Calcarea with hot steam jets rising from the soil. The promontory of Punta Milazzese houses the remains of a prehistoric village dating to the Bronze Age. Enjoy an afternoon drink at Bancalii Panarea before having a dish of fresh fish à la Eoliana on the terrace overlooking the sea at Da Francesco (Trip Advisor’s top choice restaurant of Panarea).

Primordial charm: Stromboli and Vulcano

A cruise of the Aeolian Islands holds the promise of great experiences like hiking to the top of Vulcano’s on a path of red sand that looks like it is from another planet and marvel at the breathtaking scene of Cratere della Fossa Coronata with its clouds of hot steam. The energy bursting from the heart of the islands in sulfurous offshore areas and spots of natural mud adds to the unique charm of the archipelago.

Every fifteen minutes Stromboli’s volcano erupts in a spectacular scene of incandescent lava that lights up the Sicilian night. Rent a sailboat to make the best of your tour of the Aeolian Islands, their wonderful stretches of black sand, lovely coves and grottos hiding among cliffs of volcanic stone.

 

Have you already chosen your favorite island or will you let the archipelago’s magnetic charm seduce you?

 

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