I had the opportunity in June to visit four of the Aeolian Islands. I visited Panarea and Stromboli on my own, while John and Emily accompanied me on a tour to Lipari and Vulcano.
You can often spot some of the Aeolian Island chain in photos of the sea we take from Capo d'Orlando. On a clear day we can see Alicudi, Filicudi, Salina, Lipari, and Vulcano. The Aeolian Islands are a UNESCO site.
Aeolian Islands in relation to Capo d'Orlando.
Salina, Lipari, and Vulcano
Alicudi, Filicudi, and Salina
Visiting the islands has been high on our bucket list, but they are a little challenging for us to get to. Tours from Capo d'Orlando are only available in the high season, when it is too hot for us. Otherwise, we have to depart from Milazzo, which presents its own challenges: While accessible by train, the city (and port) is far from the station (I knew this not only from the map, but also from John's visit there to the emergency room in 2024).
We had planned to go last summer, but 2024 was the summer of "the Fall," so we never had the opportunity. However, this year, I had to go to Milazzo to take the language exam required to begin the citizenship process, so I had to figure out how to get from the train station to the city. Turns out, there are actually taxis (this is not typical in smaller cities)!
Getting ready to start my exam.
I spent two nights in Milazzo, with the day before my exam set aside for a last bit of studying. However, I found that studying was stressing me out even more, so I decided to spend my free day on a tour to two of the islands. I was right there, after all!
Before I move on to the islands, here are a few photos from around Milazzo:
There was a nice lungomare with many benches and opportunities for shade.
Milazzo's lungomare even has a ferris wheel. It was very colorful at night and made an interesting contrast to the
castle in the background. It was too hot and not enough time on this trip to go explore the castle, but I plan to return at another time.
The marina was nice and especially pretty after sunset with June's Strawberry Moon shining down.
When I saw this
bar on the map, I had to try it for my snack. Tuppo specializes in all types of brioche, including fried and filled ones. I tried the one with pistacchio filling. OMG, it's worth going to Milazzo just for this!
Tuppo is the word for the little top on the brioche bun, which comes from its reference to a hair bun or topknot. I loved that even the occhie di bue cookies had a 'tuppo.'
The comune office had this beautiful, large courtyard. Nice for special events!
Some flowery details.
Two churches spotted during my meanderings.
My tour began at noon and ended close to midnight. I chose this tour for two reasons: 1) it would keep me out late so I would be sure to sleep the night before my exam; and, 2) it included a portion of sailing at sunset in addition to visiting two islands. It was about a two hour journey to get to the first stop, Panarea, which included passing slowly by Lipari and Vulcano.
The sail out to Panarea was pretty, with lots of cool, fresh air. Nice on a hot day! I'm not 100% sure of this, but I believe the first picture is of Lipari and Vulcano, and the other photos of Panarea and a nearby islet called Basiluzzo.
We slowly approached the port in Panarea, pausing to look at the scenery and all the boats the "other half" were enjoying in the clear, beautiful waters. Panarea is a popular vacation spot for celebrities and other such folks, particularly because it is surrounded by many small islets that can only be accessed by private boat. You can learn more about Panarea as a vacation destination
here.
Our boat at the Panarea dock. I liked this ferry better than the one we took to Lipari and Vulcano. It had more open-air spaces and places to walk around.
Getting to the beach or the historical area involved taking a golf cart (no cars allowed) taxi. I wasn't feeling up to figuring all of that out, so I stayed in the small port area. I grabbed some lunch, did a little window shopping, stocked up on water, and did some people watching. The bar where I had a lunch had a nice spice garden outside. The basil smelled so good.
Before moving on to Stromboli, we took some time to sail around all of the surrounding islets. I really liked this part. The tour description said the following: Passage through the volcanic remains of the ancient volcano of Panarea, which make up a mini-archipelago in front of the island: Datillo, Panarelli, Lisca Bianca, Bottaro and finally Basiluzzo, where there is an ancient crater, the "Grotta del Carbone."
I've no idea which island is which. But they were spectacular, as was the surrounding water!


I thought the rock formation on this one (just right of center) looked like an elephant.


Wow!
Next up, Stromboli. If you've heard of any of the Islands, this is probably the one. We sailed past it at night on our first Mediterranean cruise in 2007. John and I also got some nice views of it on our MSC cruise in March.
Stromboli at sunset, at sea on Carnival Freedom. We could see sparks!
Stromboli just after sunrise, at sea on MSC World Europa. This was fun to see, because we can't actually see Stromboli from Capo d'Orlando. And we knew we were close to home.
You can learn about Stromboli tourism
here.
The first thing I noticed approaching the port was the beautiful black sand beach. I was wishing I had my bathing suit. Stromboli's landscape reminded me very much of São Miguel Island in the Azores, a spot we have visited a few times on Transatlantic cruises and really enjoyed.
I had a little meander around. I may have eaten granita for dinner!
Lastly, I went to check out the water. Look how clear it is! It was so refreshing. I definitely want to return to swim here.
Back on the ferry, we spent the next bit of time sailing around to the other side of Stromboli, to the area called Sciara del Fuoco. Here we were on the hunt to see an eruption and to check out
Strombolicchio. All of this was against the backdrop of a gorgeous sunset!
The other side. We did see an eruption. However, I didn't have my phone out at that time.
Strombolicchio is a remnant of the original vulcano that produced Stromboli.
The sunset was beautiful. I was also on the lookout for the moon rise, because this trip took place during the period of the Strawberry Full Moon.
For the second trip, we were able to depart from Capo d'Orlando's marina, since high season had begun. The marina isn't walking distance from where we live, but the tour company offered pick-up and drop-off near our apartment for a small additional fee (un piccolo costo aggiuntivo - I just recently learned that phrase). The tour lasted from about 9 - 6.
At the marina.
Our rides arrives.




Since Lipari and Vulcano are closer to Capo d'Orlando, the ride out was not as long as on my previous tour. We had a pretty day for enjoying all of the blue.
Scenery approaching the islands.
Lipari port. Lipari reminded me a bit of Cefalù. You can learn more about Lipari as a vacation destination
here.
First stop was a bar for a refreshing snack. John and I tried watermelon granita for the first time. Yum! Emily suggested we try a glass of a wine specific to Lipari (she had done her research!) called
Malvasia delle Lipari. It was quite tasty.
After our snack, I meandered around to take some photos, while Emily went for a deeper explore. John and I also visited the Presepe del Mare in the port area.
My mini photo essay.
Emily's mini photo essay.
Presepe del Mare is an extensive nativity located in an old church at the port. It is a replica of the main street and prominent structures in Lipari. The level of detail was amazing. There were even goldfish swimming in the 'sea.'
Our final stop was Vulcano, where Emily and I planned to swim. Upon arrival, we sent John off to a bar for some refreshment, then we did the 10 minute walk to the nearest beach. It was pretty hot in the full afternoon sun, and I have to be honest we were mostly disappointed with our swim. The beach was next to the natural thermal mud baths (which were closed because of the heat), so the water was not the clear, cool paradise to which I'm accustomed. Also, the sulfur smell was not particularly pleasant. As well, the beach was extremely crowded, so it was difficult to navigate around.
Vulcano
At the black sand beach. It was difficult to swim here, as there were huge boulders that you couldn't really see because the water was not clear, because of the vicinity to the mud baths.
We had a nice meal, including this delicious salad, while we waited for the ferry to return.
Vulcano is pretty, and I'm sure it's lovely for hiking, but it just wasn't a good fit for us. You can learn more about vacationing on Vulcano
here. What I did enjoy was sailing around the
Faraglioni di Lipari and others after departing Vulcano!
I Faraglioni
Summary: I imagine that any of the islands would be fun to stay on overnight for a deeper explore. As for day trips, my favorites were Stromboli and Lipari. I definitely want to return to Stromboli for swimming (I'd also hike there, if I hiked, LOL), and Lipari has many interesting things I'd like to explore (when it is cooler). All three of us want Salina to be included on our next day adventure. And, I imagine we'll take a mini-vacation in the Islands some time.
Before I close, in case you are wondering about the exam in Milazzo ...
Ho superato l'esame di lingua!
We celebrated with gelato! I've been wanting to try Neopolitan in a brioche, but I haven't yet because it's definitely a sharing dessert. Emily agreed to share with me. Yum! This is not the neopolitan ice cream sandwich of my youth, LOL. It got me wondering how that ice cream treat got its name, so John went on the hunt for
an explanation. Very interesting. Next up, spumoni!
Congratulations on passing your language exam! Fabulous pictures and information as always. 💕
ReplyDeleteGrazie!
DeleteI have loved spumoni since my first introduction to it in my youth. It is a rare find in a grocery store but I sometimes find it at Christmas. It would almost be worth all that plane travel just to try it in Italy!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved it too. To get a high quality is difficult. When we visited Michigan in 2022, I bought some from an Italian store that I remember liking, but it wasn't very good. I've not found anything here called spumoni, but I realized I could make my own by having the bar give me pistacchio, amarena, and cioccolato. You'll have to come try! If you have the time, you can come to Europe by ship. :)
DeleteBig Congratulations on passing your exam, and thank you again for meeting me in Rome! You guys are the absolute BEST! ..and your photos are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteGrazie mille! Thank you for taking time from your trip to spend with us. We really enjoyed it! I'll eventually get around to blogging about and sharing photos from our visit, LOL.
DeleteYou're looking happy and healthy. John looks like he lost a bunch of wight. I hope he's feeling better after what he went through.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the island pictures, it looks like life among the dormant volcanoes. :-)
Good luck with the citizenship.
Thanks! We both shed some kilos after living here a while - more exercise, healthier food, etc. Then JV lost quite a bit through the "hospital and rehabilitation diet," as he calls it. He's feeling better, still working on strengthening to, hopefully, ditch (or at least minimize) using the crutch. I'll need those good luck wishes for the citizenship slog. It's hard being an immigrant! But, am always happy and grateful to live here. Yes, volcanoes abound. :) Not always dormant, yikes!
DeleteAlways love following your adventures! The scenery and the food look amazing! Congrats on passing your language exam! I had to laugh at the line "I'd also hike there, if I hiked"!! I have said similar things at some of our National Parks!
ReplyDelete