Aeolian islands

[Zerogravity]

Hello. Could I have your tips for the Aeolian islands/northeast Sicily for a last minute break? Thanks!!!!

I went there twice in the 90s, but I suspect they haven't changed much. What info do you need? My hotel recommendations will be rather out of date, but if you're going in July you'll hopefully find something. August will be harder as they are very popular with Italians and all Italians take the month of August off and go to the beach.

We're going in August if we can find accommodation. I just wondered which islands are best for staying on or visiting and what there is to see in that area. We'll hopefully be visiting friends in Capo d'Orlando but don't know what else there is to see. I really want to go to Palermo but dh says it's too far!

Also is it worth getting a boat tour round Stromboli? And is there anywhere nice to go that won't be horrendously hot and crowded? 😆

If you want to go in August you need somewhere to stay asap as it's peak holiday season and this year, with so few people travelling abroad, it will be very busy with Italians.

Lipari is the main island, the transport hub and has the most tourist infrastructure. It's a nice island and a good base if you only want to spend a few days in the islands. You could realistically stay there and take day trips to the other ones via hydrofoil.

Stromboli is amazing and you definitely want to see it at night so you can watch the volcanic eruptions. I recommend staying on the island if you can and doing the walk up the volcano with Magmatrek, as it's one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life. I don't think you can go up to the top any more, as it's considered too dangerous, but seeing the eruptions with your own eyes is truly incredible. You can do it by boat trip if this is your preferred option or if you can't find anywhere to stay.

What is there to do? Mostly, it's walking, a few ruins, there's a museum on Lipari, there's Malvasia wine to taste, black sand beaches, swimming/snorkelling, boat trips, and volcanoes. You can walk around the rim of the one on Vulcano, which also has mud baths you can lounge in and which smell of sulphur. It's a beautiful and other-worldly place! It will be hot though in August.

Thanks. Dh reckons we won't need to book but that's obviously crazy! The trekking sounds amazing but I think August might be too hot.

I've been a couple of times. Salina is my favourite island, it's got (IMO) the right amount of development but manages to be unspoilt, Rinella is particularly lovely. Lipari town is really nice, but I found the island perhaps the most workaday of all, for example there's a quarry and fairly busy roads. Vulcano is really interesting, just a nice green island with a huge orange vulcano bursting out of it. It also has a lovely black sand beach (beaches are a bit lacking in the islands on the whole), and a really nice Sicilian/Indian fusion restaurant, but some of the holiday accommodation looks a bit scruffy. I've only been to Panarea and Stromboli in a day trips, but impressions of Panarea was that it's not as expensive as I was expecting, but it's small and twee, and looked like the Mamma Mia set, and is my least favourite. Stromboli is spectacular even if not much is happening in the volcano when you visit. It's basically a black triangle rising out of the sea, it seems incredible that people wanted to settle there. It's quite touristy but has a charming, scruffy rough and ready feel. Alicudi and Filicudu I've not been to, but plan to. If you're planning on island hopping, boats seem to go from everywhere to everywhere, but it makes sense to base yourself in a central island, such as Salina or Lipari.

@Poudrenez Thanks!