Constellations speckled the midnight sky like luminous sand scattered across an ink black carpet. Below, phosphorescent jellyfish filled the sea with innumerable pinpricks of light, mimicking the stars overhead.
Between sea and sky, the island of Stromboli loomed before us, a hulking inverted V pointing to the heavens. The captain cut the engine and we waited in silence, away from village lights to best witness the volcano’s spasms.
Soon, smoke, backlit red, billowed from the cone. Seconds later, a deep rumble and a hose of fire sprayed crimson sparks into the sky. As if in slow motion, the sparks fell earthward, red hot boulders tumbling down—and building—the mountain from which they were born. The stark act of Creation was taking place before our eyes.
The spectacular volcano of Stromboli epitomizes the rugged beauty of the Aeolian Islands. These pinpoints of land off the northeastern coast of Sicily—the peaks of (mostly) dormant undersea volcanoes—have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a maritime reserve. Thousands come from the world over to trek to Stromboli’s crater, splay on its black sand beaches and relax in its cafes. Accommodations run from the elegant La Sirinetta Park Hotel to the rustic.
While Stromboli has a remote, end-of-the-world feel, each of the Aeolians has its own distinct personality. Lipari draws day visitors from nearby Sicily and is the jumping off point for the other islands. Vulcano’s mud baths and thermal waters have a special appeal, while jet setters rent pricey villas on chic Panarea. All connect to the basic elements of life—sun, sea and the fruits of the earth.
Salina, the lushest of the islands, stands out as my personal favorite. Even as tourism grows in economic importance, Salina retains its rural agricultural character and relaxed pace, thanks in no small part to strict building codes that bar virtually all new construction (or even expansion of existing structures).
The verdant flanks of Salina’s twin extinct volcanoes are cultivated in grape, vegetables and fruits that find their way to shops and tables. Connoisseurs of fine food and wine find plenty for the palate here. Sicilian lemon, orange, almond and pistachio flavor the granite, or ices, at Alfredo’s, a major attraction in the seaside town of Santa Marina. Shops offering jewelry, clothing and ceramics share the commercial district with restaurants and cafes along a waterfront busy with fishing boats and pleasure craft.
Santa Marina is one of several towns on the coast and hills of Salina. Pollara (which appeared in the film Il Postino) is little more than a cluster of houses on the floor of an ancient volcanic crater perched above the sea. Malfa is more substantial, its stucco and cement homes clinging to the hillside and heights above a port.
Steps from the town square and cathedral in Malfa, the boutique Hotel Ravesi is owned and run by the same family that has lived on the property for generations. Lorenzo and his mother Carolina Ravesi lovingly tend to the hotel and guests. Fourteen high-ceilinged rooms overlook a garden of fruit trees and palms, and the blue Mediterranean. The old wine cellar has been converted into an open dining area. Breakfast is served on a shaded patio next to the infinity-edge pool with a view of the sea beyond. A photo in the dining area captures the extended Ravesi family gathered for a feast day in the 1920s. Carolina told the stories of her ancestors, those who worked the fields of Salina and Sicily, and those who emigrated to Boston in the early 20th century. Lucky for us, some stayed behind.
Next door, the charming Hotel Signum features an outdoor spa built on the plans of ancient Roman thermal bath. Underground sauna, hot, warm and cold immersion pools, massage and volcanic mud treatments relax the body and renew the soul. Like most lodges on Salina, the Sigmund is privately owned and operated.
For hikers, the trail to Salina’s fern-carpeted peak, Fossa della Felci, is less challenging—and much greener—than the lunar ascent to Stromboli’s fiery vent. (Many paths lace the island, from easy to medium treks.) The three-hour climb traverses hillsides of wildflowers, ancient chestnut and oak beneath the falcon’s gyre. From the summit, the highest point in the archipelago, the island chain spreads before you like a string of pearls.
Of course, the proper perspective for experiencing the Aeolians is from the sea. Each island can be circled easily, and the distance between them short, so get on a boat, whether it’s for an afternoon or a few days, and emulate the sea-faring people who first visited the Aeolians millennia ago.
Caterina Merlino fulfilled the imperative for me. Uprooting herself from Sydney to return to her family’s ancestral home of Salina, Caterina opened Salina Relax Boats (www.salinarelaxboats.com) in Santa Marina. Charming and vivacious with the warmth of Sicily and an Aussie’s outgoing nature, Caterina and her partner Simone run affordable excursions around Salina and the islands for groups and individuals. If don’t have a group, they’ll put one together and by the end of the journey you’ll all be friends.
Caterina took us to the ancient fishing port of Pollara where boats are stored in hand-dug caves, to rock formations and arches approachable only by sea, and to calm tidal pools where we swam in turquoise waters. Sun, sea and a wooden boat in the Mediterranean—an elemental experience that captures the timeless soul of the Aeolian Islands.
Getting There
The Aeolians retain their character—and appeal—because they’re somewhat remote. There is no air service to the islands, but during the high (summer) season, hydrofoil service runs from Naples and Palermo to Lipari. Year round, ferry service to Lipari, the largest of the Aeolians, runs from Milazzo on Sicily. Numerous boats are available at Lipari to take you to Salina, Vulcano, Panarea and Stromboli. Eurofly (www.euroflyusa.com) has non-stop service to Naples and Palermo from New York-JFK.
For more information on travel to Italy, Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, and Salina, go to Italian Tourist Board , Aeolian hotels and information, and Salina Island.
C.W. Ellis is a freelance writer based in New York City.
