The Aeolian Islands, which are about 35mi off the coast of Sicily, are considered one of the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean. The islands are Alicudi, Filicudi, Paneara, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, and the main island, Lipari. They have an amazing history and their volcanoes are a geographical wonder.

The islands history is a long and complicated one. After Greeks colonized them in around 588bc, possession of the islands switched back and forth from Carthage to Rome to pirates and so on, until Naples took it over. In 1544, however, the fierce pirate Ariadeno Barbrossa sacked the islands and took all its inhabitants away as slaves. Ever since Charles the 5th of Naples rebuilt and populated them, the islands have been under Italian rule.

The islands don't have many protected bays, and you can't spend much time in any anchorage without the weather getting nasty, but it's all worth it to see the volcanoes. There are two active volcanoes in the Aeolian Islands, Vulcano and Stromboli. In Vulcano you have hike up to see anything, and when you get to the top you can see sulfur in the crater and sulfur gas coming out of large vents around the rim. The last time it erupted was about 150 years ago. Stromboli is much more exciting, but it takes 5 ½ hours to get to the top and back down. Stromboli is constantly erupting, and if you get to the top at night you can see the glowing magma shooting out of the ground every 15-20 minutes. Seeing Stromboli erupt is one of the most spectacular things to witness in the world.

My family and I had many extraordinary experiences in the Aeolian
Islands. The first island we visited was Vulcano. We decided to hike up, and after lunch we started up the road. All the paths up the mountain were black because they were made from crushed lava rock. Once at the top, we started around the rim, but we couldn't go close to the sulfur vents without gas masks. After 3 days on Vulcano, we went to the main island of Lipari. Lipari is famous for its obsidian (it only comes out of a few volcanoes in the world), which every shop on the island sells. It also has a very large museum with old coins, maps of what the islands used to look like, and an infinite supply of ancient jugs and pots. After spending only one day there we sailed over to the most ancient island, Paneara. Possibly the most beautiful island, it is covered in flowers and has spectacular hikes. Once we got there, we walked over to one of the smallest yet best towns in the whole archipelago, where we got the most delicious coconut ice cream and Dad did the one of the most scenic hike he has ever done. We also visited the remains of a 3500-year-old stone hut. We stayed there another 4 nights until we went to our final destination, Stromboli. This was definitely one of the most spectacular places on Earth. There wasn't much of a town there, but if you go to one of the many hiking places you can sign up for a once in a lifetime trip. We signed up at a highly recommended place, and started up with about 15 other hikers. By the time we got to the top it was dark out, and something happened that took our breath away. At first, everything was silent. Then there was a rumble and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM! Red-hot lava shot out of a small hole about 300 feet away, and before our eyes it turned into little pieces of black rock. We saw 4 or 5 explosions before we turned and went on the long journey back down to the boat. I have had some of the best experiences of my life at the Aeolian Islands. If you ever find yourself in the Mediterranean, you have to go to the fun, scenic, and exiting Aeolian Islands.

Lipari Photos
Panarea Photos
Stromboli Photos