The Aeolian archipelago consists of seven islands of volcanic origin. We have travelled through them and so are keen to tell you about their wonderful character and charm.
At the borders of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates we find the volcanic islands of the Aeolian Archipelago. The word “Archipelago” comes from the root “pelagic” meaning sea, and probably derives from “Aigaios pelago”, Aegean Sea, offering a set of similar and neighbouring islands. The Aeolian Archipelago is the result of volcanic activity that has made Sicily famous all over the world.
There is an overwhelming sensation that envelops you after witnessing the spectacle of a volcanic eruption on a starry night. It is the ephemeral feeling of being a tiny traveler in an immense universe- a helpless spectator in front of a raw and overwhelming primordial force. The acoustic and optical roar of Stromboli takes you straight to the origin of the Earth, when fire, roaring magma and steam governed the unfolding of incandescent days. This is an emotion that Pablo Neruda must have felt, of which he tells in the film testament of Troisi, the postman, shot in Salina, one of the seven magnificent islands: “Give me silence, water, hope. Give me the fight, the iron, the volcanoes”.
Panarea’s blue
Panarea is the smallest and lowest lying island of the Aeolian archipelago. A mountainous ridge divides it lengthwise and it is crossed by a tiring but satisfying walk (which can be split across two days). From the 421 m Punta Corvo you can enjoy a 360° view and appreciate the inaccessible coasts shaped by solidified lava. Getting off your charter yacht, we leave Drautto (named after a pirate) to reach the Punta Milazzese nature reserve, rich in Prehistory, to the south. A challenging staircase keeps less fit visitors on the Zimmari beach below. Another route to reach this wonderful and cosy beach is by sea, with your charter yacht or catamaran’s tender.
Traces of 23 oval huts incorporated in a rectangular enclosure are what remain of an ancient settlement, dating back 3400 years, protected by high cliffs overlooking the sea. Here materials of Mycenaean origin have been found, testifying to the role played by the Aeolian archipelago in the commercial traffic of the Mediterranean Sea over the years. The underlying beach of Cala Junco deserves a visit, to admire a lava flow consisting of prismatic basaltic columns with a polygon base. Further up, the path of the rock leads to the west coast. It turns north up to Punta Cardosi where you can enjoy a splendid view of Vulcano, Lipari, Salina and Filicudi.
To the east, for those who are tired, there is the escape route via a path that, through typical Aeolian vegetation, takes us down to the village. Instead, we continue to Punta Corvo from where, immersed in the arboreal heather and the strawberry trees, the view sweeps across the blue sea surrounding the archipelago. Along the western cliffs, the Mediterranean scrub, prickly pears, lentils, broom, capers, elematidae and centuries-old olive trees, accompany us until we pass. Punta Palisi with its view of Stromboli and the islets. This is the destination of many yachts, super yachts, sailing yachts and catamarans. Before arriving in Disella, if you are still bursting with energy, it is worthwhile to descend the100 m to the Calcara beach with its steaming fumaroles.
Stromboli, the young one
“Strobilos” means spinning top which is the shape of the Mediterranean lighthouse, a volcano with an almost perennial plume of smoke. In volcanology it gives its name to an eruptive typology: Strombolian eruption. This, the youngest island of the Aeolian Archipelago rises 3,000 m from the seabed: only a third is above the water and it’s easy to recognize and admire from your charter yacht!
From the extreme north-western offshoot of the town of Stromboli we take the “Salvatore di Rosa” mule track towards the west which climbs for 2 km to the “Osservatorio”. From here the view is already excellent but we suggest proceeding still further, climbing another 60 m to the monitoring station of the “Sciara del Fuoco”. The flow descends from the craters to the sea.
We recommend you admire this show both from land and from your charter yacht or catamaran. It is an alternating grey, black and brown colour punctuated by the green of the vegetation that painstakingly recaptures the space, tormented by the grazing of wild goats that move withease between the cliffs. We wait an hour for the sun to disappear on the horizon: from time to time a long, dull roar reveals the power that springs from the bowels of the earth. You return with the torches lit, along the same path towards your yacht or catamaran that awaits you.
For the southern route it is necessary to reach the hamlet of Ginostra with your charter yacht tender and climb about 140 m from the smallest place in the world to the observatory on the Sciara. All around is the evidence of the fires of 2019 caused by the burning lapilli.
The wild Lipari
Although it erupted for the last time in 1230, it is still an active volcano, albeit in a quiescent phase. Definitely worth a visit are the pumice canyon and quarry along the road that leads from Canneto to Porticello, however the route we propose develops along the western side. Challenging and wild, the 8 km journey starts from the Castellaro winery and reaches the San Calogero thermal baths in four hours. The first stretch of the route runs downhill along the terraces and ancient beaches formed during the last interglacial period.
We arrive at the Caolino quarries which in the Greek-Roman period were used for the manufacture of bricks. Active until the 1970s, they are formed by the sediments of a lake formed one hundred thousand years ago, and reveal the fossil footprints of laurels and dwarf palms, hence the name of Punta Palmeto. After the visit to the quarry, we continue downhill with another small detour to the right to smell the steaming fumaroles. The extensive grasslands of the Mediterranean poodle (Hyparrhenia Hirta) make the horizon sway supply in the wind.
The invasive vegetation sometimes makes the path not easily identifiable and long trousers are necessary to protect legs from scratches from the broom and other plants. We pass a reed bed that has colonized the gully (the only shady stretch) and continue downhill until we can view Punta Palmeto. The nearby rock, a stack rich in vegetation, is home to dwarf palms. From Cala Fico you go up to the ancient thermal baths of San Calogero, of which an abandoned yellow nineteenth-century building remains. From here to Piano Conte for 2.5 km you can enjoy a beautiful evening view of the sea with the sunset reddening the prickly pears, enhancing their silhouettes.
The sacred rites of Vulcano
“Vulcanu”, as the Sicilians call it, was known in the olden days as Therasia, sacred to the God of earthly fire. For the Greeks it was Hiera, where the forges of Hephaestus, God of fire and blacksmith who had the Cyclops as helpers, were located. Some archaeologists believe that it was to here, from all the Aeolian islands, the dead were transported to be purified by the Gods with sacred rites. It is worth discovering the coasts with your yacht or catamaran from Lentia, above Piscina Venere (north-west) to the Gelso district, in the south.
If you want to get even closer to the coast and admire every detail, taking advantage of your charter yacht’s tender, would be the best solution! An unmissable route, however, is the one that leads to the main mountain, the Vulcano della Fossa (386 m), where you can appreciate the isthmus that connects Vulcanello to the northern part of the island, separated until the12th century. The climb is quite demanding but rewarding. The path corroded by wind and rain is dusty and near the crater it turns yellow from the sulphur. The steam jets of boric acid and ammonium chloride advise you to keep your distance from the fumaroles, but the view of the crater and the 360 ° passage makes this excursion unforgettable.
This short article offers our clients the opportunity to discover a more unique part of the Aeolian Archipelago, taking advantage of a yacht charter and all its creature comforts, but at the same time allowing you to delve into the wild side of the Aeolian Islands: one of our favourite and flagship destinations.
In Italy Yacht for Charter, it is a superb proposal for lovers of the sea and land, beaches and mountains. Those who love nature will feel totally fulfilled.
This article was written based on an article in the Mountains 360˚ magazine, by CAI (Club Aplinistico Italiano) and we suggest you ask for further information before venturing along the archipelago trails or ask your charter yacht crew for support.
