Mediterranean > Aeolian Islands

An Introduction to our Aeolian Island holidays
rich with natural beauty

Holiday Options offer a small selection of the finest Aeolian Island hotels located off the island of Sicily. Most of our client choose to spend a week on the island of Sicily and a week on the Aeolian island of Lipari staying at the beautiful Hotel Rocce Azzurre.

Our Aeolian Island flights include Flying to Catania, Sicily and transfering to the northeast port of Milazzo. From Milazzo travel to Lipari is by scheduled ferryboat or hydrofoil service (journey time by hydrofoil approximately 1 hour and at a local cost of approximately euro 14 per person in each direction). The journey normally incurs a stop at Vulcano en route. The Aeolian Islands are accessed by a range of Sicily flights that include

London Gatwick to Catania

Manchester to Catania.

Simply use the column on the right hand side of this page to view the island of Lipari as well as detail on the accommodation we have available. At any stage you can book the Aeolian Island Holiday or Sicily holiday of your dreams by using our search and book box.

On our Aeolian Islands holiday you will discover a remote and escapist destination, rich with stunning natural beauty, a brilliant clear light, unpolluted seas teeming with fish and a soporific way of life in romantic isolation.

The Aeolian Islands

Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands and is the ideal base from which to visit the other fascinating and dramatic islands. During your stay on Lipari you should explore the island by bus or hire a taxi for the day, which is the most rewarding and popular method.

There are restaurants and bars around the port and some interesting shopping and restaurants in the main street, Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle 111, which is closed to traffic in the evenings. Ferries and hydrofoils ply the harbour and offer enjoyable transportation to the other islands should you not wish to take one of the hotel’s excursions with an English-speaking guide.

Vulcano - The Gran Cratere hangs menacingly over the island's inhabited northern tip, its plume of vapour a silent reminder of its awesome power. The crater can be climbed in about an hour by reasonably fit persons, and you should also visit the mud baths in its natural springs. There are good hotels and restaurants for refreshments before taking the 15 minutes return ferry to Lipari.
Salina – Salina can be reached by hydrofoil in about 30 minutes. This is the greenest of the islands and its backbone is of two extinct volcanoes. The twin cones are carpeted with abundant terraces of violet-flowered capers, grape vines and trees. There are small hotels and restaurants and the island supports its own bus service.

Stromboli - Stromboli is the most spectacular of all the islands, an active volcano which has burst forth from the sea. This black giant, which stands in contrast against the intense blue sea, rises to a height of around 2200m and throws out showers of rocks and sparks every 20 minutes or so. Undaunted, people have always lived beneath it in low, white-washed houses with beautiful gardens. A visit to awesome Stromboli will be an unforgettable climax to any visit to the Aeolian Islands.

Panarea - Panarea is the smallest of the islands, and is certainly one of the prettiest, surrounded by clusters of islets and clear blue sea. It is almost Greek in aspect, with a surreal feel created by its pristine white houses and pastel doors and shutters, and each house is bedecked with plants and flowers. There are leafy lanes lined with fruit trees, and attractive driveways, yet there are no cars. Panarea’s cosy intimacy has created a retreat for the rich and famous, many of whom arrive from the Riviera in their opulent yachts.

Alicudi - To say that Alicudi is ‘as quiet as the grave’ would be to endow churchyards with a rather boisterous reputation. Nevertheless it is this quietude that attracts the few tourists who visit.

The island forms a beautiful volcanic cone, and there are some pleasant walks, but it is still the back of beyond!

Filicudi - Although bigger than Alicudi, this island is considered remote even by the natives of Lipari. However, it is a beautiful island to explore on foot, with spectacular paths crisscrossing their way along mountain terraces with craggy volcanic boulders, flowering cacti and always sensational views.