I am going on the Rick Steves Sicily tour in April 2026. It ends in Catania.
I would like to take 3-4 days at the end of the trip to visit the Aeolian Islands. Can anyone recommend how best to do this? Some questions I have include
** What island(s) should I stay?
** Hotel recommendations?
** Other recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
We’ve spent two weeks on Salina last year and a week the year before. We had a driver take us from Catania to the port of Milazzo but there is also a bus from Catania airport. You buy your hydrofoil tix on the. Liberty Lines site.
What kind of hotel are you looking for? Do you want a pool?
You should not book a flight for the day you leave in case the ferry is cancelled.
I was thinking of staying on Lipari and taking day trips to other islands. I think a pool might be nice, but it is not a necessity.
After Aeolian islands I will head up to Rome.
I’m sorry but I saw Lipari only from the boat. It docks there and most passengers get off before the final stop at Salina.
We loved Salina but its quieter than Lipari with fewer hotels.
We loved our visit to Lipari in 2018. We stayed at Residence Acanto — the friendly owner Giuseppe met us at the ferry & guided us to the hotel. There are two harbors: Marina Lunga for big ferries, and Marina Corte for small boats. The two main streets that connect these harbors meet at the top of the hill near Residence Acanto, so it was a perfect location.
Lipari has lots of restaurants, shops & gelaterias — a pretty little island. You can arrange boat trips to the other islands— we went to Stromboli, with a stop in Panarea. Most people hiked up the volcano, which we hadn’t come prepared for, with proper shoes. So we wandered the island til dark, collected lots of sea glass, then reboarded the boat to watch the volcano erupt for 10 seconds every 20 minutes. An interesting day!
After spending the last 24 hours reading, I think I will stay 2 days on Lipari and then 2 days on Stromboli. Can anyone recommend a hotel on Stromboli?
Thanks in advance.
