LIpari Island off coast of Sicily

It's was a really long time ago, maybe 20 years but I loved it. At the time one of my sons was studying geology so we had gone to Etna and Pompeii prior. We stayed 5 days and used it as a base for day trips: local bus to a gorgeous beach with pumice floating in the water! A tour boat that visited Stromboli at night, to see the eruptions ( with time on the black beach before)- that boat was longish but we were the only Americans so I remember it was fun just being a part of that mix. Lastly, I think it was a ferry ( not that long?) to Vulcano, the real highlight of the week. I never did get the smell of sulfur out of my scarf! (Wear very old clothes!)
I remember a train from Taorima? And it must then have been some kind of boat to get to Lipari, sorry I don't remember. I should add this was August- at other times of year it might be a different experience.

We were just on Salina in April. It’s the next island on the ferry from Messina, just past Lipari. We spent 2 nights but we were there looking up my cousin-in-law’s family (a grandmother). We went to a small, local winery and caper farm. It was nice. We walked around and had a lovely dinner both nights. If it wasn’t for the genealogy part of the trip we would not have gone. Another but, many people got off the ferry in Lipari, some backpackers, and the island is larger then Salina. Maybe it had more to do. The ferry ride wasn’t that long, it was crowded though. Many people had shopping bags so we figured they go to the mainland to shop or work. I guess it depends on how much time you have in Sicily. If I had limited time I would skip it.

i love the aeolian islands! been to stromboli several times but not since the early 2000's. stayed for at least a week each time and got to know many of the locals. i still keep up with news out of the island via a facebook group. stromboli is an active volcano and erupts almost continuously. you can do a group hike with a certified guide to an observation area and watch & hear the lava spewing at night. san bartolo is the bigger village with about 400-500 residents. the summer crowd swells to a couple of thousand sometimes. there is also a much smaller settlement, ginostra. no cars on stromboli, the locals walk or move around on scooters and golf carts. black sand beaches, narrow lanes, asymmetrical white-washed houses with distinctive caper-shaped chimneys, and brightly colored doors and windows provide endless photo-ops. you can reach stromboli from naples on hydrofoils in about 4 hours or by overnight ferry. from messina and milazzo by hydrofoil in about an hour and a half, i think. i visited vulcano in the summer of 2021. it is a dormant volcano though it spews sulfur gas, especially near the crater. the hike is fairly easy, no guide is needed and the views are spectacular. took about 45 minutes from milazzo on a hydrofoil. though i haven't been to lipari, it is the biggest island of the group and from what i know the most touristy. vulcano and stromboli are essentially what you call big rocks. if you like a quiet escape, lava beaches, basically the 'island life' you will enjoy the aeolian islands. on the other hand, if you prefer historical sites, museums, famous landmarks and an urban atmosphere you may get bored after a day. if you like, take a look at the link to my photos of sicily (some of vulcano) in my profile.

Cool photos. Is that site free to host your photos? I have a ton of photos from 11 trips to EU too.

If you had the choice would it be the Aeolian islands or Prochida next to Naples?

We took a Sicily-Malta cruise on Windstar (250 passengers) that stopped at Lipari, maybe around 2018. As the most populated Aeolian island, it cannot be described as remote or undeveloped. It had considerable charm, and might be still described as unspoiled. But the narrow city streets were crowded with summer tourists. There are plenty of sidewalk cafes and some international clothing boutiques. It's not fair to compare it to Capri, but maybe I could say "much smaller Capri, 40 years ago." Plenty of history to look at. Didn't try to go swimming.

@ railrider: adobe portfolio is part of the adobe creative cloud app. unfortunately, adobe cc charges monthly fees. i am lucky because my university provides a free license to all faculty and students.

@railrider: i forgot to answer the 2nd part of your question. i have not been to procida so i can't comment. i would have to do some research. it looks colorful but touristy too. i would choose the aeolian islands i have not visited, like alicudi and filicudi. i am biased because of my past connection with stromboli.

thanks everyone.

ultimately, everywhere is either touristy or run down and dilapidated. I take money and a reason to fix a place up. Places like Italy and France especially - are so over-touristed that in a sense we are make this happen.

I still think extremely touristy places like Positano and Capri are worth visiting - because they are beautiful and striking. So I guess I was thinking these islands might be something like that. And it sounds like they are less developed and less picturesque, but still impressive. I kinda debating whether they are worth a day or two. There are interior points of Sicily which are off the tourist map, but on the historical map.

Regarding Procida vs. the aleonian islands. It really depends on the type of experience you are looking for. Having spent a blissful week on Procida I can say that it is definitely not a tourist destination. There are only a few hotels on the island. It is an easy short boat ride from Naples. It seemed like we were the only non-Italians on the boat and in restaurants. Seafood direct from the waters in front of you is abundant. It is stunningly beautiful. The island is a bedroom community for Naples and many of the residents commute on the boat. It would be easy to visit Capri and Ischia for day trips. The beaches are few but unpopulated and spectacular.

The aleonian islands are also spectacular, and have the option of much more activity on island. Hiking, boating, island hopping. But they are super touristy. Most everyone on the boat will be a tourist. The restaurants are of a higher standard as you would expect in a top tourist location. It also takes much more effort and time to reach the aleolian islands than Procida.