My wife and I are doing our first trip around Sicily. We have been throughout Italy many times but this is our first time on the island. We spent some time in Palermo, Messina, Taormina and Catania and want to do the islands as well as Erice and Marsala.
Is each island worth doing? We've done Cinque Terre for instance and some villages were better visits than others. Thoughts?
Each of the Aeolian Islands has unique characteristics. I can only speak for Stromboli and Vulcano. Stromboli is famous for being the most active volcano in the world. You can hike to an observation point to watch the eruptions at night. Vulcano has a dormant volcano that you can hike up to as well to look down into the crater. The sulfur 'steam' coming out of the ground in the area gives it an alien landscape vibe. On Stromboli, the restaurant 'Punta Lena' is highly recommended. Travel to each island is via ferry or hydrofoil from Napoli, Reggio Calabria, Messina, etc. Check schedules for seasonal variations. Timing is important because, except for the most remote ones, Alicudi and Filicudi, all the islands are major tourist destinations, and the population swells to 10x or more. I always visited in late spring or early summer. Very few crowds and pleasant weather during that time. In the off-season (winter), the sea can turn rough, causing the cancellation of dockings. On the other hand, you can have some of the smaller islands almost to yourself for a different experience. Hope this helps.
It will depend on how much time you have. Lipari is the main one, with the biggest town. We stayed there once and did a day long boat trip that included Panarea and Stromboli (you can see it erupting as the sun sets, which is quite an amazing site). Vulcano and Salina are also popular ones to stay on, while Filicudi and Alicudi are more remote. The ferry we took to Lipari stopped in Vulcano and I do remember there being a strong sulphur smell, which isn't terribly surprising considering the name of the island. If you want to visit all, it might be easiest to stay on Lipari and do boat trips.
Giangilberto from Milan here. Yes — and I'll go further: for me the Aeolians are the single best thing Sicily has that most first-timers skip. But your Cinque Terre instinct is right, they are not all equal, so here's an honest ranking.
One geography check first, since you mention Erice and Marsala: the archipelago everyone means by "the islands" is the Aeolians, off the northeast coast (hydrofoils from Milazzo, an hour from your Messina–Taormina area). The islands near Marsala are a different, smaller group, the Egadi. I'll assume Aeolians — correct me if not.
The non-negotiable is Stromboli. An active volcano rising straight from the sea, and the evening boat that positions you off the Sciara del Fuoco — the black slope where the eruptions tumble glowing into the water after dark — is worth the entire trip by itself. I mean that literally: it's one of the few sights in Italy that made me forget to take photos.
Panarea deserves its own note: the smallest and the chicest, whitewashed lanes, no real cars, achingly pretty coves like Cala Junco. An afternoon and evening there, then back to base — perfect dose.
For the base itself: Lipari is the practical hub with the most life and connections; Salina is the green, quiet, winey one (capers, Malvasia, the Pollara sunset), and if I had to stay somewhere it would be Salina. Vulcano works as a half-day — mud baths and sulfur smell included in the price of admission. Filicudi and Alicudi are the wild end: beautiful, but on a first visit they're the ones I'd let go, the way you let go of a Cinque Terre village or two.
Give the archipelago three or four nights minimum — day-tripping it from Sicily wastes it. Mid-trip question back to you: how many nights can you carve out, and did you mean the Aeolians or the Egadi near Trapani? The answer changes the plan completely.
Thanks everybody for your replies!
So we have a pretty open-ended schedule and are just going to where we felt led to go so our schedule isn't too strict.
Yes I meant the Aeolian islands. I only mentioned Marsala and Erice because we want to see the main towns in Sicily accessible by public transport as well as and we've already seen about four of them. On another note I have heard mixed reviews on whether or not Trapani is worth seeing.
I can speak only to Salina, where we have been several times in the past few years. The island is one of my favorite places in Italy, but I would not go on a day trip; much better to spend a few days. We prefer to stay in or near the village of Malfa. I am happy to offer more information if you do decide to stay there....
If we return, we will stay on both Salina and on Vulcano.
I wouldn’t try to do every island just for the sake of ticking them off. We did that kind of thing once and in Sicily I think it works better to pick 2 or 3 that match the vibe you want. Around Marsala, Favignana is the easiest yes for me, really pretty and simple for a day or overnight, and Levanzo is nice if you want something tiny and quiet. Marettimo feels more worth it only if you like hiking and slower places. I’d definitely keep Erice too, it feels very different from the rest. We used https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/destinations/italy/favignana for routes, plus https://www.visitsicily.info/en/ and https://wearepalermo.com/news/what-you-should-know-about-favignana/ for ideas.
