Between the Aeolian Islands and Capo Milazzo

Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands.

The holiday begins in the splendid peninsula of Milazzo, where our boat is moored in the Marina di Santa Maria Maggiore, on the Lungomare Garibaldi.
The Milazzo peninsula, a spit of land between coves of crystalline water and breathtaking views, is a popular tourist destination for lovers of the sea and good food. The promontory of Capo Milazzo, between the Gulf of Patti and the Gulf of Milazzo, contains unique and precious naturalistic features. Colors and scents that animate a stretch of jagged coast, a mirror of emerald green sea and shoals full of marine fauna and flora. An explosion of nature that is located between the Etna and Stromboli volcanoes. In these places the Protected Marine Area of Capo Milazzo was born, undoubtedly a real natural paradise that is characterized by the presence of White and Yellow Gorgonians, Posidonia Oceanica and Black Coral meadows.
But Milazzo is also fun, with its nightlife that surrounds the city center thanks to the many bars for aperitifs to the rhythm of good music and the fish taverns of the quiet and characteristic ancient village, located at the foot of the Aragonese Castle.

The holiday continues sailing towards the enchanting archipelago of the Aeolian Islands. The fundamental importance in the geological and naturalistic field is the reason why Unesco, in 2000, included the Aeolian Islands in the “World Heritage List” . For 200 years, in fact, the seven sisters of the archipelago (Lipari, Panarea, Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina, Alicudi, Filicudi) have represented an extraordinary field of research for geologists from all over the world. Without forgetting that the ash, lava and all the material erupted over the millennia have contributed significantly to the preservation of many ancient finds, transforming the Aeolian Islands into a large open-air archaeological park.
As in the best families, even the seven sister islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago have different characters, attitudes and ambitions. However, they have in common a sea that shines, the volcanic origin, the harsh and fragrant hinterland of Mediterranean scrub. Between fishing villages and pebble beaches, the itinerary that leads from Lipari to Vulcano with an obligatory passage to Salina, Filicudi, Panarea up to Stromboli is based on picturesque corners in which to dive but also on culture, archeology, good food and panoramas with sunsets that leave you breathless.

Cruise program.

- 4 September: Boarding scheduled from 5.00 pm at the Marina of Santa Maria Maggiore , arrangement of the galley, accommodation in the cabins, briefing and welcome drink on board.
With the first night in the Marina, it will be possible to visit the city of Milazzo for a pleasant walk through the streets of the Borgo Antico and the Castle, from where you can admire an enchanting sunset over the Aeolian Islands.

- 5 September: The departure for the island of Vulcano is scheduled in the early hours of the morning, since a beautiful sail will be waiting for us towards what will be the first stop and the first Aeolian bath of the holiday: Grotta del Cavallo and Piscine di Venus. In the afternoon our sailing will continue towards the Island of Salina, where we will anchor for the night in the bay of Santa Marina Salina. Reached the aforementioned destination we will choose how to continue the evening, having dinner on the boat in absolute relaxation or going to one of the typical Aeolian-style fish restaurants for a first taste of the delicious Calamaretti alla Malvasia.

- September 6: We will take us to the Bay of Pollara, on the west side of the island of Salina . The hamlet of Pollara stands on the remains of an ancient partially collapsed volcanic crater. As evidence of its existence, the faraglione that in front rises from the sea, "the guardian" that protects this hamlet. Its beach is one of the most famous of the Aeolian archipelago: a narrow strip of sand set by a sheer rock face, one of the most beautiful inlets of the Aeolian Islands! Looking towards the sea, at the far right, we find the old buildings shaped by man in the rock: ancient shelters for fishermen's boats. In addition to its naturalistic and landscape beauties, Pollara is one of the most famous locations of the Aeolian for the film “Il Postino”. In fact, most of the filming of Massimo Troisi's masterpiece was filmed here, a heritage of Italian and world cinema that earned five Oscar nominations in 1996, winning a statuette for best soundtrack.
In this place of enchanting natural beauty and crystal clear sea, we will dive for a beautiful swim and some snorkeling along the coast.
Here in Pollara, planning it a little in advance, there would be the possibility of following a food and wine tour together with a specialized local guide , who, in addition to telling you some local anecdotes, will accompany you to a farm, reachable in feet through a staircase, famous for the cultivation and production of capers and dried tomatoes.
In the afternoon we will sail to the Island of Panarea , where we will anchor to spend the night in the Zimmari cove. We will be anchored near Cala Junco, a suggestive inlet characterized by blue and green water, basalt rocks and lava rock walls that enclose it, where the prehistoric village of Panarea is located, unearthed in 1948. The prehistoric settlement dates back to Bronze Age (14th century BC) and consisted of 23 huts, of which the walls of the foundations (oval-shaped) remain, damaged over time by the erosion of the salt. The excavations also found shards of vases and various instruments, reconstructed and exhibited today in the museum of Lipari; the pottery of which the ancient objects were composed is a clear testimony of the Minoan influence and of the connection between the Aeolian Islands and the other Mediterranean countries.
The prehistoric village of Cala Junco can be reached starting from Cala degli Zimmari and continuing along a path with steps that leads to the promontory of Capo Milazzese. Starting from Cala degli Zimmari it is possible to reach, after a walk of about 20 minutes under the stars or with the help of the characteristic electric quadricycle taxis, the heart of the nightlife of San Pietro, the glamorous lounge of the Aeolian archipelago, which with its aperitifs by the sea, its luxurious clubs and its discos will keep you entertained until dawn!

- 7 September: We are in Panarea , the red carpet of the Aeolian archipelago! With its 3.5 square kilometers of natural and cultural beauty, Panarea has rightfully entered among the most popular destinations of world tourism. We will take ourselves between the Bottaro rock and Lisca Bianca for yet another swim in one of the most fascinating places of the Aeolian Islands, where it will be possible to snorkel around the rocks and admire the fantastic backdrop of Panarea with its sulphurous emissions.
In the afternoon we will start our sailing on the Stromboli Island. Stromboli, one of the few volcanoes on earth in almost continuous activity, is the northernmost of the seven Aeolian Islands. Its building rises more than 920 meters above sea level, but its base is located at a depth of about 2000 meters. The active craters are the site of persistent activity, in progress for several centuries, which normally consists of small explosions well separated from each other, with the launch of fragments of incandescent lava and variable quantities of ash up to a few tens or hundreds of meters above the mouths. The explosions usually last a few seconds or tens of seconds, and are well separated from each other, with intervals that can vary between one minute and several hours. This activity is called "Strombolian". During periods of heavier activity, some vents produce an almost continuous spattering activity, which can rarely lead to the formation of small intracrateric lava flows, such as at the end of August 2009 and on January 7th. 2010.
The main inhabited village is that of San Vincenzo (commonly and simply called Stromboli) with the beaches of Scari, Piscità and Ficogrande. To the south-west of the island, reachable only by sea, stands the tiny village of Ginostra, entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest port in the world and which, quite recently, has been equipped with a pier for mooring ships. . Inhabited in winter by just 15 people, it has the further characteristic of having the mule as the only means of land transport, in Sicilian "u sceccu". A wild, primordial island, the island where the essential is visible to the eyes and nothing superfluous invades it, the island that crowned a film and a love that was first difficult or almost impossible and that, later, became a masterpiece, a memorable fragment of neorealism: it is 1948, the year of Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, the year of "Stromboli Land of God", the years of island women still dressed in black, the times of houses without services and of movements on donkeys.
Once we arrive at our destination we will approach for a visit to Strombolicchio, an uninhabited volcanic island 50 meters high! Just 300 square meters large, it is a nature reserve, the vegetation, although sporadic, is of considerable interest, just think that here is the rock grenade, a flower in danger of extinction. You cannot fail to notice the beautiful lighthouse, powered exclusively by solar energy and managed by the navy! In the evening we will visit the town of Stromboli. To reach it there are its narrow streets, all uphill, which start from the beach and arrive at the heart of the town, in the square of San Vincenzo, the center of the social and cultural life of the island. A lot of cultural ferment and a lot of art surround our walk: the bookshop, the cultural center and various shops of admirable handicrafts.
At sunset all in a boat to take us to the west side of the island, from where we can admire the explosive activity of the volcano that has continued uninterrupted for about 1200 years. We will decide at the moment, also according to the marine weather conditions, whether to spend the night in the harbor in Stromboli or in Panarea.

- September 8: And here we are in Lipari , the largest and most populous island of the Aeolian archipelago, the most developed from a tourist point of view while maintaining a very quiet atmosphere. Mountainous and with jagged coasts along which unique beaches, wide bays and deep caves follow one another, Lipari should be discovered by boat! The town is located at the foot of the Rocca del Castello, a Greek acropolis. The center is dotted with shops, restaurants and bars while in the ancient Palazzo dei Vescovi, adjacent to the Cathedral of San Bartolomeo, there is the important Aeolian Archaeological Museum which offers a glimpse of the 5 thousand years in which the archipelago has been inhabited. We will take a first bath at the Spiaggia Bianca, or Papesca beach, is the most famous of the island: located just beyond the village of Canneto, the beach owes its name to the spectacular expanse of pumice dust that makes up its suggestive beach. In the afternoon we will move to the southern side of the island to reach the Praia di Vinci beach. Scenic and fascinating, accessible only by boat, the pristine beach of sand and large pebbles, long and narrow, is located at the end facing the island of Vulcano. From the beach you can admire a wonderful panorama dominated by the stacks of Pietra Lunga and Pietra Menalda. The waters that bathe the Praia di Vinci beach, closed by an imposing rocky promontory, are particularly crystalline and suitable for snorkeling. A beautiful and fascinating sunset with the stacks in the foreground will await us in this magnificent place. We will moor in one of the marinas on the seafront, a few minutes walk from the center of Lipari. Along Via Garibaldi, where there are numerous clubs and souvenir shops, we will reach Marina Corta, certainly one of the most evocative points of the village of Lipari with its splendid square overlooking the sea and the many restaurants where you can eat.