Destination: Aeolian Islands
BLOGGED LOCATIONS
The Aeolian Islands is located just north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The principal islands are Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea with Lipari being the largest.
The islands are named after Aeolus who is the mythical ruler of the winds. As a popular sailing destination you can charter sailboats from the charter bases on the northern coast of Sicily, and if you want to just island hop, high speed jetfoil ferries travelling at 35kts service all of the islands.
The island of Stromboli houses one of the only four currently active volcanoes in Italy.
Average costs in this area
Transportation - Only a couple of thousand permanent residents live on the islands year round, but in July and August have a huge influx of tourists arriving to holiday and visit there. When planning a trip there you may want to keep those months in mind as restaurants and accommodation will be more expensive and harder to find.
Accommodation - AirBnBs and small hotels litter the islands and we suggest you research and book early so you don't miss out during the busier months. If you can charter a sailboat, your travel and accommodation is included!
Food - Standard Italian fare at slightly higher prices than mainland Italy. Everything (even fresh household water) needs to be shipped in and this raises the cost of all basic essentials.
Suggested daily budget – The Aeolian Islands lend themselves more to outdoor activities such as hiking or beaching it. There are a few other churches and museums to explore, but the bulk of your ‘spend’ is likely to go on food and accommodation. With that in mind lock in accommodation early to get the best rates and research what restaurants you want to visit or if you can prepare food in your room.
TIps for first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between?
2. Get tour and entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat – PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in Italy, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or sandwich at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, families going off to activities. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do?
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Italy so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in Greece and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Greek island location from the list on the right.
