Hiking in Aeolian Islands

The Aeolians are a string of seven volcanic islands off Sicily, each a different expression of the same underground fire: sulphur vents you can smell before you land on Vulcano, terraced vines on green Salina, pumice and hot springs bubbling straight into the sea. You island-hop between them by ferry and hydrofoil, walking each one, and the whole trip builds toward a single evening.

That finish is Stromboli. You climb it in the afternoon so that you reach the upper slopes at dusk, then sit on the ridge in the dark watching the volcano do what it has done continuously for millennia — throw up glowing bursts of lava every twenty minutes or so against a black sky. It is one of the few places on earth you can reliably watch an eruption from close range.

Stromboli's permitted height changes with its activity level and has been restricted repeatedly; above the lower viewpoints a guide is mandatory. Check the current limits before you go.

Stromboli's permitted summit altitude changes with activity levels and has been restricted repeatedly; guides are mandatory above the lower viewpoints. Re-check before booking.