Trekking 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.

A six-day island hop across seven volcanic islands off Sicily, each a different face of the same underground fire: sulphur vents on Vulcano, terraced vines on Salina, pumice and hot springs bubbling into the sea.

You move between them by ferry and hydrofoil, walking each, and the trip builds toward one evening on Stromboli — climbed in the afternoon so you reach the upper slopes at dusk, then sit in the dark watching it throw up glowing bursts of lava every twenty minutes or so.

Days are moderate walking; the Stromboli ascent is the sting in the tail, steep and long.

Base your hopping on the ferries and hydrofoils between the islands, and time the trip for the shoulder seasons — roughly April to June or September to October — to dodge both summer heat and crowds.

Stromboli is the piece that needs planning: its permitted climbing height changes with the volcano's activity and has been restricted repeatedly, and above the lower viewpoints a guide is mandatory. Book a licensed guide and check the current limits before you travel.

Bring proper footwear, a head-torch and layers for the cold, dark descent. Everything else you can walk independently at your own pace.