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The Eolian archipelago is located off the northeast coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Also called the Aeolian or Lipari Islands, they are comprised of Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli and Vulcano. All the islands were active volcanoes that resulted from intense volcanic activity millions of years ago during the Pleistocene era. The only active crater that remains is on Stromboli, and though Vulcano has considerable volcanic life, its crater has not erupted since 1890. All that is left of volcanic life on the other islands are steaming fumaroles along the shores of Lipari and Panarea. Lipari, the bustling centerpiece of the archipelago, is the largest, most populated of the islands, with an abundance of good hotels, excellent restaurants and lively cafes and its own regional museum. The museum, located above medieval fortress walls, is on the site of an ancient acropolis, and just a short distance away is a Greek theatre and necropolis filled with Greek and Roman sarcophagi. Liparifs separate hydrofoil and ferry ports are the main hubs for the entire archipelago with ferry connections to the Sicilian ports of Milazzo, Messina, Palermo, and to and from Naples on the mainland of Italy. Directly south of Lipari lies Vulcano, named for the Roman god of fire. Vulcano is famous for its vast, sloping crater and its sulfurous, colorfully hued and uncannily beautifully landscape. It is also a popular destination for seekers of a natural cure for the stresses of the modern world who come to soak in the rejuvenating therapeutic thermal waters at Acqua del Bagno and bubbling mud of Acqua Bollente. To Liparifs northwest is Salina, named Didyme by the ancient Greeks for its two extinct volcanic peaks. Its wild, verdantly rambling landscape is dotted with vineyards and caper bushes, yet the island has a sedate manner about it, almost giving the impression of time standing still, that there is no need for haste. Salina produces an exceptional malvasia wine, and the excellent capers which seem to grow everywhere, are available for sale from the islanders, who take special pride in their crop. Along with Mount Etna, Stromboli is one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the Western Hemisphere. Year-round streams of tourists come to hike to the rim of the impressive crater, and its explosive eruptions have occasionally disrupted the otherwise tranquil village life below its steep slopes. Although sometimes the placidity of daily existence on Stromboli is compromised by the dynamism of the omnipresent volcano, one never feels threatened by it, thanks to the gracious and friendly disposition of the natives. Panarea, the smallest of the islands, is no less spectacular with its intimate villages along its eastern shores. The Bronze Age site along the beautiful cove of Calajunco near its southern tip where the Milazzese Culture once thrived, is an easy hike from the port. There are several islets surrounding Panarea and the largest, Basiluzzo, was the site of a Roman villa and small port. Panarea bursts with activity during peak summer months as vacationers fill its small hotels or open their summer homes, and dine in the small charming restaurants and jam the very popular Caff? Porto. To the west of Salina, and reachable by a couple of boat connections a day, are the quietly remote, sparsely populated islands of Alicudi and Filicudi. Except for the few scuba divers, fishermen and visitors to the archeological site at Capo Graziano on Filicudi, these two seemingly untamed islands see only a fraction of tourism compared to their busier neighbors to the east. They stand as a reminder of what life was once like throughout the archipelago. Archeological discoveries indicate that the history of the islands began during the fourth and third millennia BC when traders from the Near East may have inhabited the islands. The communities on Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea and Salina eventually developed into thriving trade markets within reach of the entire Mediterranean, making the archipelago one of the most distant points reached by Aegean merchants and navigators during that period. An early commodity of trade for the island communities, which enriched them for two thousand years, was the exploiting and exporting the black volcanic glass obsidian, used to manufacture cutting tools and weaponry. With the advent of the Bronze Age and the development of metallurgy, obsidian became outdated and the prosperity of the islands went into decline. It was not until the Late Bronze that the Eolian Islands thrived again, becoming important ports along Mediterranean trade routes. During this period they also produced and exported their own ceramics. The Ancient Greeks founded their community on Lipari around 570 BC. Today the islands are a favorite destination for savvy travelers and scuba divers who bustle from island to island during peak summer months, especially in August, when all of Europe takes a holiday and heads to the seaside. To come upon the Eolian Islands as you sail across the Tyrrhenian Sea, is to discover a piece of the earth much as Odysseus may have done while on his mythic voyage. The peaceful, yet enigmatically volcanic archipelago is an extraordinary place to visit, and the combination of its beautiful setting and slower, less harried way of life, makes visiting them seem more than worthwhile. GETTING THERE Year-round hydrofoil (aliscafo) or ferry (traghetto) connections from Milazzo and Messina run daily. Overnight ferries run from Napoli to Sicily throughout the year, while connecting hydrofoils make frequent runs during the high season, schedules will vary depending on weather conditions. The closest connection to the Eolian Islands is via hydrofoil or ferry service from the mainland port of Milazzo just south of the archipelago (see map). This lively harbor is busiest during summer months as tourists' flock back and forth from the islands. All that many tourists experience of Milazzo while waiting for a boat at the bustling little port are the ticket office, a caff? or a quick meal at one of the trattorie along the marina. However, Milazzo is an interesting town with a significant past and worth taking the time to explore. |
| SICILY LINKS Beni Culturali e Ambientali museums, galleries and archeological sites Panarea.com IsoleLipari.it tourist information Eoliana Immobiliare eolian real estate agency Catania by Day The Best of Sicily history, arts, culture, travel tips Regione Sicilia official site/in Italian sicily.infcom.it/ http://www.siciliano.it/ Sicily search City of Milazzo official site Milazzonline hotels dining car rental Taormina Italy very informative ~ terrific site Citta di Palermo official site Casa Giuditta Apartments b & b weekly rates palermo Bagheria history Grifasi's Sicily geneology, history, culture, art, archeology and more Taormina guide Sicily Web in italian Sicily in Detail history, culture, products, travel Sicily4You general information Tour Sicily interesting new site La Sicilia Map Page maps of sicily SicilianCulture.com people, history and culture |
| AUTO SERVICES Central Car Rental - Milazzo Central Noleggio Auto & Taxi Maggiore Car Rental Maggiore Noleggio Auto Taxi in Palermo: Giovanni Taormina Cellular: 0330.375295 NEWS MEDIA La Sicilia In Italian Giornale di Sicilia In Italian Il Sole In Italian |
| ONLINE TRANSLATION Babel Fish Translation FreeTranslation.com Systrans |
| RESTAURANTS EOLIAN ISLANDS LIPARI Filippino **** Piazza Municipio 090 9811002 'E Pulera **** Via Diana 090 9811158 La Nassa Via Franza, 36 090 9811319 Ritrovo Sottomonastero Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 232 090 988 0720 Trattoria da Bartolo via Garibaldi, 54 090 9811700 Trattoria D'Oro Via Umberto I, 28/32 090 9811304 Fico D'India Via San Vincenzo, Canetto 090 988 0558 Le Macine Strada Piano Conte 090 982 2387 A Menza Quartara Via Area Morta, 50 Quattropani, Lipari 090 988 6236 SALINA Porto Bello Via Bianca, 1 090 984 3125 Mamma Santina Via Sanit?, 40 Santa Marina Salina 090 984 3054 Punta Barone Via Lungomare, 8 Sanat Marina 090 984 3172 puntabarone@netnet.it STROMBOLI Punta Lena Via Marina, 8 090 986 204 Da Zurro Via Picone, 18 090 986 283 Il Canneto Scari, above the port 090 986 014 PANAREA Da Pina room & dining San Pietro 090 983 032 Raya San Pietro 090 983 013 Da Antonio San Pietro 090 983033 Da Paolino San Pietro 090 983 008 La Sirena Drauto rooms, bar & trattoria VULCANO Da Maurizio Via Porto Levante 090 985 2426 Lanterna Blu 090 985 2287 FILICUDI La Canna Via Rosa, 43 090 988 9956 ALICUDI Ericusa Via Regina Elena 090 981 2370 |
| TRANSPORTATION Aliscafi.it hydrofoil schedules Ferrovia Dello Stato Italian rail service Grande Navi Veloci ferry service isolelipari.it transportation schedules for lipari Navagazione Generale Italiana ferry service Siremar ferry service Snav hydrofoil service Tirrenia ferry service to sicily ACCOMODATIONS Hotel Oriente Via G. Marconi 35 090/9811493 Filippino residence hotel and restaurants Gattopardo Park Hotel hotel and restaurant Hotel Carasco Hotel Rocce Azzurre 090 981.3248 rocceazzure@netnet.it House Service rental agency La Nassa Lipari apartments and restaurant portaledelleeolie dining lodging information Panarea.com dining lodging information Da Pina Panarea rooms and restaurant Hotel Raya Panarea hotel and restaurant Hotel Cincotta Panarea hotel and restaurant Casa Ibiscus Alicudi charming small inn Capofaro, Salina 090 9844330 info@capofaro.it Villa Petrusa Stromboli tel. 090 986045 - fax 090 986126 giancarlopetrusa@tiscanet.it ISLAND LINKS portale delle eolie international eolian web a list of links, some old isolelipari.it/ excellent new site ~ english version soon Panarea.com excellent site for travel information Panarea On Line Stromboli on-line vulcanology stromboli & etna Ginostra village of ginostra, stromboli Eolie Boat Charter boat rentals Vulcanology Website boris behncke's informative site vulcanoconsult.it interesting site/italian |
| RESTAURANTS IN SICILY PALERMO Primavera Piazza Bologni, 4 091 329 408 La Scuderia Viale del Fante 091 520 323 SIRACUSA Archimide Via Gemmellaro, 8 0931 69701 Porticciolo da Piero Via Trento, 22 0931 61914 PORTICELLO Francu 'u Piscaturi Largo Pescheria, 16 091 957758 SAN VITO LO CAPO Sapori di Sicilia Via Savoia, 3 0923621090 Sicilia in Bocca Via Savoia, 24 0923972622 Tha'am Via Duca degli Abruzzi, 32 0923972836 TAORMINA Il Borghetto Salita Celestino Penna, 5 0942626062 Da Lorenzo Via Roma, 12 094223480 Vecchia Taormina Vico Ebrei, 3 0942625589 Il Delfino Mazzaro Taormina 094223004 RESTARANTS IN NAPOLI Antica Pizzeria a Michele Via Cesare Sersale, 1/3 081.553.9204 Pizzeria Sorbillo Via dei Tribunali , 32 081.455.262 Taverna dell'Arte Rampa di S. Giovanni Maggiore, 1/a 081 552.7558 Capri La Campanina Via Le Botteghe, 12bis/14 80073 Capri Tel: 081.837.0732 Fax: 081.837.6990 |
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On Lipari Not to be missed, is the Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano, located within Lipari's old fortress walls. The museum contains an exceptional collection of Mediterranean, Aegean and Eolian art from the earliest periods through Greek, Christian and Byzantine eras. |
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AGRIGENTO Leon dfOro Viale Emporium, 102 0922 414 400 Kalos Salita Filino, 1 0922 26389 CATANIA La Siciliana Via M. Polo, 52/A 039 095 376400 MESSINA Alberto Via Ghibellina, 95 090 710711 MILAZZO Al Castello Borgo Antico 090 9282175 La Vecchia Cucina Via Nino Ryolo 090 9223070 Piccolo Casale Via Riccardo D'Amico, 12 090 9224479 Salamone a Mare Strada Panoramica, 36 090 9281233 MONDELLO Charleston Viale Regina Elena 091 321366 PALERMO Antica Focacceria San Francisco Via A. Paternostro, 58 Capricci di Sicilia via instituto pignatelli, 6 091 327777 Casa del Brodo Corso Vitt. Emanuele, 175 091 321655 I Grilli Su (restaurant) & I Grilli Gi? (bar) largo cavalieri di malta bar: 091 584747 ristorante: 091 334 130 Mi Manda Picone via A. Paternostro, 59 091 6160660 Il Ristorantino piazzale de gasperi 19 091 512 861 U'Strascinu viale regione sicilia 091 401 292 |
| OTHER ISLANDS Egadi Islands Lampedusa ITALY LINKS InItaly.com history, culture, travel, lodging, and regions InItalia.it isole.com CapriOnline CapriNet Italiaplease PERSONAL LINKS Colette Calascione (pittore) Museo Guttuso Museo Morandi Giorgio Poppi (pittore) Paul Thorel (fotografo) Adam Butler (fotografo) |