Duration: 2 days
Location: Salina
Best season: September-October

Salina, from everlasting called the green island, is a seat of an already extinct volcano, whose regular, but at the same time, sharp traces, shape the territory and nourish the soil, giving birth to the nectar known as Malvasia of Lipari.

This tour offers the rediscovery of places and traditions bound to Malvasia. In a few days you will have the possibility to taste flavours dating back to ancient times.

Brief History of Malvasia

The farmer’s calling and the well-being, produced by them are evident in the political structure of the place, the only island of the Aeolians to be divided from Lipari under administrative aspect.

According to Guy de Maupassant, the essayist, the French poet and the travel reporter, the main vine variety, imported by the Greek in 588 B.C. produced a syrup of dense and sweet sulphur, which fulfils the palate (“the devil’s wine”).

The trade of this famous drink reached its peak in the 19th century, spread between the riches of a half Europe thanks to Englishmen who lived in Messina.

Even Alexandre Dumas in his travel diary upon the Aeolians wrote:

“They brought a bottle of Malvasia of Lipari; it was the most extraordinary wine I have ever drunk”.

There was a long period of darkness in the production of Malvasia, because of a serious problem of Phylloxera which destroyed vineyards of the whole Continent. In the ‘60s Carlo Hauner, a painter from Brescia, in love with Salina, started to cultivate vineyards according to the traditions handed down from old local farmers.

In 1973 the disciplinary DOC recognized the safeguard of these grapes.

1 day: The visit to the Emigration Museum of Malfa; this place collects documents, photos and films which attest the causes of the Aeolian migratory phenomenon at the end of the 19th century, strictly connected to the diffusion of the illness of vine which destroyed the whole economy. Visit the small commune of Malfa to taste biscuits and Malvasia. The visit of the village of Pollara, and of places where the film “Il Postino” of Massimo Troisi was set. Tour of wine cellar: Azienda Agricola Caravaglio, Azienda Colosi, Azienda Agricola Fenech.

2 day: The visit of Lighthouse of Lingua and of the adjacent lake used by the ancient Romans as a “salina”. Wine-tasting by the vine company Hauner of Malvasia DOC, of the versions Passita, Riserva and table wine. It is possible to have dinner in loco with “cunsato” bread and “granite”. A visit to Val di Chiesa locality, and of its vineyards, and of the Sanctuary of Madonna del Terzito.

Wine-tasting of Malvasia DOC and Extra Virgin Oil by the Agricultural Company D’Amico of Leni. Visit of the little seafaring village of Rinella, where the only sandy beach of the island is situated. It is recommended the booking of tastings, visits, dinners, and suppers.

The choice of a place where to have holidays with little children is never easy; there are many factors that influence the choice before booking. Each child needs a lot of attention, and therefore of places where to play and to enjoy in safe and adequate way. Among all the isles of the Aeolian archipelago, Vulcano surely is perfect, because of its morphology and its logistic, to have a holiday, in pursuit of relax for the adults, and of amusement for children.

Why to choose Vulcano?

The touristic part of the island is not very big, and permits to move on foot. Thanks to its flat morphology you can comfortably move even with strollers and trolleys. The beach of Sabbie Nere on Vulcano is situated in a gulf quite totally protected from  streams. The sea sweetly thins out, permitting the kids to play in water in total safety. The thin sand is an ideal material for a tough castle. There are numerous lidi and  locations, equipped in order to satisfy needs and desires of kids. They provide food and drinks, showers, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, and the alert attention of lifeguards.

Where to stay with children on Vulcano

Vulcano, as every touristic station, has numerous offers of accommodations, succeeding to satisfy all the needs of holiday-makers. In this article we will not point out the specific structure to choose, but we will advise you the most comfortable types of accommodation for a family.

The hotels are always an optimal solution to have a family holiday because you can enjoy your holiday without thinking about the cleaning of rooms. Some of the hotels of Vulcano are provided with the swimming-pool with a lifeguard and a private lido (beachfront resort), well-appreciated by parents and children.

The residences of Vulcano are small studio-apartments, or two-room apartments, with a veranda which faces at a wide internal garden, a perfect place where children can interact and play.

The holiday houses are an optimal solution for a family holiday; they grant a major independence and privacy, and above all they are good under the economic point of view.

Vulcano’s Camping

There is only one structure which offers this kind of service: the village Togo-Togo, situated a few steps away from the Beach of Sabbie Nere, at the distance of 10 minutes on foot  from the touristic centre of the island.

Things to do and to see with children on Vulcano

Snorkeling: some diving clubs of the island organize tours of duration of half a day for children, in order to discover the most typical sea bottoms of the island.

Diving: if your children are more than ten years old, they can immerse into depths (max 12 m) accompanied by an expert guide, and after having done an qualification course.

Trekking:

If your children like walking and discovering wild places, the climb of the crater is an activity that can be done with the whole family. You need around 45 minutes to reach the peak; some of the stretches are a bit steep , but the route does not evidence dangers or obstacles. It is enough to pay a bit attention , and to near the “solfatare”. The charming views will be impressed in the minds both of adults and children.

Biking:

Another activity to be done with the whole family is the discover of Vulcanello by bike. This little peninsula is well-known for its Monsters’ Valley, a place where volcanic sediments assume fantastic shapes resembling some species of animals.

Thermal springs:

As opposed to the mud pools so successful between the adults, but forbidden to the kids, in this place the baby tourists are welcome because it is about three pools of thermal springs with different temperatures, and with tens of tens spurts for hydro-massage.

The island of Vulcano is named after the Roman god Vulcanus; its activity is in state of dormancy, but it is possible to observe some phenomena called “fumarole” , thermal and mud springs which attest its state of activity. In Roman mythology the island of Vulcano is considered the place where the Hephaestus workshops’, god of Fire, were situated. For those who cannot give up a naturalistic excursion, the visit of the Great Crater is a must. The path leading to the peak is situated about 5 minutes on foot from Levante harbour, the principal port of the island. The excursion is not demanding, it does not need particular equipment or preparation, and is suitable for everyone.

Advises:

• In summer avoid climbs during the hottest hours; the temperatures can reach 40°C; the path, although is not demanding, has no shades.
• Bring supplies of water with you.
• It is recommended to put on comfortable shoes with socks, because sandy soil can be quite annoying.

The Path of the Great Crater

The access to the volcanoes, making part of the commune of Lipari, is bound to the payment of a little toll. In case of Vulcano the toll could be directly paid at the beginning of the path; near the ticket-office there is a small kiosk, good for those absent-minded who forgot to bring drinks. The path towards the peak is a pleasant walk of 45 minutes between brooms, volcanic boulders, and black and sandy soil, mostly compound of volcanic dust.

One of the principal reasons to reach the Great Crater is surely the view. As further you climb you can admire Alicudi, Filicudi, and Salina, but it is only when you reach the peak that you completely appreciate the charm of this archipelago. It will be possible to distinguish the shapes of all the seven isles and the peninsula of Vulcanello. The Great Crater of Vulcano is the only place where it is possible to admire the whole archipelago in a unique glance; turning around towards south, on the contrary, it is possible to admire the northern coast of Sicily, and Etna. Some of the most evocative photos of the archipelago derive from this place. Once reached the peak we move towards the discovery of the crater, a depression of wide dimensions of a diameter of around 500 meters. One of the particularities are the “fumarole”, the unique manifestations visible after the last eruption occurred in 1890.

The fumarole are mostly compound of sulphur, whose bacterial action is the cause of a yellow-ochre and red coloured patina, which covers the soil and the stones making part of it. While getting closer to them, be attentive; if you chose a guided tour, you will be asked to put on a supplied mask; on the contrary, bring a handkerchief with you, in order to put it upon your nose or mouth, because of sulphuric gas.

The descent occurs on the same path.

Foaming sea, roaring volcanoes, white mountains of pumice, stacks, and thermal springs, each of them are expression of a land forged in the deepest bowels of the Tyrrhenian sea in the workshop of Hephaestus, the Olympian god of Fire. The volcanic origin of this archipelago is so unique and tangible to deserve the prestigious reward of the UNESCO, as the World Heritage Site. This tour is directed towards the discover of places where the volcanic activity has marked, and continues to permanently mark the Aeolian landscape.

Day 1: The suggested tour sets as the first halt the Island of Salina where it is possible to observe traces of its past volcanic activity. It starts with the excursion on Mount Fossa delle Felci, the highest peak of the whole archipelago (968m above sea level). The climbing is not difficult, in about two hours it is possible to reach the peak, where to admire an evocative landscape. On the horizon, the Sicilian coasts, surmounted by Etna, Alicudi, Filicudi, Stromboli, Panarea, Lipari, and Vulcano constitute a frame for a sumptuousness of the crater.
In the afternoon they visit Pollara, one of the most suggestive corners of the island. The village is situated over the extinct volcano, currently partly collapsed; a beach surrounded by a steep cliff is all what remains of it. From this site it is possible to observe the evident lava stratification, the volcanic neck (solidified volcanic eruption channel), and Perciato Arch. In this place, according to many, it is possible to admire one of the most beautiful sunsets of the Aeolian Islands. For the lovers of curiosities it is recommended to visit the house where Pablo Neruda lived in the film “Il Postino” (The Postman) with Massimo Troisi.

Day 2: During the second day the trip towards Vulcano, the halt in pursuit of relax, is planned. A reinvigorating bath into geothermal springs is the perfect way to relax yourselves after the trip. Thermal spring, rich of mineral salts, is extracted in subsoil, at 50m of depth, and it flows at temperature of 50°C.

Apart from benefit effects for the skin, thermal spring is advisable for a post-operation rehabilitation, for circulation problems, low back pain, and cervical-brachial pains. In late afternoon the climbing of the crater is planned. The route is of medium difficulty, and a small tax for climbing is to be paid. It does not need a particular training or specific equipment. It is advisable to avoid climbing during the hottest hours, the better time is around 6pm, when the temperatures low while it is possible to enjoy the landscape and the sunset. Advices: put on comfortable shoes, and bring supplies of water and a torch with you.

Day 3: The third day is dedicated to volcanic activities which occur spontaneously on the terrestrial surface. We start with a bath in a thermal mud lake, a natural swimming pool where ground water flows; sulphuric emissions, anhydrides, metal salts, and natural radioactivity have therapeutic effects, already known during the Roman Age. It would seem impossible to immerse yourselves into waters of the place, where the strong smell of sulphur can be perceived in the distance, but the landscape’s grandeur and the therapeutic effects of volcanic muds instil a sensation of great well-being, so the unique immersion experience in muds is not to be missed.

Not far away from thermal lake there is Delle Fumarole Beach, so peculiar because it is bathed by waters warmed by sulphuric emissions. In many points water foams because of these underwater gas springs which make swimming very pleasant. Another beach situated in neighbouring zones is that of Black Sands (Sabbie Nere), called so for its sand’s colour of volcanic origin.

Day 4: the fourth day we move to Stromboli to immediately join the Sciara del Fuoco and the Strombolicchio. The guided tour or one of the many charterers on the island will lead us via sea to discover of volcanic explosive manifestations. One of the first performances we are going to admire on this island is surely the Shaiara del Fuoco, a place where Iddu pours lapilli, coming from its explosion.

Via sea we can reach the Strombolicchio, a neck (solidified volcanic eruption channel). The Strombolichhio is the little island with the walls towering the sea, and it is surmounted by a lighthouse supplied by solar energy. It is a wonderful place where to swim in deep waters of an intense blue colours, or for snorkelling activities! To conclude the tour we advise you a dinner at Osservatorio. It is a little restaurant situated in one of the highest and more evocative corners of the island of Stromboli, from where it is possible to enjoy, from a small distance, the explosive activity of Iddu while drinking a good glass of local Malvasia!

Day 5: As the last day of our charming tour in the wake of the Aeolian volcanoes we advise to our readers to take time to visit the village’s centre and eventually to take a reinvigorating bath before you climb to see the crater of Stromboli. The departure from Saint Vincenzo Square is expected to take place in late afternoon (around 5pm–

6pm). The ascent of the crater occurs only if you are accompanied by authorized guides, the route is enough curvy, long, and not suitable for whoever. After two hours and a half of a steep climb we reach the peak where a lunar-like landscape constitutes the frame for amazing eruption of Stromboli.

The yellow colour of brooms which enchanted Leopardi, the beauty of the nature which overwhelms and fascinates, the splendour of finished and unfinished nature , have always attracted the attention of man who remains in a religious admiration in front of such immense and generous views. The Vulcano island, of a majestic and imperious beauty, is famous for the Sagra della Ginestra ( Festival of the Broom), the event organized in June, lasts three days or the whole week, with programs varying each year. These are the days dedicated to amusement, there is celebration in the air, folklore, typical products, and dancing in the square.

“Therassia”, literally “land of heat”, is an ancient name of the island sacred to the god Vulcano. The Vulcano island is recognized at mythological level, in Greek tradition, as a seat of Hephaestus’ forges, the god of fire, technology and metallurgy. We cannot evade the Latin derivation and the mythological meaning gave by the Romans to god Hephaestus, in fact, the Roman mythological tradition identifies Hephaestus with god Vulcano, from whom the present name of the island derives. It is said that god Vulcano, helped by Cyclops, forged the arms for gods. As we learn from literature documentation during the classic era, the island is a result of the fusion of some volcanoes, and exactly four. The biggest one is the most active, at regular intervals; it is the Vulcano della Fossa, flanked to the smallest, Vulcanello.

Geologically the island was used, for many centuries, for works of extraction of alum and sulphur. Historically, we deduce that the population was mostly constituted by slaves forced to work as miners. The picture seems to be that of a sulphurous infernal circle of Dante. Under the Bourbons’ domination the mining activity has reached its climax, later to be transformed in a real industry. Once ceased the Bourbons’ domination, during the first half of the 19th century, an Englishman Stevenson, who continued the mining activity, and planted the first vineyards in Piano, bought the island. Today it is possible to admire his villa, the Castello, situated near the muds. The Englishman left the island after a dangerous eruption, maybe the last one, in 1888. The few colonies who left used as best they could the recourses of the island but the most representative activity under the economic aspect of the “hot land” is surely the activity turning around that volcanic cone so near and mighty, but at the same time, so quiet and silent; remember that the volcano has been inactive for more than a century. It remains, however, a land full of life: hissings, the heat of evaporating steams, and the colourful structures of sulphur, are there to remember the majesty of nature which can change the fate of a landscape, and redraw the morphology of a land which, for this reason, remains magic and mythological in each century. It is said that men become immortal if a masterpiece, of literary or other genre, keeps their memory. Vulcano is not only the mythological land, the cradle of the Greek god Hephaestus, but it made immortal, after decades of silence and indifference for this natural paradise, the cinema director Dieterle, who in 1949, shoot the namesake film, performed by the passionate Anna Magnani.

Clear waters full of life , the history made of eruptions, seaquakes, invasions, and piracy have always attracted sailors and tourists from all over the world. In spite of the touristic vocation this destination acquired during the last 50 years, it is possible to affirm that man’s intervention has not mutated or changed the wonderful landscape and such evocative and wonderful sea. Such multi-coloured seabed, a rocky coast full of creeks, stacks and caves, made of Vulcano the favourite destination for all those who are fond of scuba diving. There are a lot of sites where you can dive in Vulcano, each of them having its own fashion and always giving new emotions.

Capo Grillo

Difficulty: medium
Depth: 18mt 41mt.
Visibility: excellent.
Current: light.

The mooring occurs at 6m on the northern side of the island; the diving takes place along the volcanic ridge, coloured by several sponges and starfishes. At the depth of 18m a little cave creates an accessible creek full of shrimps to the skin-divers. The immersion continues admiring the ridge where it is not difficult to see lobsters, morays, and every kind of shoals. At the depth of 41m another creek creates a cave populated by a thick colony of shrimps, and musdea.

The wall of the Little Mermaid

Difficulty: very demanding
Depth: 12mt 45mt
Visibilità: Excellent.
Current: light

The diving occurs under the volcano’s slopes on the western side of the island. The point is not hard to locate thanks to the statue of the mermaid which surmounts a big rock at a few meters of the coast, the peak of a platform of volcanic rocks. At 12m of depth there is a stair where you will notice a wall; swimming around you will find lobsters, pentagon stars, sponges, and blackbelly rosefishes. For more expert skin-divers, at the depth of 35m it is possible to find some red corals. The scuba diving is exciting both for gas emissions from the seabed and fro the presence of a small creek which leads to the internal air bubble.

The landslide archipelago

Difficulty: medium
Depth: 25mt 45mt.

The diving occurs in front of the northern coast of Vulcanello between two hotels, easily seen from the sea. The discovery of the seabed starts with a light slope alternated to rocks and Posidonia oceanica (also known as Neptune Grass) till the depths of 10m, where a more steep descent starts, compound of stones, which become always bigger with the increase of the depth; they create an evocative seabed at 45m of depth.

Capo Grosso

Difficulty: medium
Depth: 20mt 40mt
Visibility: excellent
Current: Media

The diving on the northern-east side of Vulcano, where from the surface a vertical wall goes down till 50m on plateau. The diving is really evocative because it permits the discovery of the ravines which appear along this wall full of indentations and canals, and is populated by a myriad of the colonies of sponges, parrotfishes, anemone, astroides, and sabella spallanzanii. The numerous creeks create an ideal habitat for octopus, morays, blackbelly rosefishes and groupers.

Scoglio’s Quaglietto

Difficulty: medium
Depth: 20mt 30mt
Visibility: excellent
Current: slightly

Lo Scoglio del Quaglietto is among the most appreciated diving places of the Aeolian Islands. The rock is situated on the western coast of the Vulcano island, at a little distance from the coast. The diving is also right for the less expert skin-divers, and it occurs along the vertical wall of the rock until you reach a cave with many chambers, where the statue of Madonna surrounded by sabella spallanzannii is situated. In the second chamber there is a colony of prawns living. Adjacent the cave, on the seabed, a landslide makes the landscape full of creeks, a perfect shelter for groupers, lobsters, and octopus.

Capo Testa Grossa

Difficulty: Difficult
Depth: 20mt 50mt

The diving is recommended to the most expert skin-divers. Capo Teresa Grossa is situated on the western coast of the Vulcano island. The discovery of the seabed starts in the northern bay of the header next to rocks. One of these rocks creates a vertical wall populated by sponges. The diving continues going towards the extreme point of the header, where initially you follow a nearby vertical wall till you arrive to a steep landslide reaching depths major then 50 metres. The landslide creates a perfect habitat for burrow fishes; in fact it is not difficult to meet groupers, morays, octopus, lobsters ,and breams.

The natural lake of warm muds is the perfect result of the balance between the intervention of man, and nature. The artificial human intervention has not changed anything of an already existing natural heritage; on the contrary, works of removal of the soil’s crust, did in the 60s of the twentieth century to create a volcanic lake , permitted a man to better overwork the properties of the place, without artificially changing its original qualities. The volcanic lake has emissions of water from lower slope with a presence of vapours of sulphur, anhydrite, metal saults, and natural radioactivity. It seems impossible to manage to immerge into the waters of a place where the strong smell of sulphur is perceived at the distance, but the landscape’s suggestion and benefit effects of volcanic muds give a sensation of great well-being, making the experience of immersion into muds unique and unforgettable, if considered as a souvenir of well-being, relax, and enjoyment of all the senses. Among rocks and in muds there are breathes which the crater makes; the immersion into the natural lake of warm muds of Vulcano is really the realisation of the symbiosis between man and nature. The continuous emission of these breathes creates mud of clay, whose elevated acidity and the elevated concentration of sulphur do not permit germs’ creation. Muds’ bathes do not only produce a sensation of a psychophysical well-being; on the contrary, they are real therapies. In fact, they are advised those who suffer from breathing and skin diseases, and those of the human musculoskeletal system.

The benefits concerning the human musculoskeletal system’s diseases refer to the analgesic and the relaxing action of mud, useful for the treatment of bursitis and tendinitis. For a mud bath, concerning the post-trauma of the bones, it is always recommended a doctor’s opinion.

In case of dermic pathologies, or more simply for those with a type of dry skin, there are some useful and needful advices. Mud must not be applied on one’s face by whoever as if it were a beauty mask. For example, those who have dry skin will not obtain the same benefits of who has more oily skin; the doctor’s advice is then indispensable, in order to avoid the aggravation of latent dermic pathologies, or those present in a light or a not serious form. The sulphuric emanations are also a perfect treatment for breathing pathologies. A natural way to do aerosol is to inhale the emanations at the safe distance of 50 cm from geyser. In conclusion, the natural lake of muds of Vulcano, is not only a unique scenery from landscape’s point of view, but is a kind of “natural clinic” for the treatment of body and soul. Both physical and psychological benefits are achieved, if we consider that treating your body in such a special and evocative place , you obtain an immediate sensation of well-being and relax. In short, the muds of Vulcano are a Spa in the open air, a natural thermal centre.

The island of Vulcano is named by the Roman god Vulcanus; its activity is in a state of dormancy, but it is possible to observe some phenomena as fumaroles, thermal springs, and muds which prove its state of activity. In the Roman mythology the Vulcano island is considered a place where the forges of Hephaestus, the god of Fire were situated. For those who are not able to give up a naturalistic excursion, the visit to the Great Crater is a MUST. The path leading to the peak is situated at about 5 minutes on foot from Levante mooring, the main port of the island. The excursion is not demanding; it does not require particular equipment or preparation; and is suitable for anybody.

Some advices:

• In summer avoid to climb during the hottest hours because the temperatures can reach 40°. The path, even being easy, has no shades. Bring a little supply of water with you.
• It is recommended to put on comfortable shoes with socks; the sandy ground can provoke bother.
• The access to the volcanoes, making part of the commune of Lipari, is linked to the payment of a small tax. Concerning Vulcano the tax can be directly paid at the beginning of the path; close to the ticket office there is a small kiosk, useful for the absent-minded who forgot to bring any drink supplies with them.

The path towards the peak is a pleasant walk of 45 minutes among brooms, volcanic boulders, and black and sandy soil, mostly compound of volcanic dust. One of the principal reasons to reach the Great Crater is surely the landscape. As you climb you can admire Alicudi, Filicudi, and Salina, but it is only when you arrive to the top that you obtain full awareness of the magic of this archipelago. It will be possible to distinguish the shapes of all the seven islands, and of the Vulcanello Peninsula. The Great Crater of Vulcano is the unique place where it is possible to admire the whole archipelago in a single glance. Looking towards the south, instead , it is possible to admire the northern coast of Sicily ,and Etna; the most evocative images of the archipelago come from this place.

Once reached the peak, we move to discover the crater, the depression of vast dimensions of a diameter of about 500 metres. One of the details that catch your eyes are the fumaroles, unique visible manifestations after the last eruption, occurred in 1890. Fumaroles are generally composed of sulphur, whose bacteria action gives an ochre yellow and red patina to the ground, and to the stones which compound it. While drawing near to it, be careful: if you choose a guided visit you have to wear a mask, given as a supply; in the contrary case, bring a handkerchief with you, in order to put it on your nose and mouth in proximity of sulphuric gas.

The descent is to be done on the same track

Black sand

The island of Vulcano is famous almost all over the world for its black beaches, Porto di Ponente, called so for the sand’s colour of volcanic origin. Crystalline sea waters are like a mirror for the intense black lava stones, which do not deny, under the sun rays, that effect so similar to crystals; all this only for tourists’ pleasure who love to enjoy the spontaneous artistic production of nature which creates and offers superior sights, for purity and beauty, in comparison to those created by man.

Fumarole beach

Fumarole beach is peculiar because it is bathed by waters warmed by sulphuric vapours. In many points water boils because of the presence of these submarine gassed sources, which make each swimming pleasant and beneficial.

Gelso Beach

Gelso Beach is dominated by a very evocative lighthouse, from where it is possible to admire the Saracen coast, as well as Mount Etna. The sea bathing it is blue, clear and crystalline. It can be reached by car or scooter, going all over the Provinciale, which from the Levante Port goes on till Vulcano Piano, and then forks into Gelso or Capo Grillo. It is more simple to reach it by boat: fisherman sailing there can find themselves on Spiagge Nere every day.

Asino Beach

You could never imagine it was possible to find a cove of black sand on a volcanic island, so intimate and calm during the day, and so busy and fashionable at night. Such a suggestive place is able to combine one’s passion towards the green of the mountain and the sea. It is the cradle of all the elements of nature: crystalline water of a pristine sea, warm air of fine seasons, the black soil and the faraway fire of volcanoes, producing quiet hissing sounds. This paradise is reachable by taxi boats, or walking down the steep slope on foot. It is possible to leave the scooter on the main road, to venture then between brooms and prickly pears. The beach is well equipped: there is a dancing platform on the shore, in order to enjoy the moonlight while listening to music in Arabian Nights’ atmosphere.