Sailing the Aeolian Islands

Season : May to SeptemberLevel : IntermediateWind : Thermal breezes, watch the libeccio

No other Mediterranean basin offers this: anchoring beneath a steaming crater at Vulcano, dining on capers and malvasia in Salina, then switching off the deck lights to watch Stromboli hurl incandescent spray from the cockpit. The Aeolians are dinner and a show.

The archipelago must be earned: few harbours, seabeds plunging to 40 metres close inshore, and exposure to every wind. The golden rule from three seasons here: check two weather models every evening and pick your anchorage accordingly — each island has a sheltered side, you just swing around it.

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Route

The itineraries — Aeolian Islands

Weekend

Option 1 — Portorosa › Vulcano › Lipari, round trip

Three days to sample the archipelago: the crossing from Sicily, Vulcano's fumaroles and Lipari's citadel. The ideal teaser before returning for a full week.

Day	Leg	Distance	Highlights
Day 1	Portorosa › Vulcano (Ponente)	14 nm	Anchor in Ponente bay, crater hike in the late afternoon.
Day 2	Vulcano › Lipari	6 nm	Through the faraglioni, buoy at Marina Lunga, citadel and Aeolian museum.
Day 3	Lipari › Portorosa	18 nm	Back to Sicily running before the afternoon breeze.

7 days

Option 2 — The full tour with a night under Stromboli

Our reference Aeolian week, roughly 95 miles: Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea and the Stromboli-by-night apotheosis. Full day-by-day detail in the dedicated itinerary.

Day	Leg	Distance	Highlights
Days 1–3	Portorosa › Vulcano › Lipari › Salina	30 nm	A gentle climb through the archipelago: crater, citadel, malvasia.
Days 4–5	Salina › Panarea › Stromboli	24 nm	Panarea's islets, then the Sciara del Fuoco at dusk.
Days 6–7	Stromboli › Lipari › Portorosa	43 nm	Back down in two stages with weather margin for hand-over.

See the full day-by-day itinerary →

When to go

When to go — Aeolian Islands

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Frequently asked questions

Can you climb Stromboli's crater?

Since 2019, the summit climb is capped at 290 m unguided and 400 m with a licensed guide (book the day before in the village). The show from the sea, facing the Sciara del Fuoco at nightfall, remains the best viewpoint in our book — and it is free.

Does the deep water make anchoring difficult?

That is THE Aeolian quirk: depths drop from 5 to 40 m within a few boat lengths. Anchor close-in on the sand shelves (Ponente at Vulcano, Marina Lunga at Lipari) or take a buoy. A minimum of 60 m of chain on the windlass.

Milazzo or Portorosa as the starting base?

Portorosa has the bigger fleet and a proper marina village; Milazzo is closer to the airport and 3 miles nearer Vulcano. Fleet being equal, take the newer boat — both bases work fine.