And our journey continues (*don’t you just love those holidays that seem both short and long at the same time?!) … We could barely contain our excitement as we took an early morning train to Milazzo (*still yawning) and directly on to the ferry for Lipari. An hour (*and about 3 espressos) later and we were docking on the shores of the stunning island, which is part of the volcanic group of islands called the Aeolian Islands (* Isole Eolie for all my Italian peeps!).
Formed by volcanic eruption, the Aeolian archipelago, made up of seven islands, shimmers like black pearls in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The group of islands lies around 30km off the north coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea and consists of seven islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea) and five small islets (Basiluzzo, Dattilo, Lisca Nera, Bottaro and Lisca Bianca).
After a quick stop at the Gattopardo Park Hotel to drop off our luggage, a gorgeous piece of paradise that reflected the unique island only too well (*if all else fails, I would definitely get a job as a travel agent), we headed straight off to the beach!
Lipari is known for some of its beautiful beaches and the best way to have a panoramic view of this island is to take a tour using any vehicle such as a car, a bicycle or a scooter (*we were lucky enough to be driven to the edge of the hillside town by one of the hotel drivers). Canneto (lovely turquoise sea), Papesca (remains of mining can be found along with the presence of pumice), Acquacalda (where you can find Rocche Rosse – red rocks and see lava formations in all shapes and sizes) and Porticello are some of the best beaches around the island. Spiaggia Bianca, known for being the only white beach on the island (*although most of its ‘whiteness’ has been eaten away over the years) still remains a gorgeous sight to behold and can be accessed through the old town by walking or scooter.
The charming streets of Lipari are bright under the summer sun; locals and tourists in sandals enjoying a meal outdoors as restaurants seat their guests on the narrow streets, gelato and granita entice the thirsty and painted houses in bold colours with rich green gardens tickle the imagination (*sometimes my own writing surprises me!).
The best time to visit Lipari is between May and September. The islands experience a Mediterranean climate where the summers are dry and hot, with some respite brought about by sea breeze, while winters are pleasant bringing the rainy season from November to March.
Floating on cloud nine, we ended our first day on the island gazing at the stars and savoring a glass of vino rosso on the patio of the hotel (*barefoot and extremely content).
karibu 