The Aeolian Islands, information for your holidays
Holidays in the Aeolian Islands, the perfect place to enjoy the sea in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea!
Discover the ancient history of the Aeolian Islands, one of the most fascinating archipelagos in the Mediterranean!
The Aeolian Islands , which are located north east of Sicily, form an archipelago made up of seven islands (Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli, Vulcano), to which are added the islets, some of considerable size such as Basiluzzo, between Panarea and Stromboli, and outcropping rocks on the sea. The seven Aeolian islands are arranged in an horizontally Y, off the coast of northern Sicily, facing the Tyrrhenian coast of Messina. They are visible from much of the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily when visibility is excellent and there is no fog.
Panarea is the smallest and is located halfway between Lipari / Salina and Stromboli.
The name of the Aeolian Islands derives from that of the god Aeolus, king of the winds. According to Greek mythology, Aeolus found shelter in these islands and gave them his name, in homage to his reputation as tamer of the Winds. He lived in Lipari, and was able to predict the weather conditions by observing the shape of the clouds of an active volcano, probably Stromboli. Due to this ability, particularly useful for the inhabitants of the island, who were mostly fishermen and needed to know the weather forecast accurately, Aeolus became very popular throughout the archipelago. It is precisely this theory (the existence of a Greek prince, able to predict the weather from the observation of clouds) that has fueled the myth of the god Aeolus able to dominate the winds.
History of the Aeolian Islands
The human presence in the Aeolian Islands has been confirmed since the beginning of time. Prehistoric populations were probably attracted by the presence of large quantities of obsidian, a mineral of volcanic origin, which placed the Aeolian Islands at the center of thriving trade routes, already at the time of ancient Rome.
Over the centuries the archipelago has been repopulated again by Spanish, Sicilian and other Italian communities. During the reign of the Bourbons, the island of Vulcano was used as a penal colony for the extraction of aluminum sulphate and sulfur. ( Full historical profile …)
So are you ready for your holidays in the Aeolian Islands and in particular in the most beautiful of the seven islands, Panarea?
You can start by choosing an accommodation from the Booking.com box on this and other pages and then buy a ship or hydrofoil ticket .