Egadi Islands: 7 ways to discover this sea of beauty

Endless shades of blue on which lie white tuff rocks that over time take on warm yellow-ocher tones, creating a magnificent contrast that enhances both elements, the sea and the land; mysterious caves that follow one another along the perimeter of the coasts interspersed with coves and ravines; a centuries-old tradition that has made tuna the undisputed star of these seas: we are in the Egadi archipelago, where simplicity and beauty come together, leaving anyone breathless who lands there.
Located off Trapani and Marsala, a few kilometers from the northwestern coast of Sicily, Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo overlook crystal clear waters with incredible shades of blue that resemble Caribbean seas. And it is certainly this immediate and disruptive beauty of the sea uniting the three islands, attracting many visitors in search of unforgettable bathing every year.

Favignana, the “butterfly on the sea”, as it was poetically renamed by the painter Salvatore Fiume in the ’70s for its morphology, is the most popular island of the Egadi not only for its proximity to the mainland, but especially for the extraordinary accessibility of its beautiful beaches and the wide range of recreational activities with restaurants and clubs located throughout the island.
Characterizing the economy and landscape of Favignana for a long time were the tuff quarries, a stone widely used in the building industry. Today, although the extraction activity has been abandoned and replaced by the more profitable tourism, tuff quarries have become one of the most fascinating elements of the territory thanks to their transformation into beautiful hypogeal gardens. Inside them vineyards, vegetable gardens and autochthonous flora develop in “natural greenhouses” sheltered from wind and saltiness. The ancient art of “pirriatori” (stone cutters) lives again in these enchanted gardens where nature and man’s work find new and more sustainable forms of coexistence.

If the success of the barren Favignana is mainly due to the simplicity of access to its beautiful beaches, not very jagged and easily reachable, the charm of the green Marettimo, whose name derives from the abundant presence of wild thyme on the island, is hidden in its lush and solitary nature. The island looks like an imposing mountain overlooking the sea, covered by lush vegetation with numerous water sources, pine forests and over 500 species of Mediterranean scrub. Under the white dolomite cliffs are hidden coves and caves waiting to be discovered with a boat trip. It is the island of walkers, of those who seek authentic contact with nature.

And then there is Levanzo, the smallest island of the Egadi archipelago, the buen retiro par excellence where you can enjoy distance from the chaos and abandon yourself to the rhythms of the island. Here time flows slowly, marked by the activities of fishermen, who willingly lead us to the discovery of charming coves such as Cala del Faraglione, Cala Tramontana or Cala Fredda. In addition to the beauty of the sea, there are very important testimonies of the prehistoric era, preserved in the caves of the island.

It’s time to start our journey through 7 unmissable destinations in the islands of Favignana, Marettimo and Levanzo.

The wonderful beaches of Favignana: Cala Rossa, Cala Azzurra and Cala del Bue Marino

In Favignana, where the sea never ceases to amaze and enchant, we find Cala Rossa permanently in the top ten of the classifications that award each year the most beautiful beaches in Italy. The name derives from the bloody battle fought between Carthaginians and Romans during the First Punic War (241 BC), which dyed these beautiful waters red with blood.
It is accessed via an asphalt road, at the end of which begins a dirt path that, in about ten minutes, will lead you to a dream place. The white cliff that overlooks a sea so blue and clear it seems fake, with Levanzo that stands out in the background, is an indelible image that will remain engraved in your memory. In the past, a part of the beach hosted a tuff quarry; here, too, man’s work has contributed to create suggestive sceneries, among squared rocks and natural pools. Go to Cala Rossa early in the morning and if possible, out of season, before it is taken by storm by tourists and the enchantment quickly turns into a nightmare.
Even Cala Azzurra, with the turquoise of its sea is one of the most popular destinations of Favignana, suitable for everyone, even families with children. It is located southeast of the island and is formed by two small specular beaches, separated by a row of rocks.
Among the unmissable stops, there is also the beach of the Bue Marino, so called because here once lived the monk seals. Located in the eastern end of Favignana and often lapped by currents, it owes its charm to the particular scenery of the landscape, once again characterized by the quarries, which here take on the profile of huge stone houses ocher color with huge doors, in the shadow of which find a cool and pleasant shelter in the hottest hours.

The “Garden of the Impossible” of “Villa Margherita” in Favignana

Not far from the famous Cala Rossa and immersed in the quiet countryside of Favignana, rises the “Giardino dell’Impossibile”, the most emblematic example of transformation of a former tuff quarry into a fascinating place in perfect symbiosis with nature.
This wonderful Mediterranean garden, bordered and framed by high walls of calcarenite that enhance its beauty, creating an almost labyrinthine and mysterious path, hosts more than four hundred species of plants.
A perfect and successful experiment of recovery of an environment destined to become a dump. Visiting of this place, intimate and majestic at the same time, becomes a moment to abandon oneself to exploration and contemplation, immersed in a silence and peace that in Favignana are one of those rare treasures to be preserved.

Exploring the caves of Marettimo

RReachable only by sea, the caves of Marettimo are among the most precious jewels of this wildly fascinating island. The mysterious names attributed by its inhabitants reveal their meaning as a sudden epiphany in the moment in which you access them. And the multiple blues of the waters that are hidden inside each cave each time mistakenly appear to us, not reachable from the next. Among the famous cave of the Camel, where the monk seals lived until the thirties, the cave of the Pipe and the Crib, the latter containing stalactites and stalagmites that resemble the statues of the crib. Under Punta Troia, the cave of Thunder recalls the roar of thunder every time the waves break inside.

The former Florio Establishment of the Tonnara of Favignana

To retrace the origins of the Tonnara dei Florio means not only to take a dip in the history of the last two hundred years of Favignana, but also to know its traditions, culture and rituals, such as the mattanza.
Favignana was purchased together with its small tuna fishery by the famous entrepreneurial dynasty of the Florios in 1874, upon payment of a large sum to the previous owners, the Genoese Pallavicini. In a few years was built what soon became the largest tuna fishery in the Mediterranean, where eight hundred employees, also from neighboring islands, worked on the transformation and preservation of tuna. In the month of May, in fact, the “mattanza” took place, a real ritual during which the raìs coordinated the operations of capture of tuna, marked by the rhythm of “cialoma”, the ancient song of the tonnaroti. Of the tuna, after the exsanguination, everything was preserved. And it was the Florios who presented at the universal exposition of 1891-92 the invention of the tin box in which tuna was preserved. It was a huge success which marked the fortune of the family, as well as the economic redemption for the inhabitants of the island, and which continued well after the decline of the Florios, until 2007, when the factory was closed. Today it is the home of a museum that collects memories, secrets and stories of the island, including those of Uncle Peppe, the current keeper of the tuna factory.

The path to Pizzo Falcone (686 m) and Punta Troia (116 m) in Marettimo

Among the most exciting paths that cross the island, the path that leads to the top of Pizzo Falcone repays the effort of its almost 700 meters of elevation gain with a wonderful panorama, those that only the peaks of the islands can give.
It starts from the center of Marettimo near the restaurant “Il Veliero”, from here you follow the signs and in a short time you climb in zig-zag between picturesque views of the country and the port. After about 45 minutes you reach the archaeological site of Case Romane (243m), where you can visit the ancient Byzantine church and the remains of a Roman castrum, as well as refresh yourself by taking advantage of the fountain. Continue the ascent through lentisk, heather, euphorbia and with a little luck you may spot mouflons in the distance. Following the arrows on the large rocks you reach Pizzo Falcone, where the wind will caress your faces as you contemplate Levanzo and Favignana in the foreground to the east, in the background the Sicilian coast with the tip of S.Vito lo Capo and Marsala, Pizzo Campana, the second highest peak of the island (630 m) to the south, finally the most inaccessible and wildest part of the island, a deep dolomite valley, to the west.
Retracing the path in the opposite direction, halfway along the route you take the detour halfway up the hill in the direction of Punta Troia. Crossed the isthmus, the path with several ups and downs becomes more difficult, but the view is breathtaking. A refreshing bath in the clear waters of the beach of Scalo Maestro and then straight to Punta Troia (116m), a former Arab watchtower became a castle under the Spanish, sadly destined to become a maximum security prison as the Castle of Santa Caterina in Favignana. Overhanging the sea, now houses the Prisons Museum and the observatory of the monk seal. Through the same path you return to the village.

Taste the delicacies obtained from tuna processing

Nothing is thrown away from a tuna: due to its versatility it is declined in many specialties, which you cannot renounce if you want to make your experience in the Egadi Islands more complete and satisfying. Starting from the prized ventresca, the lower part of the belly which is preserved in oil and being fatter is softer and tastier. Then there is the tarantello, which corresponds to the retro-abdominal muscles of the tuna, on a scale of softness halfway between fillet and ventresca. There is also the famous bottarga, a very appreciated product obtained from salted and dried tuna eggs, to be tasted grated on pasta or cut into slices.
Lattume is made by processing the seminal fluid of tuna which is salted, pressed and matured for about 40 days. The result is a tasty sausage to be eaten cut into slices and seasoned with oil; in the same way is prepared the heart, the first waste of the processing. We cannot forget the ficazza, an excellent salami prepared with the fat part of the tuna placed near the belly, the pulp of the back, scraps and internal organs, the so-called “busunagghia”.

The cave of the Genoese and the seabed rich in history in Levanzo

Discovered in 1949, the cave of the Genoese offers one of the most important examples in the world of wall art with thirty-two engravings and a hundred representations of men, animals and tuna fishing dating back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic. It can be accessed along a mule track from the port or by boat.
Levanzo is also an extraordinary site for diving, particularly exciting for the presence of wrecks and remains of Roman times. More precisely, in the site of Cala Minnola it will be possible to observe the wreck of a ship that would have belonged to a Roman family producing wine and that lived in Campania and sank in these waters leaving on the seabed also 80 Roman amphorae suitable for the transportation of wine.
Another very interesting site is Capo Grosso. Here during the first Punic War the Romans ambushed the Carthaginians coming from Marettimo and today you can see eleven Roman rostrums, several amphorae and iron and terracotta artifacts.

Let yourself be led by the desire for beauty and the desire for discovery: the Egadi await you for an experience that will conquer you.

Between Etna and Nebrodi

A journey through the extraordinary flavors of Sicily

It is not new news that Sicily is a land capable of expressing its opulence also in the gastronomic field, thanks to raw materials of great quality and dishes with unforgettable flavors.

In fact, the perfect combination of favorable climatic conditions and the contamination brought about by the numerous dominations – Arab, Norman and Spanish, among others – over the centuries has made Sicily a hotbed of excellent products and sublime recipes.
What not everyone knows, however, is that in addition to products that are well-known and appreciated at international level, such as arancini or the prized pistachio of Bronte, Sicily offers a considerable variety of flavors and lesser-known foods. This variety is often the result of local traditions that have been handed down from one generation to the next, with great stubbornness and hard work, resisting globalization that would otherwise push towards simplification and impoverishment of the gastronomic offering.
We will follow a wonderful itinerary in search of local flavors in the north-eastern part of Sicily. The absolute stars of this tour will be the unmissable specialties of the provinces of Messina and Catania, which you will be able to buy up after your excursions to Mount Etna or the Nebrodi Mountains.

Catania
In the city that was the birthplace of the famous composer Vincenzo Bellini, our exploration of flavors can only begin with the famous pasta alla norma: its simple ingredients, tomato, fried eggplant and salted ricotta cheese, combine perfectly to create an explosion of flavor on the palate. According to one legend, the recipe was created by a Sicilian chef as a tribute to the first performance of Bellini’s opera Norma in 1831.
Masculini da magghia, a Slow Food presidium, are anchovies fished in the Gulf of Catania using special nets (magghie) that retain their heads, causing them to bleed to death. This fishing technique makes it possible to obtain a product of particular organoleptic value, to be tasted in the typical pasta alla catanese, a tasty and balanced dish in which the anchovies are seasoned with tomato and breadcrumbs.
Catania is also the city par excellence of the tavola calda: in addition to the classic arancini (the gender is masculine here, as in all of eastern Sicily) with ragù, alla norma, butter and pistachio, the panorama of rustici includes cartocciate, cipolline, bolognesi, fried and baked bombe, all specialties that will turn your curiosity into a real addiction.
In the colder season, the unmissable dish from Catania is cavolfiore affogato (“drowned cauliflower”), a delicious side dish that invites you to taste it while it is cooking thanks to its intense aroma. The cauliflower, strictly Etna purple, is placed in the pan, creating layers with oil, black olives, Sicilian pecorino cheese and spring onion, then braised with wine and topped with a weight that ‘suffocates’ and crushes the vegetable. The result is exceptional, try it to believe.
And the scacciata, an unmissable hors d’oeuvre on Christmas Day, is also one of the winter dishes: a sort of pizza stuffed with tuma cheese, broccoli, sausage and olives or, in its variations, with “drowned cauliflower”, anchovies and tuma cheese, or potatoes, tuma cheese, tomatoes and spring onions. One of those comfort foods that can be shared with friends and family in a convivial atmosphere.
In Zafferana, a town on the slopes of Mount Etna, we find the Siciliana: a huge fried calzone stuffed with tuma filante and anchovies. It’s enough to cause digestive problems just listing its ingredients. But if you are not among the lucky ones who can boast strong stomachs, don’t despair because you can rely on one of the many digestives, including lemon and salt seltzer and tamarind, that the kiosks will prepare for you. Zafferana is also known as the city of honey, the gold of Etna, considered among the best in Italy for its aromatic notes. Here the production reaches 15% of the national product and among the varieties we find chestnut, sulla and orange blossom honey.
And the combination of fried food and honey gave rise to the crispelle di riso, a winter street food from Catania, which have their salty counterpart in the soft and delicious crispelle with ricotta or anchovies.
Etna also plays its part: the typical fertility of the volcanic soil has in fact created the ideal conditions for other high quality and tasty products such as spinelle pears, Etna apples or the Maletto strawberry, a very large and sweet ancient strawberry now at risk of extinction.
Catania is also the city of horsemeat: put on your oldest clothes and head for the city’s oldest and most popular neighborhoods, where, amidst the smoke of the embers and the folkloric shouts of the restaurateurs, you can sample fillet steak, T-bone steak and horse meatballs, perhaps accompanied by a tasty salad of tomatoes, red onion and salted ricotta.
South of Etna lies the Catania plain, which in the municipalities of Palagonia, Scordia and Francofonte is one of the Sicilian areas most suited to the production of blood oranges. In addition to the sweet juices, try them in the traditional orange salad.
If savory food offers us so much, Catania’s confectionery art is no less, starting with one of the most satisfying and universally appreciated (but also imitated) specialties: the granita. In its many and varied flavors – almond, pistachio, lemon, coffee, chocolate and, in season, mulberry, fig, peach and melon – it is the right time of day to enjoy it. Accompanied by a warm, fragrant brioche or even bread, granita is ritual and tradition, conviviality and pure enjoyment. The Arabs, who brought sherbat, an iced drink made from fruit juices, to Sicily during their domination, were the forerunners of granita, which according to various sources was first prepared in Aci Trezza, between 600 and 700.
If the granita wasn’t enough, a breakfast of iris, ricotta raviola – fried or baked – and panzerotto will remove all doubt you may have about Catania’s pastries. Also worth mentioning are the sweets made during the celebrations dedicated to Catania’s patron saint, St Agatha, in what is the third largest religious festival in the world in terms of importance and number of participants: the minnuzze di S.Agata, small Sicilian cassata in the shape of the martyred saint’s breasts, filled with ricotta and covered with an icing topped with a candied cherry, and the olivette di S.Agata, small almond olives covered in sugar.
We conclude with the green gold, the Bronte pistachio, a delicacy that is now known beyond borders and is harvested every two years. Climatic conditions, shape and flavor make the Bronte pistachio a unique product. Gelato, granita, arancini, pesto and pistachio cream are just some of the possible ways in which this great Sicilian excellence can be used.

Messina
It is within the enchanting landscape of the Nebrodi that most of the delicacies of Sicilian butchery are concentrated. This is where the Nebrodi black pig, the prized indigenous breed of dark-coated pig, lives in the wild and semi-wild. Among the products made here, don’t miss the salame fellata, prosciutto crudo and sausage, both fresh and dried, whose intense flavor is one of the characteristics conferred by the extraordinary Sicilian breed.
The famous salami of Sant’Angelo di Brolo, produced in the village of the same name in the inland part of the splendid stretch of coast between Milazzo and Capo D’Orlando, should not be missing from the list of norcine specialties. The salami produced here, which bears the PGI mark, benefits from a unique and ideal microclimate for maturing. It seems that its origins can be attributed to the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century, who gave impetus to new eating habits and consumption. Coarse grain, softness and intense aroma characterize this tasty salami. And in the same village, if the Normans are responsible for the origin of the salami, the Arabs are responsible for that of the bocconetto, a traditional sweet made with long candied courgette and almonds.

What better pairing for cured meats than with cheese? And here is the other protagonist of the territory: provola dei Nebrodi, a raw milk caciocavallo obtained from a cheese-making technique handed down among the cheesemakers of the Sicilian cheese-producing municipalities. Eaten both as a table cheese and used in traditional recipes, it is an excellent product to taste.
An indigenous variety of olive, the ‘minuta’ olive, also finds its habitat in the Nebrodi Mountains and produces a very special oil with a spicy, bitter taste and excellent persistence in the mouth.
In Novara di Sicilia, a beautiful village on the border between Nebrodi and Peloritani, and in some neighboring villages, another amazing island cheese is produced: the maiorchino. According to some sources, its origins date back to 1600, when the Maiorchina festival was organized under Spanish rule. This is a pecorino cheese that requires a very long processing time, and for this reason it is not widely produced, with a strong and sweet flavor at the same time, and a long maturation period that can reach two years.
Among the specialties to be sampled in Messina is the delicious focaccia messinese, which has lard in its dough and is stuffed with escarole, tuma and salted anchovies. The pidone, a tasty fried calzone, is made with the same ingredients. And then let yourself be tempted by the scagghiozze, delicious little pieces of fried polenta.


Already known to fans of Montalbano, pasta ‘ncasciata is one of the best expressions of Sicilian cuisine. Its name is said to derive from ‘u n’cascio’, the gesture of placing the pan of pasta on the embers used for cooking. In the Mistretta version, which is widespread throughout the province, baked pasta is enriched with fried eggplants, meat sauce, salami, pecorino cheese, hard-boiled eggs, caciocavallo cheese or tuma cheese: a triumph of flavors for the taste buds!
Among the meat dishes, try the soft Messina-style braciole, veal roulades stuffed with cheese, strictly Sicilian, cooked on the grill.
If you’re wondering what happened to the fish, here it is in one of the historic recipes, stocco alla messinese, a dish in which stockfish, which was imported to Sicily by the Normans, is dressed with a succulent sauce of tomatoes, potatoes, olives and capers.
And then, in the tradition of Messina, there is the swordfish of the Strait, which comes in many versions: from braciolette to baked swordfish covered with breadcrumbs.
Desserts include bianco e nero, a delicious cream-filled cream puff cake reminiscent of French profiteroles. Unlike the French profiteroles, however, the puffs are covered with gianduja cream and large chocolate shavings.
And in the fried food category, the balò alla ricotta and the torciglione Messina will satisfy the sweet tooth, the former with their soft ricotta filling, the latter with a delicious custard.
To close Sunday lunches and for special occasions, the traditional dessert is pignolata, which dates back to Spanish rule and was at one time only made during Carnival. The dessert is made up of a mixture of fried or baked dumplings covered in a black and white icing.

And now all that remains is to move from theory to practice!

Trekking in the Aeolian Islands: the 5 paths not to be missed

Because the Aeolian Islands are the ideal destination for trekking: discover 5 of the unmissable paths

Peaks with incredible views, beautiful trails immersed in the riot of colors of an unspoiled nature and lush, exciting walks on active volcanoes to admire the intense activity as privileged spectators: trekking in the Aeolian Islands is an experience you will not forget.

Each of the 7 islands of the Aeolian archipelago offers hikers different trekking itineraries, not always well signposted, which generally present a medium degree of difficulty both for the difference in height and for the condition of the paths. The temperate climate, typical of the Mediterranean islands, also allows you to take on various paths throughout the year.
Spring is undoubtedly one of the best times to enjoy the explosion of colors of the Mediterranean maquis and also to spot birds such as the herring gull and the queen’s hawk. The autumn will allow you, taking advantage of less high temperatures than the summer but with a sea still “warm”, to dive into the water at the end of your trek without other tourists around.
For those who choose summer, on hot days remember to hike very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, bringing plenty of water with you.
And here we are, camera in the backpack, ready for our tour of the five most beautiful and evocative paths of the Aeolian Islands.

Stromboli Crater, Stromboli (2h)
Stromboli is the island where the four elements – water, earth, air and fire – come together, leaving anyone passing by breathless.
The fountains of lava, the constant explosions and the rain of ash create, in fact, a wonderful natural spectacle that never fails to impress, all amplified by an exceptional scenic context.
Among the most beautiful and exciting experiences of trekking in the Aeolian Islands could not, therefore, miss the ascent to the crater of Stromboli – “iddu” – to observe closely the volcanic activity at night.
Since 2019, following two violent explosions, for safety reasons it is no longer possible to reach the highest point of the island. The current upper limit has been set at 400 m above sea level, only when accompanied by guides; alone it is possible to reach up to 250 m.
The itinerary, that we have covered with the guide, begins after the Church of S. Vincenzo in correspondence of the old cemetery, where there are some tombs dating back to the beginning of 900. We leave in the mid-afternoon in order to arrive at the panoramic point located to the north-west in time to watch the sunset, a prelude to an even more beautiful spectacle that will enrapture us at nightfall: the volcanic explosions.
The path proceeds initially between bends on a sandy bottom mixed with rocks and offers beautiful views of Piscità and Strombolicchio. Among Mediterranean scrub, terraces and streams we arrive at 400 meters, where we find the viewpoint of the Sciara del Fuoco, the wall on which pours the pyroclastic material emitted during the constant and frequent explosions of Stromboli.
Once arrived at the belvedere, the roars from the crater, which is only 350 meters away as the crow flies, make the contemplation of the sunset even more suggestive. When the light finally goes away the red of the lava becomes a magnet that captures our gaze, making it impossible to take our eyes off the lava fountains so close and imposing.
The climb takes a couple of hours and you can return to the starting point by taking the mule track of Punta Labronzo on the way back.

From port to Monte Filo dell’Arpa, Alicudi (2,5h)

Alicudi is the most remote and wildest island of the Aeolian Islands, a true paradise for hikers.
Here trekking is an integral part of life on the island: it is a daily routine for the Arcudari, its inhabitants, and a surprising experience for the guests who stay there. In Alicudi, in fact, roads do not exist and one moves by facing the steep steps that start from the port and connect both the houses and the six districts of the island reaching its top: every movement is transformed, in this way, into a tiring but suggestive trekking on lava stone steps. Whether it is a matter of reaching a house or walking along a path, the unit of measure, a singular peculiarity of the island, is always the step.
And with 1,700 steps, which gradually rising in altitude become higher and more challenging, we take you from the port to the top of the island, Mount Filo dell’Arpa (675 m), which owes its name to the harp, the buzzard in dialect. A unique trekking, which climbs the south-eastern wall of the island, insinuates itself among the beautiful Aeolian style houses, the rows of vineyards that here and there border the path and the abandoned terraces dating back to the beginning of the last century.
In Alicudi, vegetation and man’s hand blend perfectly in a scenario of rare and authentic beauty. Undisputed protagonist and companion during our ascent is the blue sea, increasingly intense behind us. One of the best points to admire it is the belvedere on which stands the small chapel dedicated to San Bartolo, about a third of the way.
After the last houses, the path becomes more impervious and uneven and you risk to lose it because of the vegetation that covers the tracks. Among ferns and stones, after the steep climb that from the port has never softened its slope, we arrive at a vast plain where every now and then some wild goats peep out, watching us with curiosity and fear.
The silence of this place is deafening and here, as in no other place, the solitary charm of this island emerges overbearingly.
A few more meters and we reach the panoramic point, at 670 m high. We look out and the Aeolus begins to blow energetically on our faces, while we enjoy a wonderful view from the top of the Bazzina district and to the east of Filicudi which clearly outlines its profile under the amber light of sunset.
The descent is made by retracing the path in the opposite direction, but pay attention to your knees that will be severely tested by the steps.

Ascent to Punta del Corvo, Panarea (1,5h)
Panarea, the most chic and worldly island of the Aeolian Islands, undisputed realm of entertainment and nightlife, hides a bucolic and authentic side that few people know. It is enough to go beyond the boundaries of the well-kept town, which extends close to the port, to immerse oneself, in fact, in the silent and generous nature that frames the three paths that cross the island.
Let’s take the itinerary that starts to the north of Panarea, near the Calcara beach. From the port follow the indications for the restaurant da Paolino; 200 m after passing the trattoria take the street on the left and continue until you reach a gate.
Here begins the path, immediately immersed in the Mediterranean scrub among mastic, heather, cistus and silene hicesiae, the beautiful flower with pink petals that grows only on this island. In the midst of the vegetation, you begin to see Basiluzzo and Stromboli that shyly show themselves to the north-east, behind the heliport of Panarea.
After the first half hour, the path becomes more exposed, overhanging the sheer wall in front of the Scoglio la Nave. Turning our backs, behind the gorse bushes in the distance you can see the hidden Ginostra, wrapped in a light white haze that contrasts with the golden lights of dusk. A fairy-tale image. We continue through the vegetation that becomes more intense invading the path, but it’s just a little further to reach the summit, Punta del Corvo (421m). The panorama now opens up over Filicudi, Alicudi, Lipari and Vulcano.
From here it is possible to continue by descending on the south side or by crossing the central part of the island. We choose the latter option and we enjoy along the descent a beautiful postcard of Panarea with its white houses surrounded by green, the small dots of boats in the roadstead and Dattilo on the right that are the background. The final stretch of the route is completely immersed in vegetation and ends next to the Raya disco.

Trekking Eolie

Ascent to Gran Crater, Volcano (about 45 minutes)
If the most beautiful and panoramic treks are usually the longest and most tiring ones, the path that leads to the Gran Cratere di Vulcano is certainly the exception that confirms the rule. With a walk of only about three quarters of an hour we can, in fact, admire the fascinating crater of an active volcano situated in one of the most panoramic points of the whole Aeolian archipelago.
The access to the path is located about ten minutes from the port of Levante along the road leading to the villages of Piano and Gelso. The ascent runs along the west side of the volcano on a ground of volcanic sand, surrounded by gorse bushes, which give way to clay tuff higher up. As you climb in altitude, the view opens up to Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari and Salina. Arrived at the top, 386 meters above sea level, the other two islands, Panarea and Stromboli, also appear in our view, completing a wonderful “picture” to contemplate, especially in the light of dawn or sunset.
Behind us stands the crater with its 500-meter diameter and its particular yellow-reddish coloration due to the action of bacteria that interact with the sulfur of fumaroles. It is necessary to pay attention not to approach it too much both because the jets of vapor reach very high temperatures and because the sulfur is harmful to human health.
Fog from the fumaroles and a breathtaking view of the other Aeolian islands: the perfect setting for a series of photo shoots before setting off along the return route, which is along the same path.

From Valdichiesa to Mount Fossa delle Felci, Salina (2h)
The very green Salina, with its bucolic charm and the perfect geometry of its twin cones, now extinct volcanoes, is crossed by several trekking routes that connect the different places of the island. Here we will explore the path that starts from Valdichiesa (313m), a hamlet of Leni, and reaches the top of Mount Fossa delle Felci (962m), the highest point of all the Aeolian Islands.
The church of Madonna del Terzito, behind which the route begins, is 10 km from Santa Marina Salina and, in case you haven’t rented a scooter or a car, you can reach it with the island’s regular buses.
The path, taken care of by the forest, goes up through a forest of pines, chestnuts and oaks, and crosses in several points a road that can be a good alternative for those who are not used to medium-high slopes. The initial stretch offers a beautiful perspective on Malfa, with the church of the Immacolata and the vineyards all around. At the end of the climb, you cross a thick fern forest, from which the mountain takes its name. Finally, we reach the coveted panoramic point from which to observe Monte dei Porri, the twin cone on the slopes of which rises Pollara, the sweet valley of Valdichiesa, Lipari and Vulcano to the south and, finally, Alicudi and Filicudi to the west.
Calculate about 2h for the ascent, 1h30′ for the descent, which is done by the same path.

All that’s left to do is get your gear ready and go!