AEOLIAN islands - 8 days/7 nights cruise - Portorosa / Portorosa
Saturday: Sicily - Lipari.
Boarding during afternoon in marina di Portorosa, Furnari (Messina). After food provisioning and accomodation in your own cabin, we're ready to set sail: we leave Sicily behind us and with a fresh crosswind we sail to Lipari sailing along the coast of Vulcano that welcome us with its still active crater. We spend the night in Lipari in the port of Pignataro.
Sunday: Lipari – Cave di Pomice - Salina.
After a classic breakfast with a mulberry granita we'll have an adventurous hike to Lipari castle that rises above the sea in a rich archaeological zone, we are in the top of the city and from there dominates the entire bay of Marina Lunga and Marina Corta and the lower town. Attached to the spanish cathedral there's the medieval cloister of antique Benedectine-Norman monastery: here submerged in total silence and enveloped by the shiny glitter of sea we can still feel the ancient sacredness of this place. After coming back on board we pull up the sails for our route to Salina blown by the wind, along the way we stop in the north of Lipari for a refreshing swimming in these amazing waters under the abandoned pumice quarries. We spend the nght in Santa Marina di Salina, drink on board and dinner on land.
Monday: Santa Marina – Pollara.
Salina is the greenest of Aeolian islands and the extinct volcano of Monte Fossa delle Felci with its 962 m is a compelling challenge for hiking lovers. During afternoon we'll sail to Pollara on the western side of Salina, natural set of the movie "The Postman". The evening promises to be quiet and we decide to stop at anchor in the bay of Pollara, protected by high cliffs while the moon sets behind Filicudi. Night at anchor and dinner on board.
Tuesday: Salina - Panarea.
You cannot avoid to have a regenerating swim in the waters of Pollara under the sun. Morning goes by while walking in the little village of Pollara, famous for its capers, where you can also taste Malvasia, the typical wine of Salina. From there the view leaves everyone breathless. During afternoon route to Panarea to reach before sunset, we search for a safe berth in Cala Junco, one of the most beautiful bays in Aeolian islands, dominated by the promontory of point Milazzese, where rises the prehistoric village from 1400 b.c., a safe and strategic place to get defended from pirates attacks who until two centuries ago infested these seas. Dinner on land, night at anchor.
Wednesday: Panarea - Stromboli.
Morning in Panarea passes by between swimming, relax and walks on the island. Stromboli is 3 hours of sailing from here, the best time to sail is early afternoon when the westerly breeze stabilizes, sailing along the coasts of islets of Lisca Bianca, Dattilo, Scoglio Spinazzola and Basiluzzo we set our route to Sciara di fuoco, side of the island of Stromboli where volcanic materials emitted in the eruptive outbursts from the main crater of the volcano build up. The spectacule Stromboli offers us with continuous eruptions under a full moon is thrilling. Dinner and drinks on land. Night at anchor near Strombolicchio and Piscità an hamlet of Stromboli.
Thursday: Stromboli – Filicudi.
After a trip on land and a stop at bar Ingrid that dominates all Stromboli with its infinite sea, we get back on board and set sail to Filicudi. Winds are very favorable and in early afternoon we fund under the promontory of Capo Graziano. The island is even wilder than the others, here time seems to stand still. On land the pace is very relaxed and it's possible to visit the ancient settlement of Capo Graziano or to stop at the pier bar for a bracing drink. Then we decide to circumnavigate the island and stop to have a swim under the Canna Filicudi, a basalt column that rises steeply above the sea for about 80 m. Night at anchor at Filo di Lorani.
Friday: Filicudi – Vulcano – Sicily.
We leave Filicudi to reach Vulcano. Navigation is pleasant and it goes by bewteen maneuvers, sunbathing, reading and relaxing. We sail among Lipari and Vulcano retracing the route taken by Ulysses to return to his Ithaca and while on the right we admire the smoking crater of Volcano, on the left the Faraglioni, massive basalt columns, protrude from the sea. After reaching Vulcano we have a stop on land from the Bay of Levante for a tasty mulberry granita while the more darings decide to hike on the volcano. After coming back on board our route continues to Gelso, the southern part of the Island, where we stop for our last swimming and our last goodbye to the islands. Before sunset we set sail to Sicily. Dinner in a diner and night in Portorosa.
Saturday
It's time to say goodbye. landing is scheduled at 09.00 a.m. but our will to get back to sail is very strong! We exchange our addresses with our fellow travelers and we leave with a promise to meet again soon, another travel by the sea and many other islands are waiting for us!
