I returned a few days ago from my third trip to Sicily. I had discovered this island 3 years ago during a road trip to the north of the island which had brought us to this failed ascent of Stromboli. New stay in Sicily, but given the period, exactly the same as when we failed this ascent, I decided to change island for the ascent of the Vulcan. Closer, but also less high and therefore less risky.
Summary:
> Getting to Vulcano Island
> Where to sleep on Vulcano Island?
> The ascent of the Vulcan
> What to do on the island of Vulcano
> My opinion on Vulcano Direct link :
This link allows you to book your ferry directly to Vulcano Book your ferry
Getting to Vulcano Island
To get to the Vulcano, we left from Milazzo, the Sicilian town closest to the island. The crossing takes 45 minutes and cost us 30 euros round trip. Depending on the island where you go, you can start from more or less town. Milazzo serves all of the Aeolian Islands, but you can also depart from Palermo, Messina or Naples. Two companies serve the Aeolian Islands, Ustica Lines et Siremar.
As for the crossing, it is fast, the boats being rather comfortable, the only problem is that you cannot go outside.
To book your crossing, do not hesitate to compare and book via the Direct Ferries website.
The Aeolian Islands are made up of 7 main inhabited islands. Their population varies between 150 inhabitants for the smallest, to 10 for the largest. They are all volcanic islands but only two islands have an active volcano: Vulcano (no eruption since 500) and Stromboli (very active).
These are the smallest islands: Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Stromboli, Vulcano, Salina and Lipari.
The Aeolian Islands have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2000
Where to sleep in Vulcano?
Vulcano has around a hundred hotels and apartments available for rent. All accommodation is located in the only small town on the island. Spending a night on Vulcano can be a very good idea.
Among the best rated hotels on the island we can mention the Hotel Garden which has a very beautiful swimming pool in a sumptuous setting or the hotel les sables noirs located a stone's throw from the beach and which offers a superb view. on the bay.
For slightly tighter budgets, there is the Hotel Aura, a 3-star hotel with a beautiful swimming pool, or the Al Togo hotel, which also offers a swimming pool and a breathtaking view of the volcano.
The ascent of the Vulcan
For those who have read my article on the ascent of Stromboli, or for those who have had the chance to climb Stromboli, Vulcano does not have much to do in terms of difficulty. The size of the volcano, 499m is for a few things, but the path to access the crater is much more passable although some passages still require a few small jumps. The slope is much less steep, the path from the foot of the volcano to the crater is only a short kilometer long. Add some 500 m to reach the port, where the boat will drop you off at the foot of the volcano.
For this climb, which will take you about 1 hour, remember to take something to hydrate (logical you will tell me well… not for everyone 🙂 luckily that day it was not too hot).
Once you reach the top, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama over part of the island but also over the neighboring islands. You can also enjoy this particular smell of sulfur (as soon as you arrive on the island). This seems very unpleasant when you arrive, but is less felt afterwards. You will see fumaroles coming out of the volcano in different places (be careful not to breathe in these fumaroles).
Once at the top, you will have the option of descending into the crater.
To climb the Vulcano and then descend, allow 2 hours to quietly enjoy your ascent to the top of the volcano, contemplate the view and catch your breath.
What to do on Vulcano Island
As you will have understood, the ascent of the Vulcano will not take you the whole day. You will therefore have time for other activities. First of all on the catering side, don't worry, even in the middle of February when the island is almost deserted, we still found a small restaurant to eat and were able to taste (once again) the arancini, Sicilian specialty. The visit of the island being easily done in one day, especially from Milazzo, we did not try to sleep on the island. In our case, spending two days on the island is not justified, however, if you are traveling during a milder period, from April-May, it may be pleasant to spend more than one day in order to take advantage of the other activities the island has to offer.
And yes, certainly the main activity is the ascent of the Vulcano, but you can also enjoy a rather rare phenomenon, hot and sulphurous mud baths du Pond of Fanghi. Check opening times, when we visited in February these were closed.
You can also enjoy the beaches that the island offers. White sand or black sand beaches like that of Port of Ponente, leading to a sea in which there are sulfur thermal springs with recognized therapeutic benefits. The temperature of these sources varies between 35 and 50 degrees.
If you are not too fond of beaches or mud baths, you can go hiking across the island and discover spectacular landscapes of the cliffs throwing themselves into the sea or even the " valley of monsters where these strange rock formations created by lava are located. Go for a ride on Vulcanello, another volcano on the island, completely extinct.
My opinion on Vulcano
After having visited the island of Stromboli as well as the island Vulcano, I would say that the purpose of a stay on Vulcano is different than Stromboli. It is possible to spend a day on Vulcano. It seems complicated on the Stromboli. The ascent is much less difficult at Vulcano, the island is larger, more populated and the activities more varied. It is, for example, possible to enjoy the mud baths but also the beach of Vulcano.
It is quite possible to stay there for 2 days and one night.
If you plan to visit Vulcano, do not hesitate to ask me questions by leaving a comment, I would be happy to answer you.
