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Aeolian Islands - Touring the island by car

You leave Lipari by entering Marina Lunga and then taking the panoramic road to the left, which leads to Cannneto (it is faster to go straight through Marina Lunga and then drive through the tunnel that takes you over the Monte Rosa promontory, altough this means missing the panoramic view). The winding hillside roads take you past Aeolian villas and house and offer you glimpses of the castle rock and the southern part of the island. The village of Canneto stretches along the fine beach of the same name and was built for the families of the labourers working in the nearby pumice quarries. At the far end of the village, there is a left-hand side road leading up to the district of Lami, where you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view over the islands. You can leave from here to make a short excursion up to the Rocche Rosse crater. When you are back on the coastal road, you drive past the slopes of Monte Pelato and cross the pumice quarries, whose brilliant white was also the dominant colour of the beaches until a few years ago.

All that remains of what was, until not so very long ago, a very busy quarring industry are some old rusty platforms and some run-down buildings. After a while, you come to the small beach at Porticello, which has a large car park and some kiosks where you can bus snacks and drinks. The road continues over the Rocche Rosse lava flow and if you wish you can go for a short walk in this impressive landscape, with its masses of sharp, twisted lava stone of brown and ochre. You can then get back in the car and before long you will come to the fine beach at Acquacalda and the last great dock for the ships that transported pumice. The road rises as you climb the slopes of Monte Chirica and cross a heath that is a marvellous explosion of colour in springtime. You have a view of the impressive island of Salina all the way as far as Quattropani. From Quattropani you can climb up the mountain as far as the Chiesa Vecchia (the Old Church). When you are back on the main road, you will soon come to the district of Chirica Rasa; just after this you can take a small road up to the old kaolin mines, where you can still see some fumaroles.

This is one of the most extraordinary but least visited places on the island. Just ahead, the rock wall turns basalt grey and steepens sharply. If you look out towards the sea, the landscape is dominated by the sharp crags of Ospedale and Pataso. A small path leads up to the crest and it is well worth going to the top (10-15 minutes) to enjoy the panoramic view over the sea and, in the opposite direction, over the impressively steep rock face. When you are once again on the main road, you will soon come to Piano Conte: when you have passed the village, take the right-hand road to the San Calogero thermal springs. On your way back, you will come to the renowned panoramic area of Quattropani. From here you can admire one of the most extraordinary views that Sicily has to offer. Before you is the yawning cliff face of Sotto il Monte, surrounded by marvellous Punta Perciato and the jutting crags of Pietra Lunga and Pietra Menalda and, in the background, the impressive island of Vulcano. The spectacle is at its most breathtaking just before sunset, when the rays of sunlight hit the rock and give it a golden aura. You then make your journey back to the town centre of Lipari.

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