The “Aeolian Islands” or “Lipari Islands” certainly have much more to offer than a good restaurant and a nice lunch, but at least it sounds glamorous and it almost happened that way. After a good 2-hour journey from Catania via Milazzo, we took a hydrofoil to the largest of the Aeolian Islands – Lipari.
Lipari Islands with an active volcano
Sicily has surprised me with a few sights so far. After the wonderful trip to Taormina and the visit to the crater rim of the Etna volcano, I was looking forward to the Aeolian Islands. The Lipari Islands consist of 7 islands: Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, Panarea, Salina, Stromboli and Vulcano.
A small fishing port, a small jetty and the opportunity to experience the island first of all on a round trip and, above all, to experience the special features of the rich nature there. Lipari is one of seven islands and on the neighboring island (Stromboli) the volcano is still active and still spews lava at regular intervals (from a few minutes to hours).
The “small” island of Lipari completely impressed me with its nature and, as you could already see on Instagram immediately after my stay, the light was simply fantastic.
It’s worth doing a little round trip here and enjoying the view of the other islands from above. A small but beautiful island with a very relaxing character.
Restaurant Filippino on Lipari
When you talk about the Filippino in Sicily, all you see is enthusiasm. A tradition of over 104 years and if you don’t know someone in Sicily who knows someone who knows someone who might be able to pull strings to get a table by the window in summer, there’s almost no chance… Filippo on Lipari is one of the hottest addresses, and not without reason.
A seat right by the window with a view of the bay off Lipari, where the stars have their pictures taken by photographers in summer – opened its doors for me and this time I was served a dark rissotto, freshly caught fish and delicious lemon sorbet, among other things. Perfect! It could go on like this every day!
A subsequent stroll around the island of Lipari, the old churches and excavations and a view of the harbor – a fantastic day that had two more surprises in store after returning to Milazzo.
Castello di Milazzo
After arriving from Lipari by speedboat to the port of Milazzo, the next surprise awaited us. The police in front of the shuttle bus – but not for a check, but for an escort to the old Castello di Milazzo, where the mayor was waiting and offered a guided tour of the historic halls and the building. A nice surprise and a special honor.
The grounds are really special, a great view over Milazzo and the harbor, the setting sun and the old walls. A perfect place for photos and, depending on the view, you had the feeling of being on the English coast rather than in southern Italy.
Incidentally, I was addressed in Italian by one of the Italian organizers at the top of the hill. Not what you might think, but just normal and he couldn’t believe that I didn’t speak Italian because I didn’t look typically German. I love it when I don’t stand out as typically German in vacation destinations…
Sunshine – still 20°C and the golden and reddish coloring. You can certainly understand my enthusiasm for the place and it was fun that the next appointments were simply postponed for a “few” minutes. I just got used to the Italian way of telling the time… and things can always change… 🙂
Dinner at the Nicosia winery
The second surprise after Lipari was a historic winery behind high walls, the place for the famous “Etna wine” – and my place for dinner.
A great setting and many important people from politics and business were also present. Friendly words and a nice exchange, many new contacts and a perfect end to the beautiful day.
Beautifully laid tables, selected wines and a nicely arranged four-course menu. It really is the perfect way to end the day and after my experiences in Lipari, Milazzo and later in “Nicosia”, I returned to my hotel at around 1.00 a.m. with lots of new impressions. I’m looking forward to Syracuse & Noto the next day.
