Lipari, Sicily, the liveliest of the Aeolian Islands

Visit Lipari

The island of Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands. The Aeolian Islands are off the north-east coast of Sicily.

The easiest way to get to Lipari is to take a ferry from Milazzo on the north coast of Sicily.

Explore Lipari

Unlike some of the neighbouring islands (especially Vulcano and Stromboli), Lipari itself doesn't feature an active volcano. What it does offer is some great scenery, a selection of beaches, and the liveliest town to be found on the islands - Lipari is active late into the night (in the summer) and has a very wide selection of bars and restaurants.

The ferry will drop you off on the edge of Lipari town at the Marina Lunga harbour and it is a short walk through pleasant colourful streets to get to the pretty, historic harbour area of Marina Corta which is the pretty focus of a visit to Lipari. Around the harbour area there are lots of restaurants and cafes and this is a very pleasant place for lunch.

Above the harbour area of Lipari town is the fortified citadel and castle built by the Spaniards in the 16th century and very interesting to explore. Within the citadel there are archeological sites covering a large part of the span of the occupied life of the island - some of the artifacts unearthed can be seen in the interesting museum.

Steep steps lead up to the cathedral of Lipari and this is now the main entrance area to the citadel. Lipari's Cathedral of Saint Bartholomew has very ancient roots (towards the end of the Roman Empire) and was consecrated in the 12th century. It has a cloister dating back to Norman times and with capitals carved into animal shapes.

In the citadel there is an excavated area revealing Greek and Roman tombs and there is an Archaeology Museum which has an extensive range of artefacts to explain the (very) long history of the islands, dating back some 6000 years, from both within Lipari itself and the surrounding region. It also has a large collection of obsidian, the curious glasslike volcanic rock which has long been an important part of the local economy and many items recovered from local shipwrecks.

As the citadel sits up above the town you also get some great views over the island and the sea from here!

Next perhaps visit the village of Cannetto and its beach (pebbles) or go a bit further to the sandy beach at Spiaggia Bianca to cool down a little. The remarkably clear seas of Lipari also make it very popular for snorkelling and scuba diving. You will need to take the bus, a taxi or do a boat tour to explore the island unless you brought your car over on the ferry.

Inland there are plenty of opportunites for hiking and exploring including a couple of extinct volcanoes offering more great views out to sea. The tourist information office on Corso Vittorio Emanuel II in the town centre can provide you with maps.

There is a particularly nice viewpoint at Quattrocchi that you can reach by bus from Lipari town. It is a view along the island and over the sea towards Vulcano.

The island can be reached by ferry, either from Milazzo, Palermo or Messina in Sicily or from Naples in Italy.

Lipari also acts as the 'hub' for exploring the quieter islands with ferries leaving from the Marina Lunga harbour at Lipari to all the other islands.

Where to visit nearby?

Lipari is the liveliest of the islands but Panarea is the most chic and attracts both Hollywood filmstars and the luxury yacht crowd as well as tourists wanting to enjoy the lovely scenery. A guided walk up to Stromboli's active volcano crater or a night time cruise around the island is an experience not to be missed.

You can find more local travel ideas in the North Sicily guide,