Will Sicily be your top holiday destination for 2020?
6 Jan 2020
Gruppo UNA
What's so great about the Aeolian Islands?
Seven main islands and lots of tiny uninhabited islets make up the Aeolian archipelago, which was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2000. Mount Etna may be Sicily's most famous volcano, but ocean-going visitors to our island will discover the dramatic, rocky coastline, smouldering volcanic craters, and unique landscapes of the Aeolian Islands hard to beat.
Just some of the island destinations well worth a visit include:
- Stromboli, with its fantastic, volcanic fireworks displays at night. This is one of the most popular boat trips for New Year's Eve visitors to Sicily during the festive season. Journey times to the island are around two hours, depending on weather and tides.
- Panarea is the island holiday hot spot for the super-rich during summer months. If you fancy taking a look at some of the most expensive luxury yachts in the world or rubbing shoulders with celebs in local restaurants, take a boat trip to Panarea during your Sicilian holiday.
- Lipari is the largest Aeolian Island and tends to have an all-year-round population. The major local industry used to be mining the volcanic mountains for pumice stone, although this has now been banned. There are plans to build an eco-museum on the isle, but the local mud and thermal baths are a major attraction in their own right. The historic town centre and Corta marina are also well worth a visit and local, black sand beaches include Valle Muria and Punta delle Fontanelle. Enjoy the spectacular walk along the coast from Terme di San Calogero and Bagnosecco, site of the island's kaolin quarry offering once-in-a-lifetime views of creamy kaolin stained orange, indigo, violet, and blue by the volcanic sulphur emissions.
Some of the other popular Aeolian Island day trip destinations include Vulcano, Salina, and Alicudi.
How do I get from Sicily to the Aeolian Islands?
As already noted, regular boat trips head out to the Aeolian Islands each day, and journey times are around two hours. However, you might want to consider opting for a few days touring the islands by boat, and there are plenty of local, Sicilian skippers offering crewed holidays of this nature. Choosing to charter a yacht or hire a boat for a few days during your Sicily 2020 holiday is really easy when you opt for hotel accommodations for the duration of your stay in Sicily.
Gruppo UNA is the prime Italian hotels brand, and we have several unique hotels on Sicily. If you're contemplating a short break or holiday to discover Sicily, checking into some of our luxurious hotels is one way to explore the island in full. What's more, you could also charter your high-quality yacht, motor launch, or catamaran to coincide with your Sicily holiday and spend a few days cruising the Aeolians at leisure.
Why choose Gruppo UNA for your 2020 Sicily holiday?
Nothing is too much trouble for the welcoming, friendly teams at all our Sicilian hotels. Choose from our magnificent Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze, UNAHOTELS Naxos Beach Sicilia, the elegant UNAHOTELS Capotaormina retreat, or UNAHOTELS One Siracusa and plan your perfect holiday to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands today!