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Aeolian Islands · The starting base
The biggest and best-connected harbour in the Aeolians, and the point most days at sea set off from. If it is your first time on a boat in the islands, Lipari is the right place to begin: dinghies you can drive with or without a licence, skippered boats and shared tours.
Why start from here
In Lipari you find more operators than on any other island, and that changes two things: you get the widest range of boats and formats, and prices are the clearest, because there is competition. Anyone renting for the first time almost always starts here.
Boats are split between two harbours ten minutes' walk apart. Marina Lunga, on the north side, is the large harbour where ferries and hydrofoils dock: from here you reach the white beaches of Canneto and Acquacalda within minutes, where the coast is pale from the pumice. Marina Corta is the small harbour of the old town, smaller and livelier, and already looks out toward Vulcano, which you can see rising from the sea about fifteen kilometres away. The one thing to settle before you set off is the exact pick-up point: it changes from one operator to another.
For a full day, the most natural destination from Lipari is Salina, half a day's sailing to the north-east: clear water and sheltered coves, without straying too far from base. Panarea and Stromboli, on the other hand, are over thirty kilometres away and call for a trip of their own, almost always with a skipper.
What to budget
These are the average market prices we see in Lipari: they vary by season and availability, and they rise in high summer. We help you find the right option at the right price, at no cost to you.
Get a free quoteWith the boat on your doorstep
The most beautiful things on this coast only open up from the water. Here is where it is worth pointing the bow.
Between Canneto and Acquacalda the coast is pale: pumice has lightened the seabed and turned the water an unexpected turquoise. They are a few minutes from Marina Lunga.
The north side still holds the old quarries and the flows of obsidian, the shiny black volcanic stone. A stretch of coast that tells the island's industrial history from the sea.
Ten kilometres to the north-east, the greenest of the Aeolians: with a full day you can reach it and still have time for a swim in the coves of Punta Lingua before heading back.
The sheer sea stack off the west coast, with no paths, that you can only go around by boat. It is one of the spots where Christopher Nolan filmed the Aeolian scenes of Odyssey: here you can find every location from the film and how to reach them.
Questions about Lipari
A dinghy with no licence starts on average from around 190 euro a day, a more powerful one with a licence from around 450 euro. A seat on a shared tour costs on average from 55 euro per person. These are average market prices, which change with the season and availability. Tell us about your day and we will send a free quote with the options that suit you best.
From two harbours ten minutes' walk apart. Marina Lunga is the large harbour on the north side, where ferries and hydrofoils dock and most operators are based. Marina Corta is the small harbour of the old town, smaller and livelier. Always settle the exact pick-up point with whoever rents you the boat, because it changes from one operator to another.
No, not always. You can drive a dinghy yourself, within the power and distance-from-shore limits set by law, with no boat licence. For larger boats or more demanding trips you need a licence or a skipper on board, which you can request together with the boat.
The next step
We reply with a tailored proposal, no strings attached. All we need is the date, how many of you there are and whether you would rather drive yourselves or have a skipper on board.
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