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Aeolian Islands · The green island
The greenest and calmest of the Aeolians: twin volcanoes covered in woodland, the Malvasia vineyards running down toward the sea, and the bay of Pollara that only opens up from the water. If you are after a day at sea away from the crowds, Salina is the right island.
Why choose it
Salina is unlike every other Aeolian island, and the difference shows from a distance: while the neighbouring islands are dark and bare, this one is green. The twin volcanoes, Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri, are covered in woodland and ferns, and they are the reason it rains more here than elsewhere and the land yields wine, capers and fruit.
It is the right island if the day you have in mind is a slow one. There are none of Panarea's crowds nor Lipari's bustle: there is a coast to take at your own pace, two quiet harbours and coves to reach for a swim once everyone else has already left. Marina di Salina, at Santa Marina, is the main harbour; Rinella, on the south side, is a tiny, sheltered one.
Above everything is the Malvasia, the sweet wine the Aeolians owe to this island: from the sea you see the terraced vineyards running down to the shore, and it is the landscape that explains Salina better than any words.
What to budget
In Salina the rental offer sits at the high end: the boats with a licence that we see start on average from around 1,100 euro a day. That is an average market price, which varies by season and availability, and it is an island where the emphasis is more on the quality of the experience than on saving money.
If you are after a lighter option, keep in mind that Salina is also one of the most common destinations for a day at sea starting from Lipari, where choice and prices are more accessible. Tell us how you picture it and we will point you to the most sensible option.
Get a free quoteFrom the water
The stops that make a day sailing around the green island unique.
A natural amphitheatre carved into an old crater, with its sea stack and the fishermen's caves cut into the tuff. It is the most beautiful spot in Salina, and from the water you see it in its full extent.
Along the north coast the Malvasia terraces run down to the shore. A farmed landscape that tells the island's real character from the sea, one of wine and land.
On the south side, the sheltered inlets around the small harbour of Rinella, with its dark sand beach. Still, clear water, perfect for a stop away from the crowds.
Questions about Salina
The unmissable spot is the bay of Pollara, the natural amphitheatre carved into an old crater, with its sea stack and the fishermen's caves in the tuff. From the sea you also reach the coves beneath Malfa and Santa Marina and the island's two harbours, Rinella and Marina di Salina. It is a green, quiet coast, unlike any other in the Aeolians.
In Salina the offer sits at the high end: the boats with a licence that we see start on average from around 1,100 euro a day. That is an average market price, which varies by season and availability. If you are looking for a lighter option, many people reach Salina for the day by renting from Lipari. Get a free quote and we will point you to the option that suits you best.
Salina has two harbours. Marina di Salina, at Santa Marina, is the main one, where ferries and hydrofoils dock. Rinella, on the south side, is a smaller, more sheltered harbour. Salina is also a common destination for a day out by boat from Lipari, about ten kilometres to the south-west.
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 set off from Salina or reach it for the day from Lipari.
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