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Aeolian Islands · You sleep on board
A single day is a taste. But the real Aeolians, all seven, with the time to wake up in a different cove each morning, come only from staying on board a few nights. Three, five, seven days: it changes how many islands you touch and how slowly you can go.
A sailing boat under way between the islands of the archipelago.
What changes
Moving from a day trip to a holiday of several days changes the way you live the islands, not only the hours at sea.
The boat becomes home: you wake at anchor in a different bay, have breakfast looking at the sea and do not head back to port each evening. It is half the point.
In a single day you touch the central group. With more days you reach Filicudi and Alicudi too, the most distant and wildest, worth the trip on their own.
No rush to get back: you stop where the wind is right, and stay a day longer if a cove wins you over. The itinerary bends to the weather, not the other way round.
The Sciara del Fuoco at sunset, without the worry of the return crossing at night: you sleep nearby and set off in good time the next morning.
The two formats
Two ways to live the cruise, for different budgets and company.
The sociable format
You book a cabin on a boat with other guests and a crew on board. The itinerary is already set, the spend contained, and the company of others who love the sea like you.
For couples or solo travellers who want to spend the right amount.
The exclusive format
The entire boat for your group, with a skipper who drives and knows the islands. You decide the course day by day, without sharing the space with anyone.
For families and groups of friends who want the trip made to measure.
How it could go
One possible route, to bend to the wind and your own timing. It is there to give an idea, not a fixed running order.
Departure, the white pumice beaches and the mud baths of Vulcano. First night at anchor, to find the rhythm of the sea.
The sheltered coves and the water of Pollara at sunset. The greenest island of the archipelago, where you are glad to linger.
The islets of Panarea as natural pools, then the Sciara del Fuoco of Stromboli seen from the sea as the sun goes down.
The two distant sisters, the wildest and quietest. The Grotta del Bue Marino at Filicudi, the near-total silence of Alicudi, and the way home.
When to go
The good window runs from June to September, when the sea is warm and the days are long. July and August are the busiest months: crowded coves and prices at their peak, but also the lively feel of the Aeolian summer. June and September are often the best choice for a cruise: water that is still good, fewer boats at anchor and conditions usually more settled.
The wind is the variable that really decides the itinerary. The Aeolians are an exposed archipelago, and a week of mistral can change the order of the stops. That is why on a trip of several days the skipper counts even more: he is the one who reads the weather and redraws the course so it always stays sheltered.
What it costs
On a trip of several days the cost depends on everything together, the format (a single cabin or the whole boat), the type of boat, how many nights, and above all the season, because between June and August the same week can change a lot. But we can give you some anchors: cabin charter, where you book a cabin on a shared boat, starts from around 750 to 850 euro per person a week; the whole boat with a skipper runs from around 1,950 to 3,600 euro a week departing from Capo d'Orlando, the charter base with the most boats in the archipelago.
These are average market prices, they vary by season and availability. Tell us how much time you have and who you are travelling with: we put you in touch with the right option, at a real price for your dates and not a figure pulled from the air.
Questions about the cruise
To take in all seven islands at an easy pace you usually need five to seven days. In three days you see the central group well, Lipari, Vulcano, Salina and Panarea, while Filicudi and Alicudi, the most distant and wildest, call for a few days more. The right number also depends on the week's wind.
In cabin charter you book one cabin on a boat shared with other guests and a crew: it is the cheapest format for couples or solo travellers. With the whole boat you take the entire vessel for your group, with a skipper, and you decide the itinerary day by day.
From June to September the sea is warm and the days are long. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months; June and September offer water that is still good, fewer crowds and conditions that are often more settled. The shoulder seasons are possible, but the weather is less predictable.
The next step
Three days or a week, as a couple or in ten, a shared cabin or the boat all to yourselves: tell us how you picture the trip and we put you in touch with the right option, at the real price for your dates. No strings attached and at no cost.
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