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Aeolian Islands · The volcano that lights up
The only active volcano in the archipelago erupts every few minutes, and after dark the show is better from the sea than from anywhere else. The Stromboli by night tour takes you below the Sciara del Fuoco just as it starts to glow: it is the most requested experience in the Aeolians.
Why do it from the sea
The Sciara del Fuoco is the great natural channel that runs down from the crater toward the sea, on the north-west flank of Stromboli. It is the stretch that everything from each eruption slides down, and you cannot get close to it from land: only a boat brings you face to face, at the right distance.
Stromboli erupts almost constantly, on average every fifteen or twenty minutes. By day you see the plume of smoke rise; but the magic happens after dark. Each burst lights the Sciara red and orange, and you watch it reflect on the black water. It is not a show staged for tourists: it is the volcano doing its work, and you are there watching it from the best vantage point there is.
That is why the evening trip, the one everyone calls Stromboli by night, leaves in the late afternoon, arrives below the Sciara as the sky goes dark and returns deep into the night, with the red of the crater slowly falling away behind.
The right call
For Stromboli by night the skipper is not the pricey version of the rental: it is what makes the trip possible and safe. There is a night-time return on a long open-sea route, the moorings on the island are few, and the safe distance from the Sciara changes with the volcano's activity. A skipper who runs this trip every evening knows where to sit, when the Sciara is at its best and how to bring you home in the dark. It is the choice we recommend even for those who hold a licence: here the whole value is in the experience of the person at the helm. For most visitors, who do not hold the Italian boat licence, it is the only way to do this trip.
The logistics
Three departure points, with different sailing times. Pick the one that suits your trip.
The best-connected harbour in the archipelago, with the widest choice of operators. Stromboli is about two or three hours of sailing away: the evening trip is longer, but it leaves from the best base.
The closest to Stromboli. Leaving from here shortens the sailing and allows a shorter evening trip, ideal if you are already on this island or want to combine the two in a day.
In Sicily, handy for those arriving by car who do not want to reach the islands first. Several trips toward Stromboli leave from here, with a skipper and an evening return.
What to budget
The price of an evening trip to Stromboli varies a lot: it depends on where you leave from, how long the sailing is, the type of boat, and whether it is a shared tour or a boat just for you. Many of these trips are arranged on request, so we would rather not throw out a figure that might not hold for your case.
Tell us where you want to set off from, how many of you there are and whether you want a seat on a shared trip or a private boat: we find the right solution and tell you clearly what it costs, no surprises and no charge to you.
Get a free quoteQuestions about Stromboli
It is the evening boat trip that takes you off the north-west flank of Stromboli to watch the Sciara del Fuoco from the sea as dark falls. Stromboli erupts on average every fifteen or twenty minutes, and each burst lights the lava channel that runs down to the sea in red. You leave in the late afternoon and return at night: it is the most requested experience in the Aeolians.
Almost always yes. Evening trips toward Stromboli involve a night-time return on a long open-sea route and require knowing the safe distance from the Sciara del Fuoco, which changes with the volcano's activity. That is why operators entrust these trips to a professional skipper, and it is the choice we recommend even for those who hold a boat licence.
There are three main departure points. Lipari, the best-connected harbour in the archipelago, from which Stromboli is about two or three hours of sailing. Panarea, the closest, for a shorter evening trip. Milazzo, in Sicily, handy for those arriving by car. Tell us where it suits you to leave from and we will point you to the right trip.
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 where you would rather leave from: we take care of finding you the right skipper for the Sciara del Fuoco.
Get a free quote