Beaches, Italy, Off the Beaten Path

Have you heard of the Aeolian Islands in Sicily?

Have a look at this video to get a glimpse of the region.

Where are the Aeolian Islands?

The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago off the northeast coast of Sicily.The islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for their natural environment — namely, their volcanic formation and ongoing volcanic activity to this day.

Bruno, one of my English Students has just come back from a trip there. He had a wonderful time and our conversation inspired me to do some more research on this region which I would like to share with you.

I found this blog "Adventurous Kate" which gives a lot of detail about where to stay and what to do on the islands. The link to her blog is at the bottom.

The complex of the seven Aeolian Islands, covering an area of 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi), originated in the Tyrrhenian Basin, a great plain at the bottom of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Emissions of lava from depths of up to 3,600 m (11,800 ft) resulted in the formation of the Aeolian Islands, together with Ustica and a series of submarine volcanoes named Magnani, Vavilov, Marsili and Palinuro, as well as two that are unnamed.

The present shape of the Aeolian Islands is the result of volcanic activity over a period of 260,000 years. There are two active volcanoes – Stromboli and Vulcano.[3] Steaming fumaroles and thermal waters are on most of the islands. The volcanic activity has also left the islands with a very fertile soil that is beneficial in the growth of natural flora.[4]

Geologically the archipelago is defined as a volcanic arc.[5] The origin of the Aeolian Islands is due to movement of the Earth's crust as a result of plate tectonics. The African continental shelf is in constant movement towards Europe. Its subduction underneath the Eurasian plate generates magma, which rises to the surface to form the volcanoes. The "Aeolian Arc" extends for more than 140 km (87 mi), but the area of geological instability caused by the collision of Africa and Europe is much larger. It includes Sicily, Calabria, and Campania together with Greece and the Aegean islands.

Link to website "Adventurous Kate" Visit the site to read about all of the activities you can do here! I'm going to put it on my bucket list for sure!