The Aeolian Islands from Portorosa: Vulcano, Stromboli, Salina
Portorosa is a marina on the north coast of Sicily between Milazzo and Patti, less than twenty miles from the Aeolian Islands. So the week goes on the islands rather than on getting there: the crater and sulphur vents of Vulcano, the fortress town of Lipari, Stromboli erupting every few minutes and green Salina with its malvasia vineyards. The loop is about 108 miles, the longest leg is 25, and there is not a single dawn-to-dusk day at sea. If the wind shifts, every island has a lee side within an hour.
Day by day
Portorosa
- Marina di Portorosa38.127, 15.111
Take over the yacht at Marina di Portorosa — a large canal marina with a yard and a fuel berth, about two hours by car from Catania airport. Provision for the week at supermarkets on the way: on the islands everything costs noticeably more and choice is thin.
Portorosa → Vulcano
- Vulcano (Porto di Levante)38.415, 14.962
North across open water, with the islands in sight from the first mile. Berth at Porto di Levante, on the summer pontoons or at anchor in the bay. In the evening, climb the Gran Cratere — about an hour on foot, if the path is open: it is closed from time to time when gas emissions rise.
Vulcano → Lipari
- Lipari38.470, 14.957
- Porto Pignataro (Lipari)marina38.478, 14.963
A short hop through the Bocche di Vulcano with a swim by the Pietralunga and Pietra Menalda stacks off south-west Lipari. Berth at Marina Lunga or Pignataro and walk into town: the acropolis on its rock, the cathedral and the Bernabò Brea archaeological museum with its Aeolian pottery.
Lipari → Panarea → Stromboli
- Panarea (Cala Junco)38.624, 15.063
- Stromboli38.802, 15.243
North-east with a lunch stop at Panarea, in Cala Junco below Capo Milazzese and its Bronze Age village. At Stromboli you anchor off Ficogrande, and it is an open roadstead. After sunset, run round to the Sciara del Fuoco on the north-west flank: the eruptions look better from the water than from the path.
Stromboli → Salina
- Salina (Santa Marina)38.558, 14.874
- Rinella (Salina)town quay38.546, 14.829
Back south-west past Panarea and the islet of Basiluzzo. Salina is the greenest island in the group: two extinct volcanoes, capers on terraces and malvasia wine. Berth in the marina at Santa Marina Salina; in the evening, granita in neighbouring Lingua.
Salina → Vulcano (Gelso)
- Vulcano (Gelso)38.366, 14.994
Down the east side of Lipari, through the strait and round Vulcano to Gelso bay on the island's south side. There is no village — a lighthouse, a couple of restaurants and a black beach. Anchor here, well sheltered from northerly winds.
Gelso → Portorosa
- Marina di Portorosa38.127, 15.111
- Milazzo (Marina del Nettuno)marina38.219, 15.243
A last leg south to the Sicilian coast. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Weather: in summer the north-westerly maestrale dominates, reaching 15–20 knots by midday, and the north-facing anchorages are open to it. Pick each night's stop from the evening forecast: Gelso and the southern bays in a northerly, the north sides of the islands in a scirocco.
- Berths: there are hardly any marinas in the usual sense — the pontoons at Vulcano, Lipari and Santa Marina go in for the summer only, and elsewhere it is deep-water anchoring or buoys. Book pontoon berths ahead in July and August; at Stromboli you spend the night at anchor.
- Stromboli is an active volcano. The coastguard keeps an exclusion zone for boats off the Sciara del Fuoco whose size changes with the alert level, and the climb towards the crater is allowed only with a guide and only up to a set height. Check the current restrictions on the day.
- Fuel and water: fill up at Lipari or at Portorosa itself; there is no water for yachts at Stromboli or Gelso, so top up the tanks beforehand. Ferries and hydrofoils run between the islands all day — keep a sharp lookout on the approaches to Lipari and Vulcano.
How to get to the marina
- Marina di Portorosa, Furnari (Sicily)
- Catania (CTA) — 155 km, 2 h by carPalermo (PMO) — 200 km, 2.5 h by car
2 h · €180–260 per car
Pre-booked transfer from Catania airport along the A18 and A20 motorways via Messina straight to the marina, at a fixed price per car.
2 h · €35–70 per day
Rental desks in the Catania terminal. Worth it if you visit Etna or Taormina before or after the charter; the motorways are partly tolled.
3–4.5 h · €15–30 per person
Coach from Catania airport to Messina, then a regional train on the Messina–Palermo line to Falcone or Novara-Montalbano-Furnari station and a short taxi to the marina.
3.5–4.5 h · €20–35 per person
Train from Palermo airport to Palermo Centrale, change to a Palermo–Messina train to Falcone, then a taxi to the marina. Slower than from Catania, but no coach.
The simplest option is one transfer for the whole crew: for four people it works out at €45–65 each and saves the changes in Messina.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Italy
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Italy
All boats in Italy
How long is the Portorosa — Stromboli route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 108 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Portorosa. Overnight stops in order: Marina di Portorosa, Vulcano (Porto di Levante), Lipari, Stromboli, Salina (Santa Marina), Vulcano (Gelso). The longest leg is day 4, 25 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Portorosa — Stromboli route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina di Portorosa, Furnari (Sicily). The nearest airport is Catania (CTA), 155 km away. Fastest: transfer, 2 h, €180–260 per car. Cheapest: bus, 3–4.5 h, €15–30 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Portorosa — Stromboli route?
Italy's season runs May to October. June and September give the best balance of weather and price; July and August are the peak, with expensive, busy marinas, which is why in Sardinia you anchor out. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler water, cheaper boats. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€254 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€280. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 52%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Italy for a week starts from €780 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Italy”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
