Aeolian Islands - Filicudi

A quick jaunt to Filicudi is all it takes to make you forget the daily grind. Thoughts of cell phones and pagers vanish. Calling the boss to check in is no longer a concern.

You might wonder how such a small island (about 9.5 square miles) can make you forget about your day-to-day existence. But there's something about Filicudi that allows you to become one with nature, to shuck your tourist clothing to bask nude in the warm water that laps gently against the rim of this small but stunningly beautiful island.

Tom Mueller, a Milan resident who contributes to the wildly popular Travel & Leisure magazine, expressed the Filicudi feeling best after a jaunt to the island in the late 1990s. "Thirty years ago, a German named Gilbert Lippelt resigned his post as a cruise-ship captain, traded his starched uniform for a sarong, and moved to the Aeolians. Now he lives in a whitewashed mountain cave on Filicudi, one of these seven volcanic islands just north of Sicily. His days are spent gardening, reading novels, puffing on a hookah, and chatting with curious strangers like me."

You can hide in a variety of deep grottos to steal that quick kiss, reminiscing and waxing romantic about Roberto Rosselini and Ingrid Bergman, who gave the island their own heat while filming "Stromboli." (Yes, they filmed a large portion of the movie on Filicudi. It's beyond gorgeous, so it's not too difficult to figure out why.) You can watch small boats bob along the rocky coast and squint as the sun's bright rays glint off the shining rocks and welcome you with its warmth. You'll wonder where you've ever seen such perfection, and will suddenly remember that you saw the raw beauty of this island in "Il Postino." You can bask along the rocky shore and imagine that you're nothing short of a Greek god, taking advantage of the perfection that Filicudi offers while indulging hedonistic tendencies.

The Aeolian Islands are all about pleasure. They're all about relaxation and the enjoyment of life. If you're on Filicudi and are more interested in physical activity than a towel and fine sand, well, sponge fishing is quite popular. (None of the fisherman have any problem with tourists coming to watch or even lend a hand. It's a pretty cool type of fishing. I enjoyed it, and I am NOT a fisherman.) Many people choose to dive into the warm, clear water in search of coral, but you'll have to bring equipment from the mainland. Oddly enough, it's fairly scarce here. (If you don't find coral, get it from a booth in the island's small residential area. It's gorgeous but very, very inexpensive.)

For purveyors of Greek history, a visit to the summit of Montagnoli di Pecorini (a mountain on the Southern coast) you'll find a rather large mass with a Greek inscription. (Tourists routinely clamor and try to second-guess the inscription. Research can clue you in to what the inscription says. I won't ruin it for you. Learn it before you go and you'll be a huge hit with unknowing tourists.)

To learn more about Filicudi, its people and its culture, check out this page.