Aeolian Islands - Lipari

The largest (and most accessible) of the Aeolian Islands is Lipari, a glistening metropolis whose main city takes the same name. One portion of the city extends along two gorgeous inlets of the Marina Lunga. The other part wraps around Il Castello. If all you want is to be surrounded by elaborate scenery and shimmering water that reflects the happy, sun-kissed faces of its tourists, well - any island will do. If you're looking for a Greek and Roman history buff or just searching for that perfect piece of art (or fish, for that matter) Lipari is the haven for you. The island isn't particularly huge - about 37.6 kilometers - but if you're looking for adventure, you'll be surprised at what fun Sicilians have crammed into the island.

You can sit along Lipari's "Main Street," the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and indulge your olfactory sense with the sweet smell of bougainvilleas while people watching and twirling the last bit of gelato off your spoon. It doesn't seem like much, yet somehow in Lipari it's absolutely magical. You'll marvel at the people you see - the smooth-as-satin and tanned-to-the-quick brunettes (the Sicilian natives and also tourists - this place is a regular getaway for Southern Italians) and more Nordic looking, statuesque blondes, which reveal a past in which Norman knights once conquered and ruled Sicily. You can tell many of the Sicilians returned, however, and still remain by the elaborate and pungent braids of garlic and tomato that hang from nearly every shopkeepers' door.

The odd part about Lipari is the traffic. It has traffic. This blew me away. You wouldn't expect, after exiting the Hydrofoil or excruciatingly long ferry, to hear traffic in this serene yet bustling paradise, but it always there. You might not notice it, but if you hear the grumbling roars of motorinos, This is the only location within the Aeolian Islands you will experience this in - Lipari is just a bit too close to the Italian mainland to be a completely isolated resort island.

After a few hours of watching the glamorous tourists pass (and stuffing myself with every bit of gelato I could find) I decided to work off the calories with a walk up to Il Castello, a medieval-period castle that houses one of the world's finest archaeological museums. (Not to mention one of the world's most stunning ocean views.) Il Castello is a popular tourist spot, although some forgo the adventure due to the arduous climb. Nonetheless, most tourists persevere to catch a glimpse of the castle that historians believe Odysseus stopped for a fortnight after his historical battle with Cyclops. As you breeze along the olive groves and move along paths dotted with headstones and exotic wildflowers, you can almost envision the acropolis during Odysseus' time.

Once inside, you'll find yourself immersed within nearly 6000 years of Aeolian history, complete with tombs and treasures and evidence that at one time the Greeks knew how to have a good time. Meticulously detailed pottery depicts various Greek scenes - ranging from tame to, well, not so tame. (Let's just say some of these designs are NOT for the weak at heart!)

If you're looking for more hiking and even more beautiful vistas, be sure to explore Pelato. At its peak, you can view the Campo Bianco, which is a gloriously immense abyss and white as fresh-fallen snow. You can also view the hardened obsidian out flows of Rocche Rosse and Spanarello. Another activity popular with tourists is the hike to Quattrocchi, a suburb at the shores of Mezzacaruso, where the lush Aeolian countryside (yes, countryside) opens up a breathtaking view of rocks striped by nature with reddish, orange and yellowish hues. I was completely captivated, for the colors seem to flow straight into the surprisingly calm waters of the ocean below.

Lipari is merely an hour by Hydrofoil (and trust me, you want to take the Hydrofoil - the ferry takes ages) from the port of Milazzo (in Sicily) and a little under two hours from Reggio di Calabria on the mainland (check availability times - I learned the hard way that it doesn't always run when you need it to.), it's a logical first step to a tour of the Aeolian Islands. And do tour them all - you'll get more out of the experience if you try and spend at least one night on each island. It's a lot of travel for a vacation, yes, but you'll find that the experience will be much more enjoyable after you've visited the seven isles of paradise, not just one.

To view additional photos of Lipari, visit Sicily Tourist.com.