SamuelPanarea is the smallest inhabited island of the archipelago of Aeolian Islands, or Isole Eolie in Italian. It is located roughly halfway between the famous Stromboli and the more populated Lipari islands. Boat services between these two islands always briefly stop at Panarea, making it an ideal spot for a day trip.
What this island lack in size, it makes up in its beauty. Blue turquoise water, beautiful waterfront village, jagged rocky cliffs, and beautiful vistas await those who take their time to discover this amazing island.
This day trip to the Panarea island was part of my island-hopping adventure in the Aeolian Islands. Check out also my other stories from this adventure in Stromboli, Vulcano, Salina, and Filicudi.
Getting there
As I’ve mentioned, all boats sailing between Lipari and Stromboli in the Aeolian Islands makes a stop in Panarea. These boats are all operated by Liberty Lines, which have a fleet of high speed catamarans, or aliscafo as it is called in Italian. The boat schedule and price can be found in its website, or in the booklet that can be obtained from their offices in each of Aeolian Islands’s dock.
To get to the Aeolian Islands itself, travelers can take the frequent boat from Milazzo, a medium sized town in the north of Sicily, to either Vulcano or Lipari, before continuing further to Panarea. The boat from Millazo is also operated by Liberty Lines.
Arriving at Panarea
I embarked on my day trip to Panarea from Stromboli. With the boat ticket purchased at the dock of Stromboli, I boarded the morning service to Panarea. Alighting at a small pier, a small touristy-looking village front welcomed me, lined with restaurants, hotels, and souvenir shops.
Plenty of tourists were sitting at the terrace, enjoying their cup of coffee or a refreshing glass of beer while soaking the spring sun. No road for car was to be found in this island. Here, golf buggies were the mode of transport of choice for locals, even as taxis.
There was a small local deli where I could grab a sandwich. Sitting by the water, I enjoyed my modest lunch at Panarea while basking under the Italian sun. The island of Stromboli can be seen in the distance, spewing some cloud from its cone.
Short hike in Panarea
Besides relaxing at the waterfront establishments in Panarea, the more adventurous traveler can also explore the other part of the island on foot. I searched for a small hiking trail leading to a prehistoric village ruin on the other side of the island. Even in such a small island, there are hiking trails running through it. There were also many other hikers.
The trail led me through a rocky path. Flowers and cactus fields dotted the trail. Most of the path was close to the shore, with a climb up a cliff. The distance was not that great, but the sun beating down on me was really punishing, making my shirt damp with sweat.
Through all those hurdles, I finally arrived at the ruin, situated on a plateau protruding seawards, surrounded by cliffs. Quite a beautiful and photogenic setting for a village. There was not much left from the village, just the ruins of what was most likely the foundation of houses that once stood there.
“You would never know how high you’ve climbed up until you have to go down again”
An elderly hiker at Panarea
After briefly exploring the village ruin, I started my walk back to the pier, tracing my previous route. As I descended on the cliff side which felt like it would never end, a tired-looking elderly man said to me, “You would never know how high you’ve climbed up until you have to go down again”. I nodded in agreement to the man as I continued further to reach the pier waiting for the next boat to Salina.
