Stromboli is a small volcanic island located in the north of Sicily, which is part of the eight-islands archipelago of Aeolian Islands, or Isole Eolie in Italian. This island is actually the peak of the volcano of Stromboli which emerged tall from underneath the sea floor. Annually, tens of thousands of people hike to its top to observe its violent craters.

It is one of the most active volcano in the world, very often discharging burning hot lava that at times forced the local population to evacuate. Climbing to the top of this volcano is one of my favorite travel experiences ever. It felt absolutely surreal to be able to witness and hear a raging volcano spewing lava hundreds of meters to the sky.

This Stromboli hike was part of my island-hopping adventure in the Aeolian Islands. Check out also my other stories from this adventure in Vulcano, Panarea, Salina, and Filicudi.

Stromboli volcano eruption, Aeolian Islands
Stromboli’s eruption

Getting there

It is one of the most remote island in the Aeolian Islands, and the only way to get there is by boat. There are regular boat services multiple times a day from the other islands, especially from the larger and more populated islands of Lipari, Vulcano, or Salina. I myself departed from Vulcano to Stromboli.

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, also operated by Liberty Lines. Another option to get to Stromboli from Napoli with a ferry operated by SNAV, which takes almost five hours.

Arriving in Stromboli

My boat moored at the small pier in the village of Stromboli, directly on the foot of the volcano itself. There was no big roads, only small paths which were sometimes rather steep. The locals adapted their vehicles, using small colorful three-wheeled bajajs instead of cars.

I immediately went to the B&B which had previously reserved (Residence Aquilone), a small charming a lovely lodging owned by a local resident. There are many accommodations available throughout the village, but advanced reservation is highly recommended especially during the summer season when it can get very crowded.

Due to its highly active nature, people cannot simply climb it without any permit. It had to be done with an official guide via an official agency, which in my case was via Magmatrek. They required all hikers to be well equipped with essentials such as windproof coat, long trousers, and proper ankle-high hiking boots which could be rented in one of the outdoor equipment shops there.

Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
View of Stromboli’s peak from the pier
Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
Colorful bajajs trusted by locals
Bajaj in Stromboli
Stomboli’s village
Village of Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
View over the village of Stromboli
Village of Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
Typical narrow street in Stromboli

The hike

In a clear and balmy afternoon in May, the hikers had gathered in the town square in front of a church overlooking the sea. Everyone was handed a helmet each, to be worn during the hike. The guide briefly explained the route that we would follow, with a rather memorable explanation, “it may feel like Africa down here, but it’s like the Alps up there”. With almost a 1000 meters above the sea level to ascend to, a steep path awaited the hikers.

The guide led our way, step by step, periodically turning his head to the back to check if everyone still followed him. Some people I encountered during the hike seemed very old. They must had been older than 80 years old, yet still climbing the mountain. I could only silently admired them, hoping that I could stay that strong during my old age.

The guide also shared some of the stories from his childhood in the island. One time, the volcano exhibited increased activity and everyone had to evacuate the island for an indefinite period of time. Since no eruption occurred, the islanders were allowed to return. Not long after, without any warning, BOOOOOM! The volcano erupted and everyone scrambled to evacuate again. Human can maybe predict, but mother nature has the final say.

As we further climbed, the roaring sound became clearer and louder, a sign that we were getting closer to the top. A small smokey crater started to appear in the distance. As we went up, the sun slowly went down in the west, treating us the hikers with an unforgettable sunset vista from the slope of Stromboli.

“Not long after we returned, without any warning, BOOOOOM!”

Local guide of Stromboli volcano climb
Hiking Stromboli
Hiking guide explaining the surrounding
Hiking in Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
Up we go, overlooking the village of Stromboli
Hiking Stromboli
Getting closer to the summit at dusk
Hiking in Stromboli, Aeolian Islands
Unforgettable sunset

The roaring volcano

This part was truly the cherry on top of the cake, a moment that I will cherish forever. The night had fallen when we finally made it to the top, finding ourselves on a perfect vantage point to witness one of the grandest show the mother nature can offer: an explosive erupting volcano.

Every a few minutes, one of the three craters a couple of hundred meters directly in front of us violently ejected glowing hot lava to the sky with a tremendously loud and shaking sound as if a jumbo jet airlines just flew right in front of me.

At times, a rain of ash would fall around us after an eruption. I only hoped that no big rock would fly off. A good half an hour I just sat there, looking and admiring those fiery craters, with some particularly strong explosions sending me aback on my feet.

Stromboli volcano eruption, Aeolian Islands
Three active craters in action
Roaring volcano

We then descended via a different route. Let the fun part begin. The way downhill was packed with fine volcanic sand. All the hikers needed to do was to slide our feet, alternating between left and right foot, slowly downwards. The pitch black night only added the thrill, with the way dimly lit by a small torchlight that I had.

Halfway down, we took a rest. Sitting on a stone, I gazed upon the clear starry night sky over Stromboli, free from the urban light pollution, punctuated by bursting sound of the eruption. As we reached the town and I filled my midnight appetite with a pizza, all I could hear in my head is the thunderous sound of Stromboli.

About Author

Born and raised in Indonesia, bitten by the travel bug since moving to Europe.

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