Islands Built on Destruction

Noisy, bustling, and at times even chaotic; Palermo is alive with three millennia of rich history from stunning churches to spooky catacombs. Arabian settlers made Palermo the Mediterranean’s most prosperous capital. The island’s fiery flavours and delicious ice cream remain their strongest legacy. An Italian city since 1861 – and then only in name – Palermo is a living, breathing monument to a glorious past.

For visitors seeking to escape the cacophony of urban life, the isolated bays of the Aegadian Islands are a short sail west. Levanzo is an eco-paradise stocked with rare fauna, Marettimo lies lost in the Mediterranean, and Favignana is where Giorgio Armani moors up for a seafood supper.

Stretching languorously over 9 square kilometres at the far end of the Aeolian archipelago, Filicudi is noticeably quiet. Think goats, a couple of houses and prickly pear trees. Two tiny ports are far beyond superyacht capabilities, but that’s where the charm lies. Volcanic centres include Fossa Felci at 774 m, Montagnola and Capo Graziano. Cruise around the reefs and grottos for great snorkelling, especially at the grotto of the sealion.

Piercing the nighttime sky with neon flames, Stromboli is home to Europe’s only continuously erupting volcano. Local restaurant terraces offer panoramic views of the near constant seismic eruptions. All specialise in traditional Sicilian cuisine from swordfish involtini to fresh pasta loaded with bottarga fish roe – the ‘caviar of the south’.

The adventurous can set out on the three-hour sunset hike to Stromboli’s summit. The climb is rewarded with fiery ringside seats, perfect for up-close views of lashings of lava. Easier on the toes are the island’s stunning black sand beaches, such as Ficogrande, considered by many to be the most enchanting in the Mediterranean.

What it lacks in landmass – it’s the second smallest of Sicily’s Aeolian Islands – Panarea makes up for in laidback style. The island is not only car-free, but streetlight-free too. Residents whizz among the island’s whitewashed homes, olive groves and vineyards on electric carts, like a Mediterranean version of Mustique. Come nightfall, the entire island shimmies barefoot in nightclub Raya.

An island simply made for exploring from the sea, Panarea is near impossible to reach without a private yacht. Beyond its sublime coastline, the miniscule islands of Basiluzzo, Spinazzola, Lisca Bianca, Bòttaro, Lisca Nera and Dattilo are dotted with transparent waters, sheer cliffs and hidden coves. A dip in the sea has never been so exclusive.

In the 1995 film 'Il Postino', Mario Ruoppolo, the gentle postman of the title, tells the poet Pablo Neruda that “poetry doesn’t belong to those who write it; it belongs to those who need it.” set and partly filmed on the island of Salina, 'Il Postino' proved to be an enormous international success.

Fame has barely changed the island. Apart from being arguably the most alluring of the Aeolians, it is largely unaffected by a wave of VIP tourism that has seen many a private yacht moor off nearby Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli.

It’s on Lipari’s picturesque quays that Giorgio Armani, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana berth their boats come summertime. The largest of Sicily’s Aeolian Islands, a resident community has been happily thriving here since 5000 BC. Two hundred millennia earlier, a series of ancient volcanic explosions blessed Lipari with its enchanting moonscape geology.

Hikers and joggers will enjoy the island’s 26km coastal trail. As the sun rises over its black and white sand beaches, steaming fumaroles lend an otherworldly feel. For visitors who would rather greet dawn in a more hedonist manner, summertime parties on Lipari’s Spiaggia Bianca beach kick off around midnight. Most carry on into the following day.

Taormina has been attracting international tourists since the 19th century, when it was a definitive stop on British travellers’ Grand Tour. D.H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, Cary Grant and Woody Allen have all fallen under Taormina’s historically enchanting spell, and little wonder; accessible by panoramic cable car, the clifftop town sweeps over two grand harbours and is backed by majestic Mount Etna.

On the Mediterranean shores below, Taormina’s grottos, coves and sandy beaches could all grace the cover of a travel magazine. Explore the nature reserve of Isola Bella, nicknamed ‘The Pearl of the Ionian Sea’, which only became accessible to the public in 1990. It remains a lush habitat for birds such as kingfishers, herons, falcons, and the occasional superyacht too.

Catania’s catastrophic earthquake in 1693 proved a mixed blessing. The city was rebuilt in a Renaissance splendour that glows gold in the setting sun. Sicily's second city is now a cacophony of colourful bustle. Little wonder the entire Centro Storico was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UNESCO also administers the Val di Noto. This regal route contains eight Baroque towns set in rippling olive orchards. After your history lesson, head to the shore for a final surprise. Mount Etna ensures that this is one of the few global destinations where you can splash in the sea, as snowy peaks twinkle beyond.