The Aeolian Islands

Tour Overview

Now more than ever we want to escape. To sit on the deck of a yacht at sunset with those we love most, sipping an impeccably-chilled glass of champagne, reflecting on a perfect day. To smile and relax. To watch the moon rise as an active volcano spits fire on the horizon. To recharge with delicious food and new friends. To fall asleep to the sound of gently-lapping waves and wake up to find dreams turned into reality.

Our aim is simple: to deliver beautiful, unique, bespoke holidays at sea. Explore the Aeolian Islands on board one of our luxurious catamarans hosted by an expert crew, who will prepare mouth-watering meals accompanied by award-winning wines on board and guide you to the finest restaurants on shore. Swim alongside octopuses, enjoy private vineyard tours, discover a secluded cove and soak up the sun on deck.

Our bespoke small group tour of the Aeolian Islands includes your luxury sailing catamaran plus all running costs including crew (professional skipper and steward-chef). Your personal chef prepares breakfast daily and creates menus (lunch and dinner) that are tailored to fit your lifestyle and preferences. We have teamed up with Michelin starred restaurants on the islands to bring you the very best of an Aeolian Island fine-dining experience. Spend two days at our hand-selected private vineyards, which remain for exclusive use to SailSterling guests. While onboard your catamaran, we have hand-picked a pallet of fine Italian wines including premium white, red, rosé and sparkling wines.

The Route

The Aeolian Islands

The islands themselves have welcomed visitors for thousands of years. Two of them, Stromboli and Vulcano, are still volcanically active. There’s something mesmerising about sitting on deck after another picture-perfect day with the inky-black night illuminated only by the dim light of a billion stars and fire that’s belching from the earth in front of you. At a safe distance, of course.

Each of the Aeolian islands will infuse your holiday with its own individual character. They cool our guests relaxing on deck as experienced and friendly crew take care of the sailing, pour a glass of wine and prepare a delicious four-course dinner in the galley. And they ripple the cobalt-blue water as swimmers dive from the deck for a refreshing dip among a cascade of brightly-coloured fish.

Salina, for example, is the lushest, with its own natural water supply; something not all the other islands can boast. Its steep, terraced hillsides have been farmed for centuries, framed by two dormant conical volcanoes that drop down to a collection of small, whitewashed villages that hug the shoreline.

It’s easy to see why her unhurried charms have attracted movie makers over the years, including for the iconic Il Postino, which was filmed here almost three decades ago. Panarea is regarded as the most chic; if you’re wondering if that stylish young thing under a big floppy hat and oversized sunglasses is a model or actor, the answer is probably yes to both.

You’ll find no cars here, only Vespa scooters and golf carts, although there’s a path that circles the island for the more energetic. The waters around the island are some of the most translucent and inviting in the whole of southern Italy and a snorkel from your catamaran is a must.

Stromboli deserves the title of most spectacular among the islands, being the home of one of the world’s most active volcanoes – an almost picture-perfect cone rising dramatically up out of the sea. It might surprise many to know that people have chosen to make this their home for millennia in tiny bougainvillea-strewn villages, reassured perhaps by the fact that historically the lava flows have always travelled in one main direction.

On Vulcano, steam rises hypnotically from the crater that looms over the village of Porto di Levante, with the majority of visitors heading towards its black sand beaches and to poach themselves in sulphurous mud baths.

Close by, Lipari is the largest and liveliest island in the group and its castle walls are testament to its long history of settlement. You can wander the lanes of its main town that join its two harbours and up steps that emerge outside its cathedral where other historic buildings cluster around. If you have time, pause for a gelato and an early evening stroll along car-free Corso Vittorio Emanuele as locals and visitors enjoy their daily passeggiata.