Travel Guide to Vulcano, Sicily

Highlight of the Aeolian Islands Featuring Mud Baths and Volcanoes

Oct 13, 2008 Matt Adams

Travelling to Vulcano offers the chance to bathe in natural mud baths and hot springs, climb to the crater summit of a volcano and lounge on a beautiful black sand beach.

Vulcano is one of the Aeolian Islands, situated off the north coast of Sicily. It is easily accessible by ferry from Sicily, and has many highlights to appeal to travellers.

Mud Baths

One of the most popular reasons to visit Vulcano is to bathe in the Fanghi, a large pool of warm, muddy, sulphurous water situated only a few minutes’ walk from the docks where most boats arrive on the island.

The mud is thought to possess healing and soothing qualities for the skin. Swim in the pool then cover your face and body in the mud, let it dry and form a mask, then rinse it off. Next to the mud baths, hot springs make the sea warm and bubbly, like a natural Jacuzzi.

Hot vents of air also spring up through the rocks around the pool so take care where you place your feet. The smell of sulphur, one of the characteristics of a trip to Vulcano, can be overpowering at times. It’s best not to wear clothes or swimming costumes that you want to keep as the smell can be hard to get rid of.

Cost of entry is €2

Fossa di Vulcano

Travelling to the summit of the island's main volcano is a must. The climb up is well signed and fairly straightforward, and offers wonderful views of Vulcano and the other Aeolian Islands as well. Upon reaching the summit you’ll be greeted with a stunning panorama of the Aeolian’s, jutting out of the magnificent blue sea.

Lipari and Salina lie straight ahead. Filicudi and Alicudi are to one side, Panarea and the classic cone shaped, Stromboli, smoking furiously away, to the other.

Fossa di Vulcano, while only a sleeping volcano, has plumes of smoke and gas all around the summit crater. The inside of the crater is best viewed by following the path around its edge. It’s possible to see right to the bottom of the volcano. All around the summit, fumaroles vent hot, sulphurous gas and much of the ground is hot and stained yellow by the sulphur.

Tickets are sold at the start of the walk and cost €3

Read about Sicily's iconic Mt Etna, the largest Volcano in Europe.

The Black Sand Beach

Aside from the volcanoes, one of the highlights of Vulcano is La Spiaggia Sabbia Nera (The Black Sand Beach). It is located at Porto di Ponente, on the opposite side of the island to the mud baths, but still not a long walk.

It’s a beautiful, long stretch of black, volcanic sand, and a great spot for relaxing. The water is calm and great for swimming. Offshore, large, jet black rocks emerge from the sea and reach skywards, adding to the wonderful view on offer.

How to Travel to Vulcano

If travelling from Sicily, Vulcano is the first of the Aeolian Islands that ferries call at. Several companies go the islands all year round, but services are far more frequent in summer and can be cancelled at other times of the year due to weather conditions.

From Milazzo the journey takes 40-45 minutes by hydrofoil
From Messina it takes between 2 and 3 hours
Boats run regularly between Vulcano and Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian Islands.
Tour companies can arrange day trips to the other islands, including Stromboli and Salina

Staying on Vulcano

Many people choose to stay on Lipari, which has the largest range of accommodation of all the islands. However Vulcano does have a wide variety of hotels and B&B's, most of which are conveniently located near to the docks, along with the majority of its restaurants.

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