November 1, 2026•9 min read•By Maurits Dierick, Charter Broker & Former Yacht Captain
Aeolian Islands Yacht Charter Itinerary: 7 Nights from Portorosa (2027)
A 7-night crewed yacht charter round trip from Portorosa, Sicily: Vulcano, Salina, Filicudi, Panarea, Stromboli by night, Lipari and Tindari. Day by day, with distances, anchorages and dining.
The best seat for Stromboli is the deck of a yacht, after dark.
The volcano has been erupting almost continuously for thousands of years. From the sea off its northwest flank you watch the explosions light up the Sciara del Fuoco while dinner is cleared away. Many Aeolian charters are built around that night, and this one puts it on day five.
The week is a round trip from Marina di Portorosa on the north coast of Sicily: 7 nights, 148 nautical miles, about 18.5 hours under way at 8 knots. It takes in six of the seven inhabited islands, with Alicudi on the horizon from Filicudi, and ends below the Greek ruins of Tindari. The islands have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, and they sit close enough together that no leg runs much over 3.5 hours.
Times assume 8 knots and a fair-weather week. Day 5 adds the short run to the Sciara del Fuoco after dinner.
Day 1: Portorosa to Vulcano
Board at Marina di Portorosa around midday, with a welcome drink and a tour of the yacht with the crew. Lunch is served on board on the way north.
Vulcano is the closest of the islands to Sicily, and you smell it before you reach it: sulphur from the fumaroles. The yacht anchors in Porto di Ponente for a swim and the sunset over Vulcanello.
Dinner is on board, or ashore at the Therasia Resort on Vulcanello, home to I Tenerumi (two Michelin stars) and Il Cappero (one star).
Passage: 21 nm, about 2 hours 40 minutes. Overnight: Porto di Ponente, Vulcano. Dining: I Tenerumi or Il Cappero, Therasia Resort.
Day 2: Vulcano to Salina
If the path is open, start early for the walk up to the rim of the Gran Cratere, with the archipelago spread out below. Local ordinances open and close it, so the crew checks the day before.
Then 13 nm north along the cliffs of Lipari's west coast to Salina, the green island, known for its vineyards. This is where Malvasia delle Lipari is made, dry or sweet, and where parts of Il Postino were filmed.
The yacht anchors below the village of Pollara for the sunset. Dinner is on board, or at Signum in Malfa (one Michelin star).
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Passage: 13 nm, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Overnight: at anchor below Pollara, Salina. Dining: Signum, Malfa.
Day 3: Salina to Filicudi
A slow morning and a swim below Pollara, then 17 nm west to Filicudi, the quietest island on the route.
The yacht rounds the north coast past La Canna, a needle of volcanic rock rising more than 70 m out of the sea, and the tender takes you into the Grotta del Bue Marino, a sea cave.
The night is at anchor off Pecorini Mare, a small harbor on the south coast, with Alicudi, the westernmost island, on the horizon at sunset. Dinner is on board.
Passage: 17 nm, about 2 hours. Overnight: at anchor off Pecorini Mare, Filicudi.
Day 4: Filicudi to Panarea
The longest run of the week, 28 nm east, so the yacht leaves early.
Panarea is the smallest of the seven inhabited islands and the one with the social scene. On its southern tip, a Bronze Age village of 23 oval huts sits on Punta Milazzese, above the cove of Cala Junco, where the yacht stops for a swim. Then out to the islets off the east coast and Lisca Bianca, for a swim over underwater fumaroles 7 to 10 m down.
In the evening the tender takes you into San Pietro: white houses, bougainvillea and a lively scene after dark. Dinner is on board or ashore.
Passage: 28 nm, about 3.5 hours. Overnight: at anchor off San Pietro, Panarea.
Day 5: Panarea to Stromboli
A morning swim off the islet of Basiluzzo, then 15 nm north past Ginostra, a tiny village on Stromboli's southwest coast, to the black sand beach at Ficogrande.
Above 290 m, Stromboli can only be climbed with a licensed guide, and the alert level of the day decides how high anyone goes. When hikes are allowed, the crew books a guide for the late afternoon.
The main event comes after dinner. The yacht runs round to the Sciara del Fuoco, the steep scar down the volcano's northwest flank, and holds off at a distance the captain judges safe, so you can watch the explosions light up the slope from the deck.
Passage: 15 nm, about 2 hours, plus the night run. Overnight: at anchor off Ficogrande, Stromboli.
Day 6: Stromboli to Lipari
First a lap round Strombolicchio, a volcanic plug off Stromboli with a lighthouse on top. Then 29 nm south to Lipari, the largest of the islands, known in antiquity as Meligunis.
Lunch and a swim at Porticello, where white pumice slopes run down into pale blue water. In the afternoon, Lipari town: the castle on its rock, home to the regional archaeological museum, and the old harbor of Marina Corta. Dinner is on board, or ashore in town.
Passage: 29 nm, about 3.5 hours. Overnight: off Lipari town.
Day 7: Lipari to Tindari
South through the strait between Lipari and Vulcano to Gelso, Vulcano's quiet southern tip, for a last swim and lunch on board.
Then back to Sicily, 21 nm in all, to anchor off the sandbanks and lagoons of the Marinello nature reserve. On the headland above stand the sanctuary of Tindari and the ruins of Tyndaris, a Greek city founded around 396 BC. If the weather is settled, the last night is at anchor here; if not, in Portorosa marina. The last dinner is on board.
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Passage: 21 nm, about 2 hours 40 minutes. Overnight: at anchor off the Marinello lagoons, or Marina di Portorosa.
Day 8: Portorosa
Breakfast at anchor, then 3 nm into Marina di Portorosa. Disembarkation is at 09:00, after settling the APA with the captain and saying goodbye to the crew.
Passage: 3 nm, about 25 minutes.
How the week can change
Summer winds in the Aeolian Islands mostly blow from the northwest or northeast. Only Lipari and Salina have proper harbors; Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi have anchorages that work in settled weather.
So the order above is a starting plan. The captain reads the forecast each morning and may swap days, so each night is spent on the sheltered side of an island. The two long legs, Filicudi to Panarea and Stromboli to Lipari, start early so you arrive in time for lunch at anchor.
When to go
The season is May to October. June and September are the more comfortable months on the water, with fewer boats in the anchorages. July and August are hot and busy, and Panarea is at its most crowded in late August. Stromboli erupts year-round, so the night run works in any month of the season.
Common Questions
How many days do you need to see the Aeolian Islands by yacht?
A week is enough for six of the seven inhabited islands. This route covers Vulcano, Salina, Filicudi, Panarea, Stromboli and Lipari in 7 nights, about 148 nautical miles, and no leg runs much over 3.5 hours. Alicudi, the westernmost island, is the one left out: you see it on the horizon from Filicudi, and it fits in with an extra day.
Where do Aeolian Islands yacht charters start?
The usual bases are on the north coast of Sicily: Marina di Portorosa, Milazzo and Capo d'Orlando. This route starts and ends in Portorosa, about 2 hours by car from Catania airport and about 3 hours from Palermo. A round trip keeps the whole group on one airport.
Can you see Stromboli erupt from a yacht?
Yes, and the sea is the best place to watch from. After dark, the yacht holds off the Sciara del Fuoco, the steep slope on Stromboli's northwest flank, and on a clear night you see the explosions light it up. The captain decides how close to go based on the volcano's activity that day.
Can you hike Stromboli and Vulcano during a charter?
Often, but both depend on local rules that change. On Stromboli, a licensed guide is required above 290 m, and the alert level decides how high anyone can go, so the crew books a guided hike when it is allowed. On Vulcano, the path up to the Gran Cratere is opened and closed by local ordinance, so the crew checks it the day before.
When is the best time for an Aeolian Islands yacht charter?
The season is May to October. June and September are the more comfortable months on the water. July and August are hot and busy, and Panarea is at its most crowded in late August. Stromboli erupts year-round, so the night run works in any month of the season.
Is the itinerary fixed?
No. Summer winds in the Aeolian Islands mostly blow from the northwest or northeast, and only Lipari and Salina have proper harbors; Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi have anchorages for settled weather. The captain reads the forecast every morning and may swap days so the yacht spends each night in shelter.
What does a crewed yacht charter in the Aeolian Islands cost?
Crewed yachts in the Aeolian Islands start from about €20,000 a week. Italian crewed charters run on MYBA terms: the fee covers the yacht and crew, and you pay an advance provisioning allowance (APA) of around 25 to 35 percent of the fee for fuel, berthing and food. Italian charter VAT is added to the fee, and a crew gratuity is customary.
