Bumps, Bends, Mixed Up Plans

"A wizard does not make mistakes. He makes unexpected possibilities." – Merlin

Chapter in which we finally visit Stromboli

Stromboli is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily. Basically, it is a volcano, one third of which is visible above water. The volcano is active and the island is inhabited. There are three villages with a total population of about 500 people. There is a regular ferry service to Stromboli from Sicily. It takes about two hours to get to the island. 

Our first attempt to catch a ferry failed. It looked like we had enough time, but we got a little carried away flying a drone around Milazzo Castle. We arrived at the port just in time, but did not find parking. If you travel by car, you will have to leave it in Sicily, as ferries do not take cars.

It turned out we were lucky to miss that ferry. A terrible storm hit the island the following day. The ferry company cancelled our would be return trip. We could have been stranded on a small island without a chance to explore it. Eventually, we had our return tickets refunded and we managed to reschedule the hotel booking. Our second attempt worked out great. 

The island is really small, therefore there are no wide roads and there are no cars – only golf carts and three-wheeled scooter trucks. For 10€ a golf cart taxi can take you to your hotel.

There are no actual cars on Stromboli, but still they have their own ZTL (limited traffic zone).

Stromboli is an active volcano. It breathes smoke, makes noises and spits fire every now and then. It has been in this state for the last 2000-5000 years. However, the eruptions are not visible from the village.

Locals offer boat rides to the other side of the island where one can behold the “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean”. It is not cheap (for the three of us the price was 120€), but it is worth it. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@bubemupla/video/7211976034726513925

We visited Stromboli in the middle of March. It is not a tourist season, and nightlife is non-existent, but the night sky is really impressive. We do not have a photo, so, please, trust us. You can never see the sky like this above city lights. 

The following day the weather was perfect for a drone flight. 

Volcanic  islands feature signature black sand.  It is sparkling black because it is formed  by volcanic materials such as lava, basalt rocks, and other dark-coloured rocks and minerals

During this trip we visited all of Italy’s three active volcanoes. Check out our blog post about Etna.

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