Explore Sicily’s Aeolian Islands on a Gay Sailing Adventure in Italy

Get ready to feel a new sense of freedom, as you set sail and start to feel an intimate relationship with the sea. The tour brings you to the pumice quarries, where you’ll enjoy a quick swim in the crystal-clear and transparent water known for its intense sapphire color. The tour then heads to Panarea, the most elegant of the Seven Sister islands.

In the afternoon, you circumnavigate Panarea. You can relax, sunbathe, or meditate staring out at the horizon. The tour stops at Cala Zimmari, a perfect frame to dive in and have lunch on board. Snorkeling fans will notice the seabed is rich with poseidonia, an aquatic plant that releases oxygen in the sea.

By sunset, the tour stops near Dattilo, facing the island. You’ll watch as the warm light illuminates the small islands off Panarea and see its colors are mixed with the sulfur yellow and the iron red characterizing their rocks, creating an unrivaled spectacular. After dark, you’re free to visit some of the most famous nightclubs of the Aeolian Islands, the Raya, or in Baia Milazzese, a sheltered and quiet bay.

This is a day you won’t want to miss. The tour brings you to Basiluzzo, the eighth Aeolian island. Its caves, the lava steppes, the awkward stone shapes seem like sea monuments! Your tour guide will show you where to hear the ‘voice of Stromboli’, the most active volcano of Italy. The black lava sand of the San Vicenzo Bay is where you’ll spend the night.

Then head to “Iddu”, Stromboli, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, an island of particular charm, where you can feel the Earth breathe. Go ashore to visit the town or the volcano, with a local guide, who escorts you up to the crater.

At night you’ll meet for a drink at the Ingrid Bar on a terrace with a beautiful view of Strombolicchio, a small lighthouse island in front of Stromboli. The evening continues back on the boat for dinner to enjoy the show of “Sciara del Fuoco”, the volcano explosions, a stunning sight you can’t experience anywhere else.

The next day you’ll visit Salina, the largest island of the Aeolian archipelago after Lipari. The bay in the northwest of Salina is characterized by high cliff over the sea. In these beautiful places, director Massimo Troisi chose to shoot several scenes of “Il Postino”, one of his most famous films. You can also admire a splendid natural arch. You will stop here for the rest of the morning and after a swim.

Next you’ll visit Santa Marina to dive into the clear waters, visit the village embedded into the colorful flowers of capers and the aroma of malvasia wine. For dinner you can choose either to go back to Lingua to enjoy pane cunzatu, one of the Sicilian specialties, or you can dine in one of the restaurants of Santa Marina.

The next day brings you to Filicudi, a place known for great snorkeling. You’ll stop by Cape Graziano to discover the island’s charm, and then move to the picturesque fishing village of Pecorini a Mare.

After a swim in front of the little village, you’ll stop for a beer by the sea, maybe tasting some homemade specialties that local artisans sell in their  outdoor “fry shoppes”.

Depending if the timing aligns with some of the local fishermen’s docking, you can buy excellent swordfish for a dinner on the boat. Alternatively, it’s possible to have dinner at the only one restaurant in the village: “La Sirena” and try the ‘Svergognata’ (the Shameless), an open cannolo with fresh ricotta cheese and chocolate…a unique combination!

Discover “Canna“, a rocky outcrop of volcanic origin that rises from the water several hundred meters off the coast. You can anchor and enjoy the wonderful emerald water at the small ‘Montenassari’ island, the home of thousands of seagulls, and dive in the water for spectacular swim.

You’ll tour the Sea Ox Cave, where the blue and the green of the sea mix up with the deep black of the island’s cave. You can explore the seabed, where sun beams illuminate 15 meters underwater. It will surely be one of the most memorable swims of your life. Next you’ll discover the Lipari sea stacks, a great place to watch the sunset before going ashore to drink and dance on the black sand beach.

On the west side of the volcano, your skipper will bring you to a place known as the Horse’s Cave and Venus’s Pool. The coast here is very varied and rich of reddish colors, typical of the Volcano island. Enjoy a typical breakfast ‘granita’ (slushie) and croissant at Remigio’s. Relax and take a bath in the sulfur-rich waters.

Before sailing back to port in Lipari, you’ll enjoy one last swim at the beach of Vinci, in front of the ‘Faraglioni’ (sea stack). From here you can admire the volcano’s crater with its fumaroles and its intense yellow, due to large concentrations of sulfuric rocks.

Finally, the last day, Day 8, you’ll leave the boat in the morning and depart back home.

Discover epic LGBTQ+ adventures in Italy with Quiiky LGBTQ+ Tours. Want more information? Visit Quiiky.com/en to read more information about this gay sailing adventure in Italy, and explore more multi-day tours and daily experiences throughout Italy. They even offer tailor-made tours suited just for you!