Salina is the second largest Island of the Aeolian Archipelago. Placed in the north of Sicily, Southern Italy, this beautiful island has all you want to spend a simultaneously relaxing and mundane holiday in the Aeolian Islands. Indeed, here you can admire volcanoes, beaches, nature and breathtaking sights. Faced on the Tyrrhenian sea ( see the image), Salina ha a surface of 27 km2 and includes three communes: Santa Marina, eastern coast, Malfa, north coast and Leni, south-west coast. In Leni, there is the village called Valdishiesa that lies at the center of the island. Other noteworthy villages are Rinella, that lies down the sea and the three smallest villages Capo Faro, Pollara and Lingua.
Morphologically, Salina is a volcanic island whose the most recent eruption happened over 13 ,000 years ago. This stunning land has six volcanoes, some of them were smoothed by the past eruptions or fell into the sea. The highest and recognizable are Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte Corvo. The first mount can be also viewed from Lipari, The oldest volcanoes are Pizzo di Corvo and Monte Rivi. Many volcanic phenomena remained on the island, such as the ones called gurgling and a thermal spring at a very nice place called Pertuso.The gurgling occurs at Rinella. It is caused by underwater vapor and gas emission which can also raise the waves of the sea.
With a smooth coastline and two high mountains, Salina offers abundant vegetation and over 400 species of plants, such as orchards, olives, grapes and capers. Vegetation is typically Mediterranean and hosts olive groves, chestnut trees, ferns, poplars, cactus and vineyard. Salina is also famous for the sea salt from which its name comes and for the tasty wine called Malvasia, this drink is golden in color and has a sweet and intense flavor. Also capers are very delicious and famous all over the world.
salina-rinella-beach
Every year, a caper festival takes place in Salina to honor these delicious fruits. Even though Salina has a very ancient and relevant history, with Greek settlements where also tombs were excavated, it is renowned for their beaches that become bustled in the summer. I suggest you visit the beaches in the less crowded seasons in order you can admire its marvellous turquoise waters and paradisiacal sights. Since Salina lies on a plateau and has a slope that slips into the sea, the beaches are very beautiful but rocky and pebbly. One of these is the beach of Scario, placed in Rinella village ( see the image). Many tourists who have already visited this beach have said that it is a real paradise. One the most beautiful is Pollara beach, placed in the little town of Malva.
sunset-salina
Characterized for a sloped coastline, this is a volcanic beach. For this reason, the pebbles and the sand are dark. From the rear, the beach is surrounded by an evocative cliff that, during the early hours of the evening, mirrors the warm colors of the sunset on the sea surface (see the image). This is the best place to take memorable photos. This beach was also used to shoot the famous Italian movie Il Postino, directed by Massimo Troisi.
santa-marina-beach-salina
You can reach this beach only through an awkward and steep pathway that turns the beach into a dangerous precipice. Pollara, hence, does not fit to bath in the sea. Santa Marina (see the image), instead, is the ideal beach to bath in the sea. It is placed near the port and the downtown of Salina. This is a rounded large pebble beach which is bathed by clear and azure waters. You can reach the two ports of Salina by ferries that leave from Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Messina and Milazzo. Once you have arrived in the port, you can take a bus to reach the main villages and the beaches I mentioned in my post.
Salina hotels
Hotels and accommodations in Salina are very picturesque. Their main feature is the one to have a terrace overlooking the spectacular landscape of the island, namely: sea, sky and beaches. They can also have a restaurant to taste the typical recipes of the island with chapers and olives. To book hotels and accommodations like the ones I described, click here.
Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor for the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.
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