Aeolian islands in Sicily

Off the coasts of the North-East of Sicily, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the windy archipelago includes seven sisters volcanic islands, with a strong personality, which emerge from the deep blue floods, some of them smoke regularly.



These islands always exerted an immense charm on the travellers, they inspired many artists and attract each years until to 200.000 visitors. Since 2000 they are classified in the world heritage of the humanity of UNESCO.

The Aeolian Islands are also called Lipari islands, most are arid and windy, and two among them are some active volcanos : Stromboli and Vulcano.
They emerged from the sea at different times. Oldest are Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi. Then Lipari and Salina appeared, then Vulcano and Stromboli.

Geology

The Aeolian islands form a volcanic system resulting from the subduction between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates: the oceanic lithosphere passing under the continental lithosphere, with fusion and release of magma which, arriving in surface, form an arc of islands: the aeolian arc, long about 200 km with the seven emerged volcanic islands and others underwater mounts.

Connections with Sicily and the continent

By boat or hydrofoil from Messina, Milazzo, Palermo, Sant' Agate of Militello, Reggio Calabria, Naples. On order, a connection by helicopter exists with the airport of Reggio Calabria and even the one of Catania.

Aeolian islands : the aeolina arc and subduction area

Aeolian islands
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