Introduction
There are no absolute standards as to what a place should feature to account for being a holiday destination. If you are looking for just the sounds of the sea, the tranquillity of deserted beaches and a world tucked away in a peaceful corner of God where man has done little to change it, Alicudi is the place among the Aeolian Islands. Compared to the number of tourists to the other islands of the archipelago, Alicudi’s is very small.
This infertile island has anyway managed to catch some tourists attention. Alicudi offers just few facilities: a hotel with a restaurant, another restaurant, roads which are not clearly outlined, few grocery shops, a post office without fixed opening hours and a doctor. Life developed for a long time until the last decade of the last century, without electricity or television. You will be stunned by the simplicity of every day’s life of its 100 inhabitants. The island that some years ago was Mafiosi’s prison is today inhabited by farmers and fishermen.
What to See and Do
Climbers and trekking enthusiasts can have a try at Filo dell’Arpa reaching 675m at its peak. When you arrive at its summit along its shadeless nice path, it is possible to see from its top the extinct Montagnole and the Timpone delle Femmine (a kind of natural shelter provided by fissures where women hid when pirates staged raids.
Alicudi offers heavenly tranquil and quiet beaches whose silence is only interrupted by the low sound of a fishing boat. The best location to bask in the sun is towards the south of the port. Outside of succumbing to sheer relaxation you can only stroll around or loll up.
Where to Eat
Ericusa hotel on Via Regina Elena features a respectable restaurant serving tasty filling meaty dishes.
There is only a second restaurant on the island called Airone.
How to Get to/ away
Compared to other islands of the archipelago Alicudi is the hardest to be reached with ferries and hydrofoils being more frequent in the summer. On Via Regina Elena you will find both ferry company’s offices serving the island: Siremar and Ustica lines. There are three hydrofoils and one ferry operating the island in the high summer season. Another service from Cefalù is exclusively operated in the summer.
