Introduction

Beautiful Aeolian pastel shade houses, good infrastructure, picturesque backstreets, great hotels and restaurants accounts for it being the “capital”.
The citadel lords over Marina Lunga and Marina Corta where boats dock from and to the mainland and other islands. Its castle sheltered Lipari from pirates’ raids for it was rich in obsidian and pumice commerce. After the bloody raid by Barbarossa in the mid 1500s, the Spanish reconstructed it. As you enter the castle from Via del Concordato you find the Cattedrale di San Bartolomeo constructed where there had been a Norman church destructed by Barbarossa. Only its Benedictine cloister remained standing. Décor includes chandeliers and the saint’s 18th century statue. The cathedral is surrounded by run-down churches. The Neolithic and Roman artefacts dug in the south area of the citadel are the Museo Archeologico Eoliano’s collection, one of the most complete in the continent. The Palazzo Vescovile displays the pieces of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages and the Roman times. A little annex exhibits prehistoric artefacts from the other islands. The classical section has 11th century BC pieces dug in the necropolis such as burial urns and models of burial sites. On the first floor are stunning decorated vases, a thorough collection of Greek masks, jewellery, statuettes and polychromatic 3rd century BC vases. The Epigraphic Section is separate with a room of Greek and Roman tombs and a garden with engraved stones.
The Parco Archeologico Contrada Diana, on the west of Via Vittorio Emanuele, contains sections of the 4th and 5th century Greek walls, vestiges of Roman houses and the necropolis’ tombstones.
Outside Lipari town are some good bathing beaches. The tranquil village Canneto, lying to its north, boasts a pebble swimming beach. Spiaggia Bianca is a well-liked one of greyish pumice dust. Porticello’s pebble beach is also recommendable. The top bathing beach is the tranquil and rewarding di Vinci only reached after a 15-minute descent across fields of high grass, flowers and cacti. You can also hire a boat to take and fetch you.
The sea is perfect for snorkelling and diving and having a course at Diving Centre La Gorgonian which also hires equipment. The different diving spots range from medium to difficult with depths up to 45m. In Punta Castagna, Secca del Bagno and others you will relish a rainbow of colours, schools of fish and octopuses.
To the south of Lipari town is the observatory scanning Mediterranean seismic processes. Campobianco’s working pumice quarries sit near Spiaggia Bianca and Porticello. Only getting by boat you can have fun by sliding along the pumice hill slopes to the sea.
A bus runs up for 3 km to Quattrocchi, the belvedere from where you can view Vulcano. Some kilometres away a lane leads to San Calogero whose thermal waters used reach 60º in the Roman times.
If you wish to take home souvenirs or specialities, jewelleries to purchase coral trifles or delicatessens to buy malvasia wines, sweets, anis biscuits and capers abound.
The tourist office on Via Vittorio Emanuele gives information about all the archipelago and the free of charge Ospitalità in Blu.

Where to Eat and Drink

La Piazzetta near Via Vittorio Emanuele serves great pizza in magnificent surrounding.

La Cambussa on Via Garibaldi focuses on fish and adds pasta and lasagne.

Le Macine in Pianoconte, praised by slow Food, serves dishes with imaginative touches.

Kasbah on Via Maurolico serves great dishes in a North African atmosphere. Savour its magnificent pizza and its linguine with dried pressed fish roe.

Filippino on Piazza Municipio is a fashionable elegant place whose menu lists typical Sicilian cuisine.

If you have a sweet tooth try Pasticceria Subba (Via Vittorio Emanuele).

For a bit of nightlife on Marina Corta are Il Gabbiano and al Pescatore bars or La Precchia (Via Vittorio Emanuele) to enjoy live music.

How to Get to/around//away

BY FERRY OR HYDROFIOIL: ticket offices are at Marina Lunga or Marina Corta.
BY BUS: FREQUENT: buses serving the island (Canneto, Acquacalda, Porticello, Quattrocchi and others) leave from near a filling station on Marina Lunga. In the summer there are more services and you can purchase a booklet of tickets.
BY CAR AND MOTORCYCLE: car and scooter rental offices are off the