VulcanoAeolian Islands · Italy

All About Vulcano

The island of Vulcano sits at the southernmost extent of the Aeolian Islands, approximately 25 kilometers from the north coast of Sicily. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that covers the entire chain of islands, it has a landscape like few other places on Earth. Full of volcanic craters, it was from this island that the English language got its word ‘volcano’.

Once believed to have been where the blacksmith god Vulcan forged his metalwork, it is still home to one of Italy’s only active volcanoes. This makes the idea of buying ferry tickets to Vulcano a unique and alluring one. If you’re keen to explore all this island has to offer, either as a weekend getaway or a longer tour of Italy, Ferryscanner is here to help. The Ferryscanner website will provide you with all the information you need to successfully compare and book the variety of ferry tickets to Vulcano that are available throughout the year.
 

Routes and Ferries to Vulcano

The easiest way to reach Vulcano continues to be the sea, on routes that must have been followed in one way or another for hundreds if not thousands of years. In fact, Vulcano is well connected with many of the most important Aeolian Islands, making island-hopping a real possibility. What’s more, there’s no journey among the islands from Vulcano that takes more than two hours, with the summer months, in particular, offering ideal sailing conditions.

The shortest journey of them all is to the port of Rinella on the island of Salina. Like most ferry journeys around the Aeolian Islands, this short voyage of 25 minutes is conducted by Liberty Lines. Their fantastic modern fleet ensures a comfortable journey, with onboard snack bars and comfortable seats as standard. There are up to 23 sailings per week to Rinella from Vulcano, and vice versa. Therefore, even during the popular summer months, it’s relatively easy to find ferry tickets to Vulcano from Salina, with an average of three sailings per day. In addition, tickets for an adult foot passenger cost as little as €11, rising to around €35.

Alternatively, you might instead prefer to consider the journey to Panarea, the smallest of the inhabited Aeolian Islands. There are around 13 sailings each week in either direction. The sailing is scheduled to last no more than one hour and ten minutes, and tickets cost between €12 and €40.

These ferries generally end their voyage in Stromboli’s main port of San Vincenzo after a further 30 minutes at sea. That said, prices remain similar to those of Panarea. If you’re unlucky enough to find no ferry tickets to Vulcano from San Vincenzo, you can still make it to Stromboli by heading instead to the secondary port of Ginostra on the south side of the island. There are up to 11 sailings per week to this port. Costing between €16-45, the journey takes one hour and 55 minutes.

Finally, it’s also possible to reach Alicudi from Vulcano and vice versa. This route takes one hour 35 minutes on average and has a price range of €14-40 for adult foot passengers.

The only other way of reaching Vulcano is by helicopter since there is no airport on the island. Charter services connect the island’s heliport with others right across the Aeolian chain, as well as with airports in Sicily.
 

Ports of Vulcano

Vulcano has one principal port which is used for ferry arrivals and departures. It is located on the eastern side of the island, close to a narrow bridge of land that connects to a small circular peninsula. Ferries dock on a central wharf, from where it is just a short walk to a variety of places to visit, restaurants, and hotels. To the south of where the ferries dock is a marina-style harbor for those coming on smaller private vessels. The northern half of the natural bay is lined by a fine stretch of beach, as you can discover below.
 

Best Beaches

Volcanic islands don’t always make the best beach destinations. However, Vulcano is a different story. It has some very special areas of the coast that will more than satisfy anyone looking to spend a few hours soaking up the warm Mediterranean sun or swimming in the bright blue waters.

Acque Calde Beach

A stone’s throw from where passengers disembark from the latest ferry arrival, Acque Calde Beach is approximately 300 meters in length and so popular that many of the island’s four-star hotels are located close by. Made from unusual black sand of volcanic origin, the waters here simply gleam.

Spiaggia di Gelso

The distance of Spiaggia di Gelso from the port means it’s rare to ever find more than a handful of other people here. Although it lacks the facilities you’ll find around Acque Calde Beach, it does have a handy trattoria traditional restaurant just steps away.

Asino Beach

Immediately to the east of Spiaggia di Gelso, Asino Beach is one of the island’s best equipped. It also has something of a double personality. During the day it is relatively sedated, while at night it’s one of the island’s main dance spots.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach forms the western side of the land bridge which leads to the northernmost tip of the island. Curving around a medium-sized natural bay, it’s not only in close proximity to the all-important port, but also offers some incredible sunsets on summer nights.
 

Things to Do

The craggy landscapes of Vulcano have given birth to all manner of myths, and much of the attraction in visiting the island is to explore some of them for yourself. Check out our recommendations for the best things to do on Vulcano below.

Trek to the Fossa di Vulcano

If you’ve never come close to the crater edge of a dormant volcano, now’s your chance. The trek to the Fossa di Vulcano takes most people no longer than an hour to reach a viewing platform overlooking the crater. It’s then possible to walk down into the crater itself.

Enjoy a Mud Treatment

So close to the ferry port you would think they had been placed there deliberately, are the mud pools of the Fanghi a Vulcano. The natural pools are rich in a long list of minerals that are known to be beneficial to the skin. Just make sure you remove any jewelry before covering yourself in the smooth paste just in case!

Take in the Views from Cape Grillo

Travel approximately seven kilometers south of the port and you’ll reach the small village of Piano. Here on the Cape Grillo coast are some of the island’s finest vistas, which on a fine day take in the islands of Salina, Stromboli, and Filicudi to name just a few.
 

Transportation on Vulcano

Family cars, mopeds, and bicycles can all be rented from agencies close to the port if you intend to maximize your exploring. Alternatives include a taxi service consisting of a couple of vehicles, and a bus service that connects up all the major settlements on the island. Operated by Scaffidi, it operates all year round, with a useful bus stop (and schedule) on Strada Provinciale close to the ferry port. It takes around 20 minutes to cover the north-south distance by bus. There are around five services per day Monday to Saturday, dropping down to two on Sundays and public holidays.