The Rocce Azzurre Hotel
The friendly, family-run 3-star Rocce Azzurre Hotel enjoys a wonderful location overlooking the sea yet only a few minutes pleasant walk from the charming old town of Lipari. The walk is about 400 metres up a slight hill and there is no other way to get from the port to the hotel (though baggage is taken in a minivan). This walk has to be undertaken to join all the excursions to other islands.

Facilities at this typically Sicilian hotel include terrace and restaurant with spectacular sea views, attractive and charming public areas including bar and indoor dining area and sunbathing/swimming platform. Rooms are comfortable and spotlessly maintained with private shower, TV and telephone. Many have sea-view and/or balcony, bookable at a reasonable supplement.

Rocce Azzurre Hotel Website

OUR VIEW ON THE HOTEL
We have been sending clients here for more than a decade and Adriano and his staff consistently offer a very warm, friendly welcome. The bar terrace and restaurant directly overlook the sea and offer a lovely Mediterranean atmosphere. Rooms are well maintained and comfortable and many offer a sea view and/or balcony which is worth the upgrade.

NB: the hotel is a pleasant 10-15 minute walk from the port - downhill one way and up the other and there is no other way to get from the port to the hotel as the lane is not suitable for traffic. 

INCLUDED

• Return scheduled flights with British Airways from Gatwick to Catania including all applicable taxes
• 7 nights’ accommodation on dinner (choice at each course), bed and breakfast basis at the 3-star Rocce Azzurre Hotel, based on shared occupancy of rear-facing twin/double room. Sea view/balcony rooms available at a supplement (see below)
• Transfers by coach and ferry/hydrofoil from Catania airport to hotel in Lipari
• Tour manager throughout stay in Sicily

NOT INCLUDED

• Holiday insurance
• Single room supplement
• Room supplements: Sea view no balcony £50 per person, Sea view & balcony £100 per person, Junior suite £175 per person (oversized room with sitting area, sea view, balcony and Jacuzzi bath)
• Optional tours. Tours vary according to length of boat transfer but typically cost between EUR15 and EUR30 paid locally

Places of Interest

Lipari
Despite being the largest of the Aeolian Islands, Lipari has a population of only 9,000! The town of Lipari has some notable buildings including the churches of Anime del Purgatorio, Saint Antonio, the Immaculate, Addolorata and 11th century Cathedral, impressive castle and city walls. Other sights include the Neolithic Village and Greek-Roman necropolis at Contrada Diana and the excellent Aeolian Archaeological Museum. The charming town also has a range of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars centred round the attractive port, about 5 -10 minutes walk from your hotel.

Vulcano
As its name suggests, the island has a volcanic history and an exceptional landscape as a result, including two craters. Volcanic activity has been reported since ancient times with the last report in the late 19th century. It is still evident with the boiling sea-water phenomenon caused by underwater jets of gas bubbling up through the sea, which is now considered to be therapeutic as are the mud-baths. The island is also characterised by caves, black beaches, old lighthouse and dramatic mountain scenery.

Stromboli
Almost entirely mountainous and the most active volcanically of the islands, Stromboli is best observed at sunset from the safety of a boat. Almost daily, the volcano issues a spectacular light and fire display and lava flows down the Sciara del Fuoco into the sea, with stones and ashes thrown high into the sky. Evidence of ancient civilisations are to be found here, too, together with the charming villages of more recent times.

Salina
The second largest of the islands, Salina is the most cultivated and has a landscape characterised by vineyards and olive groves - the island boasts a unique wine, the aromatic malvasia. Evidence of ancient civilisations has been unearthed here as is the case elsewhere on the Aeolian Islands, offering a fascinating glimpse into the past, whilst the present settlements of Santa Marina, Rinella and Malfa have changed little over the past two or three hundred years.

Filicudi
Consisting of three extinct volcanoes, Filicudi (once know as Phoenicusa - the island of ferns), is famed for its stunning coastline of high, jagged cliffs and beautiful grottoes, including the Bue Marino (sea ox). It also boasts a picturesque harbour and delightful Capo Graxiano peninsular where a Bronze Age settlement has been unearthed.

Alicudi
The most westerly of the islands, Alicudi is the least-populated (150 inhabitants) and has a total area of 5.2 square kilometres. Its ancient name was Ericusa, because of the abundance of wild heather that grows there and a settlement dating from the 16th century BC has been discovered near the port. The west of the island is totally uninhabited with a dramatic coastline of enormous sheer rocks rising to an extinct volcanic peak.

Panarea
The tiny island of Panarea, at just 3.4 square kilometres, is the smallest Aeolian island, but attracts the Italian jetset including prime minister Berlusconi who has a villa here. Its attraction lies in its unspoilt natural beauty and picturesque white-washed houses, whilst there is also fascinating evidence of past occupants dating back to the Neolithic Age. There is also evidence of Roman occupation at the islet of Basiluzzo where ruins of Roman houses have been discovered along with mosaics.