What to do in Lipari

Above Acquacalda lies a flow of black, glassy obsidian, still since the Middle Ages. The trail skirts it and climbs to the crater it poured from: you walk on volcanic glass and white pumice.

The long bay north of town: lidos, boat rentals, and the departure point for beaches reachable only by sea.

On the west coast, wedged between the sea stacks: reached by steep path or by sea. At sunset it faces Vulcano and Alicudi.

The Aeolians are the reason many people choose this coast. Day trips work — provided you pick the right island and the right timetable.

Two nights are enough for a real taste of the archipelago — if you pick one base and don't chase everything.