Stromboli Volcano
The Stromboli volcano have a nicknam “lighthouse of the Mediterranean”, a 926 meter (3038 ft) high volcano off the coast of Italy (Sicily, Italy), has been erupting almost constantly for more than 20 000 years. It releases smoke and lava fragments every 20 to 40 minutes.
Stromboli is a volcanic island in Italy that is part of the Aeolian Islands, it is the furthest from Sicily. Its name comes from its Greek name Στρογγύλη (Stroŋgulḗ), for its round shape. Stromboli rivals Etna for being the most famous volcano in all of Italy.
The first eruptions began about 200,000 years ago, and formed the now-eroded Strombolicchio volcano. Starting around 160,000 years ago, the island of Stromboli proper began forming.
It is known for the Stromboli volcano, which rises 924 meters above the sea and an underwater depth of more than 2000 meters. From its three active craters emerged the characters of Jules Verne on a journey to the center of the earth. It was in Stromboli that Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini lived their love story during the filming of the film that bears the name of the island (1949).
A particular geological structure is “la Sciara del Fuoco” (path of fire), a kind of channel through which the lava flows to the sea. Every night boats bring tourists to see the explosive activity of this active volcano, the black smoke emanating from the summit is transformed into superb sheaves of fire, a spectacle of great emotion.
What to see, what to do in Stromboli
In addition to the volcano, it is interesting to go by boat to Strombolicchio, a cylindrical cliff 50 m high, quite spectacular, stands on the sea 1 km from Stromboli. By a staircase carved into the rock, you climb to an esplanade where a lighthouse powered by solar panels helps and guides small boats. Unfortunately the authorities forbade his visit.
The black sand beaches of Stromboli
The typical dishes of swordfish, the olive trees around the churches of San Vincenzo and San Bartolo and the tombs of the Greek Necropolis are enough arguments not to be intimidated by the volcano and do something else as the climb to the crater.
Ginostra
At the other end of the island, is a small village, it is possible to reach it more easily by sea rather than by a difficult path, the village benefits from electricity arriving only through the use of solar panels . The peace that reigns there and the desire to know the wind environment drives tourists to its Porto di Pertuso. With a bit of luck, you will see some examples of endangered donkeys.
Stromboli is a hive of tourists, including foreigners, who, attracted by the magic of the island, have bought a typical Aeolian house, square and simple white. Hospitality in July and August is practically impossible and the beach could be a place to sleep if needed.
An eruption viewed from the top. Note that it is about 100 m (328 ft) high. Wolfgangbeyer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to get there?
The port of Milazzo is the gateway to the Aeolian Islands from Sicily. For ferry schedules, prices and routes visit Ferries section.
Access is by boat, since there is no place on the island to put an airport. The hydrofoil and ferry operators SNAV, SIREMAR, Ustica Lines , and NGI connect the town of Stromboli and Ginostra with other points in the Aeolian Islands and with Sicily , Naples and other parts of the mainland. You may have to change boats at Lipari. Don’t even think about bringing a normal sized car, as you won’t have room to use it. Therefore, it is very advantageous to ride the fast airboat instead of a ferry.
Panorama view – the volcano island of Stromboli. Hein56didden, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sources: PinterPandai, Italy’s Volcano, Smitsonian Institution (Stromboli), Geophysical Research Letters, Science Daily
http://cleverlysmart.com/beautiful-cities-in-italy/
Photo credit (main picture): Unukorno (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
Photo description: Stromboli, the stream of fire after sunset.
