Sicily · Tyrrhenian coast
The sea ahead.
Volcanoes on the horizon.
Four rooms and two apartments on the top floor of a building on the corso, 140 m² of rooftop facing the islands — and the Aeolian guide written by the people who live here.
The rooftop, seventh floor · 140 m² facing the Aeolians
The house behind this guide
We're right here, on the corso.
This guide is written by B&B del Corso: four rooms and two apartments on the top floor of a historic building, in the heart of town. It's why we know the altitudes, the timings and the rules — and keep them current.
The B&B formula
B&B del Corso
4 rooms · breakfast included · shared kitchen
On Via Francesco Crispi, in the heart of Capo d'Orlando: family-run, on the top floor of a historic building, with a 140 m² panoramic rooftop facing the Aeolians and breakfast served early for dawn departures.
The independent formula
Home del Corso
2 apartments · about 70 m² · equipped kitchen
On the same floor as B&B del Corso, two independent apartments of about 70 m² with equipped kitchen, sofa bed and designer furnishings: the independent formula, with the house rooftop and RIB at your disposal.
The top floor of the top floor
The terrace is why people come back.
A hundred and forty square metres above the rooms, with the Aeolians in front and the sanctuary to the left. It's where breakfast happens when the weather holds, where the day ends, and where you understand in ten seconds why this house is on the top floor of a building on the corso and not on the seafront.
In our guests' words
What the people who stayed here say.
There are over seventy reviews on our Google profile, averaging 4.6 out of 5. They are public and verified, written by people who actually slept here: you can read them all, including the ones that suit us less.
Reviews published by our guests on Booking.com, reproduced in full and translated from the original Italian.
The moment you walk into the apartment you're struck by the light, thanks to that wonderful window through which you can take in a breathtaking view. […] What's truly priceless, a real plus, is being able to use the terrace and solarium upstairs: having dinner there at sunset was something genuinely special.
LucianoItalyJuly 2026 A highly recommended bed and breakfast. The lady is extraordinarily kind and helpful. Breakfast is good quality, enriched by a spectacular panoramic view. The place is impeccably clean and well run. The location is strategic, close to the station, which makes getting to the beach and the town centre easy.
AlexjaItalyJuly 2026 I almost miss this beautiful room — everything was perfect! The location let me walk anywhere I wanted. Signora Pina was wonderful, as was the lady who made my breakfast and had a lovely chat with me. I had a great time and I'll definitely be back!
SaraItalyJuly 2025 Everything! From the location to the room, and the lady who welcomed us was marvellous. She even asked what we'd like for breakfast and got exactly what we asked for. We had the sea-view room — you could see it from the bed!
RobertaItalyJune 2025 A strategic spot for walking to the sea, with plenty of places to eat right there — but the real added value came from Signora Adalgisa: present but discreet, very attentive and helpful.
GiustaItalyJuly 2026 Great location! Impeccably clean, kind and helpful staff. The sunset from the balcony is priceless!
SimoneItalyJuly 2026 It was a short stay, but the welcome was superb. Spacious rooms, very large bathrooms, beautifully kept spaces. The place was welcoming, clean and completely renovated.
LorenzoItalyAugust 2026 A beautiful place, cared for in every detail. Extremely kind and helpful. Great location. Enchanting terrace. I'll certainly be back.
CinziaItalyJune 2025
Where we are, in minutes
Between Cefalù and Taormina, with the Aeolians in front.
Everyone writes “strategic location”. Here are the real times, including the two lines that cost us something: it is how you can actually decide whether this is the right base for your trip.
On foot, from the front door
- The town beach
- 2 minutes, downhill along the corso
- The railway station
- in the centre
- Bars, shops, food stores
- on the corso, pedestrian zone
By car
- Milazzo port, for the Aeolian hydrofoils
- 45 min
- Cefalù
- under an hour
- The Nebrodi hill villages
- 20-30 min
- Monte Soro and the lakes, at 1,400 m
- about 1h30
- Taormina
- about 2 hours
- Catania airport
- about 2 hours, 130 km
- Palermo
- about 170 km
By train, from the station in town
- Cefalù
- 1h07, direct
- Taormina
- 3h11, changing at Messina
Indicative driving times, checked in September 2026: they change with traffic and season. Taormina by train isn't worth it, and we say so because it's true: if your trip is mostly the Ionian coast, the right base is somewhere else.
Said honestly
Who it works for, and who it doesn't.
In this guide we write the uncomfortable things too: the trail lost to brambles, the church that's often shut, the car park with three spaces. It would be odd not to do the same about ourselves.
It works well if
- you want to be in the centre and go everywhere on foot: sea, bars, shops and the station without a car
- you're doing the Aeolians as day trips and leaving early: breakfast fits the real timetable
- you want to cook or stay a while: the apartments have fully equipped kitchens
- you're a group or a large family: up to twenty beds on the same floor
- you're coming off season and want a town that's alive, not a resort that's shut
It isn't for you if
- you want a beach resort with a sun lounger included: we're in the centre, and you walk to the sea
- you want a 24-hour reception, an in-house restaurant or full board: we have none of those
- you arrive by car and need a reserved space downstairs: we're in the middle of town and we have no car park of our own
- you want to sleep on the islands: then sleep on the islands, and we'll even explain why
Booking here
What changes if you book directly.
This isn't a polite formula. Book here and you're talking to the people who will welcome you — and we can decide things without asking anyone's permission.
- The best rate we can do
- With no intermediation the margin stays in the house, and we can use it for you. If you've seen better elsewhere, write to us before booking: we almost always find a way.
- You talk to us
- No call centre: we answer on WhatsApp ourselves, before, during and after. Real opening times, real advice, and where the parking actually is.
- Priority on services
- The boat and the e-bikes have limited places: guests who book directly choose their dates first.
- Flexibility
- A late arrival, a later check-out, an extra cot: if we can, we will. You just ask us, directly.
- The third night
- Two days cover the town, but leave out the Nebrodi — the half nobody expects. If you're staying an extra night, ask us when you book: we do a different price for guests who book here.
The reason is simple: when you book here there is nobody in between. What we save on intermediation comes back to you as rate and as freedom to move — a late arrival, an extra night, a last-minute request.
The base
Capo d'Orlando
A headland pushing into the Tyrrhenian with a lighthouse at its tip and a sanctuary on top: the perfect base between the ferry port for the Aeolians and the beech forests of the Nebrodi.
What the house keeps
Two vehicles, and the whole area opens up.
These aren't services bought in from an agency: the RIB and the bikes are ours, and guests staying here get first choice of dates. On one side the islands without ferry timetables; on the other the thousand metres of Nebrodi climb you stop feeling once a motor helps.
Day trips from here
Seven islands and a mountain.
Milazzo port is 45 minutes by car; the Nebrodi Park begins behind the hills. Leave in the morning, sleep in the same bed at night.
island
Lipari
The largest of the Aeolians: the castle on its rock, the white pumice of Porticello and the obsidian flow of the Rocche Rosse.
island
Vulcano
The island of fumaroles: the Gran Cratere della Fossa is an hour's climb — whenever the access traffic light is green.
island
Salina
The green island — two extinct volcanoes and the archipelago's highest point: Monte Fossa delle Felci, 962 metres of forest.
island
Panarea
The smallest and the oldest: white houses, the islets off Cala Junco and the climb to Punta del Corvo.
island
Stromboli
The only Aeolian volcano in permanent activity: the evening climb to the viewpoints is the most memorable excursion in the archipelago.
island
Filicudi
Mule tracks, terraces and the Bue Marino sea cave: the island for those looking for the Aeolians of thirty years ago.
island
Alicudi
No roads, only stone stairways and mules: Italy's most remote island, a cone rising to the Filo dell'Arpa.
inland
Nebrodi Park
86,000 hectares of beech forests, lakes and pastures behind the coast: in an hour's drive you go from sea level to 1,300 metres.
Hikes
Ten trails, with real numbers.
Honest difficulty, out-and-back timings, elevation gain, altitude profile. And where access limits exist, we tell you before you book.
- Stromboli — the volcano climbStrenuous · 3 h walking, 5 with the guide and stops · 495 m measured on the full outing
Climb in the late afternoon, sit at the viewpoint and watch the volcano work while the village lights fade below: the most memorable excursion you can make from this coast, on a volcano that has been erupting without pause for millennia, with explosions minutes apart.
- Vulcano — Gran Cratere della FossaModerate · 2 h round trip on foot · 391 m from Porto di Levante
From the rim you look into a crater that genuinely smokes, sulphur-yellow fumaroles at your feet and the whole archipelago laid out to the north. You go when the traffic light says so, and you don't go alone.
- Panarea — Punta del CorvoModerate · 2 h 30 walking, 4 with stops · 714 m on the full loop
Anyone who writes Panarea off as an island of aperitifs has never set foot on the summit trail: from up there you see Basiluzzo and the cone of Stromboli on one side, Salina, Lipari and the plume of Vulcano's crater on the other.
- Salina — Monte Fossa delle FelciStrenuous · 4 h walking on the traverse · 1,021 m measured sea to sea
The roof of the Aeolians: 962 metres, with a forest of ferns, chestnuts and pines accompanying you to the top. It's the only Aeolian climb you can do in summer without cooking, and in its full version it crosses the island from one sea to the other.
- Lipari — Rocche Rosse and Monte PilatoEasy to moderate · 2:30 h round trip · 470 m
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.
On foot, or nearly
The town's beaches.
Gentle sand for kids, pebbles and deep water for snorkelling. Everything changes within two kilometres.
- San GregorioFamilies and children
A gently shelving seabed and lidos alternating with free stretches: the right choice with kids.
- Trazzera Marina and the centreA quick swim from the centre
Two steps from the main street: walk down after dinner or for a mid-morning swim, with every service nearby.
- Below the headlandSnorkelling
The clearest water on this coast: less suited to children, perfect for mask and fins.
- Testa di MonacoSpace and quiet
Towards Brolo, wider and breezier: when the town beaches fill up, here you can breathe. Good if you bring your own umbrella.
The measures that matter
Here, a day is planned in metres and minutes.
Not in slogans. Altitude limits decide what you can do — and some change by ordinance. We keep them current.
924m
Stromboli
Summit closed. Free access to 290 m; 400 m with a guide.
962m
Fossa delle Felci
The Aeolian high point, on Salina. Forest almost to the top.
391m
Gran Cratere
On Vulcano. Open only when the traffic light is green.
45min
Milazzo
The ferry port for the islands, by car from Capo d'Orlando.
Read before you go
Practical guides.
Guide
The Aeolian Islands in a day from Capo d'Orlando
The Aeolians are the reason many people choose this coast. Day trips work — provided you pick the right island and the right timetable.
Guide
Which Aeolian island to choose
Seven islands, and they are not interchangeable. Choose badly and you'll end up on Alicudi looking for a restaurant, or on Panarea in August looking for silence. For each one: who it suits, how long you need, and what not to expect.
Guide
The best beaches in Capo d'Orlando
There is no «most beautiful one» — there's the right one for your day. Within two kilometres of coast the seabed, exposure and depth all change: here's which to choose for children, for snorkelling, for windy days and for sunset.
Guide
Sunset in Capo d'Orlando: where to watch it, and when
The sun drops into open sea and the Aeolian Islands sit in the same frame. That isn't brochure talk: it's a geographical combination you'll find in very few places in Italy. The six spots, the times month by month, and when the sun stops falling into the water.
Guide
The Nebrodi in a day: what lies behind the coast
86,000 hectares of beech forest, lakes and pastures, with mountain roads that climb from sea level to 1,300 metres in an hour. It's the other half of the holiday, and almost nobody uses it.
Guide
Getting to Capo d'Orlando
Two airports, one motorway, a railway station right in the centre. Which to choose depending on where you're coming from, how long it really takes, and why a car helps here — except in one case.
More guides
- Weather, sea and webcams in Capo d'Orlando
- The village of San Gregorio
- What to do this evening in Capo d'Orlando
- Piraino: the Guardiola and the Saracen Tower
- Capo Calavà: the closest point to the Aeolians
- Monte Soro, Maulazzo and Biviere: the high Nebrodi
- Sleep on the Aeolians, or on the coast?
- Is Capo d'Orlando worth it? The honest answer
- Capo d'Orlando, Cefalù, Taormina or Milazzo: which base
- The feast of Maria Santissima, 22 October
- Long stays in Capo d'Orlando: weeks and months
- «Sapore di sale» was written here
- Villa Piccolo, the house of The Leopard
- Capo d'Orlando by bike
- The films shot in the Aeolian Islands
- Monte della Madonna: sanctuary, castle and lighthouse
- Capo d'Orlando on foot: three walks
- Orlandina Basket: thirteen thousand people who reached Serie A
- Emergency and useful numbers in Capo d'Orlando
- Nolan's Odyssey was filmed right out there
- Illustrious guests: who has passed through Capo d'Orlando
- When to visit Capo d'Orlando: the right month for each trip
- Parking in Capo d'Orlando: how it really works
- The produce of this coast: what to eat, and when
- The patron saint feasts of the Nebrodi, month by month
- Food festivals between Capo d'Orlando and the Nebrodi
- Where to eat in Capo d'Orlando, without getting it wrong
- Capo d'Orlando summer 2026: the events calendar
- A weekend in the Aeolians: making it all fit
Frequently asked questions
Is Capo d'Orlando a good base for the Aeolian Islands?
Yes: the main departure port, Milazzo, is about 45 minutes by car, with frequent hydrofoils to all the islands. In summer there are also seasonal connections from other harbours along the coast, to be checked case by case.
How many days do you need?
Two days cover the town: the headland and lighthouse, the seafront, Villa Piccolo and the marina. The real value is what surrounds it — the Aeolians and the Nebrodi as day trips.
What is Capo d'Orlando famous for?
Four things that have nothing to do with each other: Gino Paoli wrote «Sapore di sale» here in 1963; Orlandina Basket made this the smallest town in Italy to play in the top basketball league; Villa Piccolo, fifteen minutes from the centre, is the house where Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote The Leopard; and in 2025 Christopher Nolan filmed his Odyssey on the islands you see from the seafront. Then the headland with its sanctuary and lighthouse, and the sunset over the Aeolians.
What is the sea like in Capo d'Orlando?
It changes within two kilometres: sand and a gently sloping seabed at San Gregorio, the right beach with children; pebbles and immediately deep water below the headland, the clearest on the coast; the town beach two steps from the corso. In front of you, always, the outlines of the Aeolian Islands.
Where is the centre of Capo d'Orlando?
The corso — Via Francesco Crispi and the pedestrian streets around it — with the square, the bars and shops, the railway station a few minutes on foot and the Andrea Doria seafront at the end. It's a small, flat centre: you walk everywhere, no car needed.
What to see in Capo d'Orlando in one day?
In the morning Monte della Madonna, with the 17th-century sanctuary and the lighthouse on the point; a swim below the headland or at San Gregorio; in the afternoon Villa Piccolo di Calanovella; in the evening the sunset from the seafront with the Aeolians in front. Everything except Villa Piccolo is on foot from the centre.
Stay in Capo d'Orlando
A base in the centre — and everything else becomes a day trip.
The port for the Aeolians is 45 minutes away, the Nebrodi right behind. Breakfast served early for dawn departures.
Direct booking, no intermediaries · See the rooftop →
Updates
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