What to do in Filicudi

A mule track along the north-east flank leads to a village where three hundred people lived, nearly all of whom left for Australia. What remains is ruins, dry-stone terracing and two or three houses put back together.

The fishing hamlet on the south coast: pebbles, boats hauled ashore, slow evenings. The Aeolians as they were.

It's the question that decides the holiday, and almost nobody asks it before booking. There is no right answer for everyone: there is a right answer for what you came to do.

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.

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