island
Alicudi
No roads, only stone stairways and mules: Italy's most remote island, a cone rising to the Filo dell'Arpa.
- The stairways
- Filo dell'Arpa
- The silence
The island with no roads
There are no cars on Alicudi, not because they're banned: there is nowhere for them to go. The island is a cone rising from the sea, and the only way up is the stone stairways built by hand along the slope. Heavy transport is done by mule. Around a hundred residents, electricity that arrived only at the end of the twentieth century, and no shops beyond the essential.
Filo dell'Arpa
The summit is at 675 metres and you get there by climbing steps for well over an hour, the island widening below you and the other Aeolians appearing one by one on the horizon. Above the village lie abandoned terraces and the Timpone delle Femmine: by tradition, the rock clefts where women hid during pirate raids.
What you actually do
Nothing, and that's the point. You climb, you come down, you swim at Bazzina — reachable on foot or by sea — you eat where you can, you watch the sunset sitting on the steps. Anyone looking for activities, restaurants or shops has picked the wrong island. Anyone looking for the most radical silence in the Mediterranean has found it.
Before you go
Bring proper shoes: the stairways are steep and uneven, and with luggage they become an ordeal — which is what the mules are for. Connections are less frequent than to the other islands, so check the return times carefully: missing the last boat from Alicudi means sleeping there.
Trails on Alicudi
Beaches
From the guide
- Sleep on the Aeolians, or on the coast?Guide
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.
- Which Aeolian island to chooseGuide
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 Aeolian Islands in a day from Capo d'OrlandoGuide
The Aeolians are the reason many people choose this coast. Day trips work — provided you pick the right island and the right timetable.
FAQ about Alicudi
Are there roads and cars on Alicudi?
No. There are no drivable roads on the island: you move exclusively on foot along stone stairways, and goods are transported by mule.
Is Alicudi worth a day trip?
It can be done, but connections are less frequent than to the other islands and the climb to Filo dell'Arpa takes about three hours there and back. To really see it, stay a night.
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 →
