Sicily’s most famous neighbouring archipelago – the Aeolian Islands – extends off the northern Sicilian coast, out into the Tyrrhenian Sea, in a Y-shaped arc. There are seven small islands in total (as well as a scattering of islets), all  Unesco-protected, and all – unlike the island clusters off Naples (including swanky-but-curated Capri) and Tuscany (headed up by Elba with its popular beaches) – still largely off the beaten tourist path, remaining unspoilt and less developed.

Better yet, they have far more personality than their Neapolitan and Tuscan cousins, each quirky and characterful in its own unique way, from bustling Lipari and “green” Salina, to glamorous Panarea, fiery Stromboli and hiker-friendly Vulcano – and onwards to the wildest, most remote of the bunch, Filicudi and Alicudi.