Even in a country like Italy blessed with immense beauty, the Aeolian Islands are a standout destination. The Aeolian archipelago – a group of seven islands and five islets afloat in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Sicily – was named after the Greek god Aeolus, “the keeper of the winds,” by Greek settlers. Today, it still offers impressive crystalline deep blue waters and much more.

Astonishingly beautiful, Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Stromboli, Salina, Filicudi and Alicudi are a slice of paradise that emerged 500,000 years ago. The origin is volcanic.  Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the Islands have provided the science of volcanology with examples of two types of eruptions: Strombolian and Vulcanian.