NICKNAMED THE “LIGHTHOUSE of the Mediterranean” for its steady towering glow, Stromboli is one of seven volcanic islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago off Sicily’s northern coast. Barely a quarter the size of Manhattan, and measuring just 3,031 feet above sea level, it reigns as one of the world’s most active volcanoes, having spewed fountains of lava almost continuously for nearly 2,500 years.

Important to volcanology, Stromboli and its neighboring islands were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. Every summer, boatloads of visitors journey here for the gleaming black-sand beaches, and as many as 500 travelers trek to the island’s summit each sunset to view the lava fireworks against the night sky.