This island was named for the blacksmith of the Roman gods, Vulcan, by the ancient Romans who would come to the island to harvest wood and mine alum and sulfur. They believed that the puffs of smoke were coming out of the chimney of his forge. Hence, the name vulcano was created and is now used universally {si, it all started here}. It’s last major eruption was back in 1888, and it lasted for 2 years, clearing out the limited population who lived here at the time.
We walked through the village to get to the trail head and hiked up the steep, rough lava rock trail to take a look into the massive crater of Fossa di Volcano, where there is still plenty of hot steam and gases bursting out of vents.
About 500 people and a few goats now inhabit the island.
They’ve restored the crops of grapes that were grown here before the eruption to make Malmsey wine, a sweet, rich, fortified wine similar to Madeira. Well, these particular crops don’t seem to be doing that well, but I loved this nautical ironwork.
Fishing is another source of revenue. The color and patina of these traditional fishing boats were so charming, the fleet must look spectacular when it sets out to sea.
Here is the morning catch on display at a local market we passed while walking down from the crater.
But the primary industry is tourism. A scenic hydrofoil ride from Lipari will get you here to enjoy the black sand beaches and the famed {and fragrant} mudbaths and hot springs. While relaxing in the mud or swimming in the beautiful clear waters you’ll constantly see bubbles on the surfaces, if you step on the vents you can really feel the heat bubbling up from the center of the earth.
The island is beautiful, rustic and lush and there are many nice looking cafés, hotels and resorts including the Therasia Resort we visited.
As with all of the other islands, there is an abundance of charming blue and white scenery to snack on.
Next post: the blue and white tiles of Stromboli.
For more information click on this NY Times article on Hiking the Volcano’s of Italy.
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