Situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Aeolian archipelago consists of seven islands of volcanic origin of various sizes, some with craters still in activity, Lipari Vulcano, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi, and Alicudi. Because they represent an extraordinary case to the birth and evolution of volcanic islands, they were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

They extend over an area of about 45 miles from east to west and 30 miles from north to south and can be reached in various ways, but the most convenient is by plane from the airports of Catania, Naples, Palermo, and Reggio Calabria, by sea, by hydrofoil from the ports of Naples, Messina, Milazzo, Palermo, and Reggio Calabria and by ship from the harbor of Naples and Milazzo.