Stromboli

Stromboli

Stromboli is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, containing one of the four active volcanos in Italy. It is one of the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago north of Sicily.

This 924 metre high lava mountain (Serra Vancori) which drops abruptly down to 2000 metres below sea-level is Europe's biggest active volcano after Etna. Its area of 12.6 km2 is visually dominated by the crater: a sort of suggestive natural lighthouse situated in the easternmost Aeolian island. During the night, the glittering “Sciara" of fire (the red-hot flow descending towards the sea) can be seen from the boats and from Panarea. During the day, the smoke of the peak joins the steam raising up from the water that cools down the red-hot lava detritus which have plunged into the water after sliding down the slope of the coast. The white houses of the little village create a unique contrast with the black lava background dotted with dark-green bushes.

Stromboli Vulcano is in a near-perpetual state of eruption, and all-pervasive. It is in the air, painted on the ceramic tiles screwed on to home facades, carved into boutique billboards and lending its name to special dishes on restaurant menus. The locals have a name for it: Iddu, or him. They address it like a living person, and visit it like they would a neighbour - at least they did before the enormous April 2003 explosion that forced the entire island to evacuate for several months.

Like in Panarea, tourism has changed the social and economic ecosystem of Stromboli, introducing the locals to a world beyond fishing, viticulture and pumice. Today, fresh fish is still very much de rigueur on every restaurant menu, but chances are the fish you are eating was "imported" from Lipari. And it's not just the fish. Just about everything else with a (rather steep) price tag comes from the outside (including fresh water); they are shipped in once a week in the winter and thrice weekly throughout the summer months.

And while few things are more idyllic than the Stromboli fish merchant who drives his three-legged Piaggio through the narrow streets yelling "pesce fresco," the fact is that there are only seven commercial fishermen left on the island, the youngest of whom is 38. The rest of the inhabitants run hotels and restaurants or rent out their homes for the summer and head to northern Italy.

http://www.aeolischeinseln.ch/english/indexuk.html

Stromboli

Stromboli is a bit rougher but offers some impressive sights of the red-hot lava glowing volcano as well. Make sure you get a guide, because although a lot of people try to make the trip on their own, it remains a dangerous business. The Vulcano erupts round and about every 18 minutes

Stromboli is one of the most spectacular active volcanoes in the world. A small island in the Mediterranean that consists of little more than a big volcano. It's a great hike to the top of the volcano , bu unfortunately is not possible anymore to spend the night there and see volcanic activities in the darkness. Be sure to bring warm clothing, because even in summer it can be really cold and windy at the top.

The harbor is in the only town of some size at the foot of the mountain and there are a few shops, restaurants and hotels there.

Boats leave for {Lipari} everyday  and {Naples}  during the winter 3 times a week.

Stromboli is remarkable because of the length of time for which it has been in almost continuous eruption. For at least the last 2,000 years, the same pattern of eruption has been maintained, in which explosions occur at the summit craters at intervals of minutes to hours. This type of very mild explosive eruption is known as Strombolian activity when observed at other volcanoes. Stromboli's activity is almost exclusively explosive, but lava flows do occasionally occur - an effusive eruption in 2002 was its first in 17 years.

The continuous mild explosive eruptions are also occasionally punctuated by much larger eruptions, which may generate earthquakes, pyroclastic flows and tsunamis. Large eruptions occur at intervals of years to decades, and the most recent large eruption began in 2002, causing the closure of the island to non-residents for several months. The largest eruption of the last hundred years occurred in 1930, and resulted in the deaths of several people and the destruction of a number of houses by flying volcanic bombs.

Stromboli stands approximately 900m high above sea level, but in total rises over 2,000m from the ocean floor. There are three active craters at the peak. A significant geological feature of the volcano is the sciara del fuoco ("Scar of fire"), a broad channel on the north western side of the cone. Eruptions from the summit craters typically result in lava rolling down this channel.