Stromboli is more than just an active volcano off the north coast of Sicily. Scratch the surface and you find a welcoming community with a can-do spirit. Barbie Latza Nadeau reports
Mention Stromboli and most people think of the movie of the same name and the resultant torrid love affair between Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini that shocked the world back in the 1950s. In fact their love nest is still here – a deep crimson villa complete with an elegant marble plaque identifying it as the casa di amore or house of love.
Despite the passion between the star and director, the movie depicts this tiny island as a prison where Bergman’s character feels trapped and alone. But in reality, the place better reflects the love affair – this is truly a carefree otherworld getaway where it does not take long to forget real life, relax and unwind.
That is, of course, if one can really relax sleeping on one of the world’s most active volcanoes. In recent years, regular activity has kept the civil protection authorities attentive, watching and worrying that a major explosion might send a chunk of this island into the sea causing a mini-tsunami as it did in December 2002, when a massive 16 million cubic metres of rock did just that. The resultant 5-10m waves damaged scores of homes on Stromboli and made an impact as far away as the island of Panarea, 20km distant.
The risk of a similar eruption is ever-present and poses a real concern, especially in summer when the island’s population swells from 600 residents to nearly 8,000 tourists, hotel workers and Italians with summer homes – most of whom spend their days on the beach. Many of the summer residents have VIP status – even though the locals of Stromboli pay them little attention. The President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, writer Umberto Eco and the fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana all have summer houses here.
‘There is a real paradox about Stromboli,’ says Graziano Di Maggio, who runs the island’s main transport service. ‘It is so rustic at times, services don’t always function as they should, but it is still a real paradise for anyone who has spent time here.’
Houses cluster at the
base of a cloud-topped
Stromboli Ingrid
Bergman and Roberto
Rossellini
Choosing to live or invest in real estate on such an active volcano may seem risky, but in fact the main village of Stromboli, made up of the ports of Scari, Ficogrande and Piscità, on the northeast has never been destroyed by an eruption. Ginostra, on the western flank, which is accessible only by boat, has been deluged with large rocks that often break roof tiles and windows, but the permanent civil protection authorities are quick to warn the locals about violent rock-throwing eruptions well in advance. This is, after all, one of the most-closely monitored volcanoes on the planet, erupting on average every 15 minutes, and there is not much the mountain does that the scientists at the Stromboli observatory cannot predict.
All day ‘Iddu’ – as the locals call the volcano – belches and rumbles, releasing a constant stream of smoke and steam into the blue sky. By night, the eruptions light the horizon with spires of sparks and lava and the echoes of the explosions sound like thunder in the distance. Roberto Forina, spokesman for Italian Civil Protection, which monitors Stromboli, says the villagers often know as soon as they do when the mountain is acting up. ‘We can usually tell several hours in advance of increased activity,’ he says. ‘But the people who live on this island also have a keen sense of what is normal and what is dangerous.’
Still, spend a few days on the island and you begin to get the impression the volcano is secondary to life here. In fact, what makes Stromboli so much more than the volcano is the charm of its locals. Most visitors mistakenly consider Stromboli a day trip from one of the other Aeolian Islands, but, in reality, spending a week here is how to get properly beneath the surface. And one can easily hop over to any of the other Aeolian islands by ferry.
The village of San
Vincenzo on
the east of the island
Once the residents realise you are not part of the transient group, they take you in. In no time adopted locals enjoy the perks of Strombolian hospitality, which can include running a tab at the coffee bar, not having to ask for your newspaper by name or even receiving credit at the grocery store if the cashpoint has run dry, as is often the case on long holiday weekends.
Maria Cipriano, an island matriarch who sells fresh capers from her farm on the via V Emanuele is a prime example. Ring the bell and you can buy fresh, salted capers – and she will probably offer you a cup of coffee or fresh eggs from her hens. ‘It is not easy to ignore it,’ she says, motioning towards the volcano. ‘But there is so much more to this village than just the smoke and ash.’
Since there is really only one of every nontourism entity – one pharmacy, one bank machine and one Piaggio Ape car from which fresh fish is sold – becoming a regular Strombolian is actually unavoidable. Just ask Mario Cincotta, whose Bar Ingrid, which takes up the corner of the Piazza San Vincenzo overlooking the sea, is a wine bar by evening, a breakfast bar in the morning and a lunch café in between. Directions to anywhere on the island generally start with, ‘from the Bar Ingrid…’. Owner Cincotta is the quintessential Strombolian and comes from one of the oldest families on the island.
A centuries-old rudder from his ancestors’ fishing boat hangs on the back wall of the outside terrace facing the sea. Come here once and you receive friendly service, come in twice or more and you are one of the family. ‘This island has a special character,’ Cincotta says. ‘A lot of people come to see the volcano and walk around for the day, but we like it when people stay longer and get to know what Stromboli is really about.’
When not mingling with the locals, there is plenty to do. Guided treks up the crater top the list, especially the night hikes that take you around the slopes at sunset and to the top of the crater by nightfall. But for the less ambitious, or those who want to see the crater from various angles, there are evening boat trips around the perimeter of Stromboli and day trips to the craggy Strombolicchio, the tip of an underwater volcano topped with a lighthouse. There is even a pizzeria about a third of the way up Stromboli’s summit where diners can sit under the stars and watch majestic eruptions late into the night.
Smoke rises from
the crater: visitors
are not allowed
near without an
authorised guide
While the volcano is the obvious draw, the island also offers bird-watching opportunities, especially in the spring when migratory flocks stop over. During the rest of the year it is common to see ravens, hoopoe and peregrine falcons. There are also numerous beaches which are covered with black volcanic sand and surrounded by ancient, petrified lava that forms secret coves and majestic cliffs.
Swimming, however, is recommended only near the port areas. The top of Stromboli protrudes a mere 900m above water, while 3,000m extends beneath the surface, which makes swimming in most areas dangerous. Add to that the frequency with which the lava flows into the sea, creating a boiling cauldron, and it is little wonder the authorities advise caution. ‘This is a beautiful place,’ says Forina. ‘But in that beauty lies hidden dangers.’
In fact, everything that makes this island dangerous adds to its allure. For anyone who has been captivated by these contrasts, either by watching the fiery night sky reflected on the sea below or by visiting a local who vows there is no safer place on earth, Stromboli is much more than a volcano.
GETTING THERE
Getting to Stromboli is not an easy task. During the summer months of June-September, the daily ferry service from Naples takes around four hours (there is also an overnight ferry service that takes 10 hours). During the winter months, only the overnight ferry from Naples runs and only on Monday and Friday. Winter ferries are subject to cancellation due to rough seas.
During the winter, daily ferries leave Milazzo, Sicily for Stromboli every two hours (journey one-three hours). Consider flying to Palermo and taking the train to Milazzo or taking a train from Rome to Milazzo.
www.siremar.it
www.snav.it
www.usticalines.it
GETTING AROUND
There are no cars on the island so you will need to travel on foot or by Ape car or golf cart taxi service.
VOLCANO GUIDES
By law, visitors cannot trek closer than 400m to the crater without an authorised guide.
Magmatrek guides
tel: (+39) 09 0986 183 www.magmatrek.it
Guide Alpine Autorizzate
tel (+39) 09 0986 211
Nino Zerilli,
tel: (+39) 09 0986 263
WHERE TO EAT
Bar Ingrid
Via Michele Bianchi 1 Tel: (+39) 09 0986 385
Locanda di Barbablu Restaurant
(also has boutique hotel rooms) via V Emanuele 17
Tel: (+39) 09 0986 118 (Closed from November to February)
Pizzeria Punta Bronzo
Via Acquaro Antonino (with views of the crater) Tel: (+39) 09 0986 013
WHERE TO STAY
La Sirenetta Park Hotel
Via Marina 33 Stromboli Tel: (+39) 09 0986 025 info@lasirenettahotel.it
Hotel La Sciara
Via S Cincotta 18050 Stromboli Tel: (+39) 09 0986 004 info@lasciara.it
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