By law, the cone of the volcano, Gran Cratere, can be visited only with a guide. Guide Alpine Autorizzate (tel. 090-986211) charges 20€ per person and leads groups on the 3-hour one-way trip up the mountain, leaving at 5pm and returning at 11pm. (I don't recommend taking the trip during the day -- it's far less dramatic then.) The trip down takes only 2 hours, but you're allowed an hour at the rim. About halfway up is a view of the Sciara del Fuoco, which at night glows a fiery red.
Climbing the volcano is the big deal here; otherwise, there isn't much to see in town. Film buffs can follow Via Vittorio Emanuele to the Chiesa di San Vincenzo, a church so unremarkable it barely merits a visit. However, just two doors down on the right, near the Locanda del Barbablu, is the little pink house where Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini "lived in sin" during the filming of the 1950 flick Stromboli. The house can be viewed only from the outside.
On the northeast coast is a striking rock, Strombolicchio, a steep basalt block measuring 43m (141 ft.). It is reached by climbing steps hewn out of rock. Once at the top, you'll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the Aeolians, and on a clear day you can see as far as Calabria on the Italian mainland.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
