General Information/Map

Map of Panarea

Known as the island of VIP, Panarea is actually a little paradise in the Mediterranean. It is the smallest island of the Aeolian archipelago and it is surrounded by the islets of Basiluzzo, Spinazzola, Lisca Bianca, Dattilo, Bottaro, Lisca Nera and by the rocks of Panarelli and of Formiche.

The center of the island lies in the village of San Pietro where there is also located the port. At the north-east of the island there is the another village Ditella and at the south-west there is Drauto. The south-east cost of Panarea is characterized by small beaches and vast flatlands while the north-west part of the island has high and uneven coasts.

Its blue and white houses, its narrow streets passable only by machines and electrical motors and its wonderful sea, make Panarea a very popular tourist destination. On the island there are many clubs and discos, and for this reason it is mostly frequented by young people.

In summer in the sea around Panarea moor (ormeggiano) hundreds of boats and luxury yachts and the island is filled with tourists.

To admire its beauty, we recommend you get around by foot or use the efficient taxi service. Panarea is also known to be the most expensive island of the Aeolian archipelago.

Getting there

Panarea is connected to the other islands of the archipelago and to the mainland by ferries and hydrofoils. For more information see the article of the Aeolian Islands in general.

Must see

Tour of the island by foot:

Departing from the port of the island you can see the many shops of the center and observe the many bars and discos that at night are filled with young people. Moving toward Drauto, through the typical streets of the island, you reach a first bay called Cala Zimmari characterized by a beach of dark sand and a calm sea.

Continuing on you come to Cala Junco – a beautiful beach with an amazing seaside – and then to  Capo Milazzese, that is an enchanting promontory on which it was found a prehistoric settlement from the Bronze Age.

In the northeast of the island, near the beach of the Calcara, you can see the vapors of fumarole that escape from fissures in the rock, sign of the volcanic origin of the island.

At Panarea there are also present some paths of the CAI (Italian Alpine club) that lead you to the top of  the island and to the Calcara.

Tour of the island by boat:

Absolutely not miss boat trips that are organized with departures from Panarea and also from the other islands. During these trips, the boat stops at various points of the island to allow tourists to dive into its beautiful turquoise waters.

They come close to other islands and reefs that surrounding the island and lead to see the underwater fumaroles – which are open after the earthquake of 2002 near the small island of Lisca Bianca – and the Cave of Lovers.

On some reefs and islets can be identified some rocks that was modeled by the sea and wind, and have taken special forms like the famous Finger of Aeolus, a wolf and an eagle.

In the water of Panarea and of its surrounding islets, it’s possibile do unforgettable dives.

Panarea by night:

At the sundown nightclubs and clubs are opened and attract young people even from other islands (the most famous nightclub is Raya). In fact, even from Lipari, depart at night many hydrofoils that take tourists to Panarea and then returns to resume at dawn.

Where to stay

The accommodations in Panarea are mostly luxurious and therefore expensive. If you want to save money, we recommend to stay in Lipari and reach Panarea  by hydrofoil.

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Restaurants/Typical cuisine

In the center of Panarea there are many bars and restaurants, which are also more expensive than the other islands. For more information see the article about the typical cuisine of the Aeolian Islands.

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Shopping

See the article of the Aeolian Islands in general.

Links

On the website of the Municipality of Lipari, in the “Tourism Section”, you’ll find all the information about the island.