Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lipari has been inhabited for some 6000 years. The island was settled in the 4th millen-
nium BC by Sicily's first known inhabitants, the Stentillenians, who developed a flourish-
ing economy based on obsidian, a glassy volcanic rock. Commerce subsequently attracted
the Greeks, who used the islands as ports on the east-west trade route, and pirates such as
Barbarossa (or Redbeard), who sacked the city in 1544.
Lipari's two harbours, Marina Lunga (where ferries and hydrofoils dock) and Marina
Corta (700m south, used by smaller boats) are linked by a bustling main street, Corso Vit-
torio Emanuele, flanked by shops, restaurants and bars. Overlooking the colourful snake
of day trippers is Lipari's clifftop citadel, surrounded by 16th-century walls.
Sights & Activities
Museo Archeologico
Regionale Eoliano
( 090 988 01 74; www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/museolipari ; Castello di Lipari; adult/18-25yr/EU
under 18yr & over 65yr €6/3/free; 9am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) A must-see for lov-
ers of Mediterranean history, Lipari's archaeological museum boasts one of Europe's
finest collections of ancient finds. Especially worthwhile are the Sezione Preistorica , de-
voted to locally discovered artefacts from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to the Graeco -
Roman era, and the Sezione Classica , whose highlights include ancient shipwreck cargoes
and the world's largest collection of Greek theatrical masks.
Other sections worth a quick look are the Sezione Epigrafica (Epigraphic Section), which
has a small garden littered with engraved stones and a room of Greek and Roman tombs;
and the Sezione Vulcanologica (Vulcanology Section), which illustrates the Aeolians' volcan-
ic geology.
MUSEUM
Quattrocchi
Lipari's best views are from a celebrated view point known as Quattrocchi (Four Eyes),
3km west of town. Climb the main road towards Pianoconte and watch for a sensational
coastal panorama unfolding to the south: great, grey cliffs plunge into the sea, while in the
distance plumes of sinister smoke rise from the dark heights of neighbouring Vulcano.
VIEW POINT
Spiaggia Valle i Muria
This dark, pebbly beach on the southwestern shore, lapped by clean waters and surroun-
ded by dramatic cliffs, is one of Lipari's best swimming and sunbathing spots. The
BEACH
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