SamuelFilicudi is an island in the south Italian archipelago of Aeolian Islands, or Isole Eolie in the native language. Similar to the other Aeolian Islands, Filicudi was also formed from past volcanic activity.
Visitors will find a sense of tranquility in the island. There are only a few of small villages spread over the island with only a handful of locals. Life goes by quietly and slowly here, in one of the farthest reaches of Aeolian Islands. Even so, a day trip to this island was totally worth the time, where I could enjoy the feeling of seclusion, even just for a day.
This day trip to Filicudi was part of my island-hopping adventure in the Aeolian Islands. Check out also my other stories from this adventure in Stromboli, Panarea, Vulcano, and Salina.
Getting there
Just like to the other Aeolian Islands, boat is the only way to get to Filicudi. Owing to its low population number and outlying location, the boat services to Filicudi is rather limited.
From the island of Salina I myself took the morning onward journey to Filicudi and returned in the late afternoon. Services are also available from the more populated Vulcano and Lipari, and less frequently, from Milazzo in the north of Sicily.
The boats are all operated by Liberty Lines, which have a fleet of high speed catamarans, or aliscafo as it is called in Italian. The boat schedule and price can be found in its website, or in the booklet that can be obtained from their offices in each of Aeolian Islands’s dock.
Hiking in Filicudi
To go to Filicudi from Salina, I had checked the boat schedule earlier with the small booklet from Liberty Lines and timed my departure with the morning boat service. The boat docked at a small pier in the island, surrounded by few lodgings and cafes in the village of Filicudi Porto. I then took my morning caffeine dose and a croissant in a small seaside cafe.
You probably wondered, what is there to do in such a small island? Well, you can just relax by the sea waiting for the day to past. Other than that, there are not that many options besides hiking. Just like in Salina, this island is also criss-crossed by many hiking trails and I thoroughly enjoyed my walk there.
Walking through the hilly village of Filicudi, I started leaving the inhabited area as I ascended higher and higher. I rolled up my trousers to battle the heat and humidity.
A moment later, I spotted a rather strange looking object in the ground, resembling shed snake skin. My fear came true when later I spotted a black snake scrambled quickly to the bush next to the road. I immediately rolled down my trousers. Just a precaution.
The trail took me mostly through the side of a slope, directly overlooking the open sea down to the side. The village where I arrived could be seen in the distance. I just kept on walking without any particular destination.
A strange encounter in Filicudi
During the hike, I stumbled upon a young couple, accompanied by a local man with very tanned skin, burned by the Italian sun, sporting a pair of bright eyes. Upon seeing me, this man immediately said something in Italian while giving me a sign to follow him.
It struck me as rather strange as we were currently in a remote trail far from other people in a small island in the middle of the sea. But I thought, that young couple seemed fine and the girl appeared to be an Asian too. “He wouldn’t dare do anything strange”, I calmed myself, finally deciding to follow them.
Suddenly, popping out of nowhere in the midst of old houses that have fallen in disrepair, a small eatery. I was really dumbfounded, why would such a place be here. Who would dine here, I wondered. There was no road, only a small trail for hikers that we followed earlier.
The young couple and I sat down at the terrace of the small shack and the local man offered us drinks. Amazingly, he had a couple of ice cold beers for the three of us to enjoy in this warm day.
Then came the food, Pani Cunzatu, a typical Sicilian dish consisting of baked bread drenched in olive oil, served with other side dishes and toppings, such as tomato, salami, and cheese. Such a humble dish, but filling and tasty, served in the unlikeliest of locations.
We struck a conversation over the meal. I then found out that the guy was from Italy and the girl was Korean, visiting Filicudi on holiday. The Italian guy helped translating the local man, who apparently tried to revive the small eatery despite its remote setting, hoping on the influx of tourists to the island hiking through that route.
He told us about the difficulties in getting all the supplies from town, with manual labor without any vehicle. He even had to rely on a separate generator for electricity. As I made my way back to the pier to catch the afternoon boat back to Salina, I could only wish him luck on his endeavor, secretly hoping he would find success in this forgotten corner of Filicudi.
