Aeolian Islands

To the north of Sicily of a vast underwater base is found a large underwater relief whose mountainous aspects that emerged from the sea in a remote age, as a result of land subsidence, form the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands, which covers an area of 115 sq km. Arranged along three immense volcanic fractures that intersect in the deep sea between Lipari, Salina and Panarea.
The archipelago of the Aeolian Islands, all of volcanic origin, includes Lipari (37.3 Km 2), Salina (26.4), Volcano (20.9), Stromboli (12.2), Filicudi (9.5), Alicudi (5.1) and Panarea (3.3); E-NE of the latter arise islets Basiluzzo (00:29), Lisca (0041), Dattilo (0028) and Bottaro (0007).

Lipari, Salina and Vulcano are the most central and the most next to each other, while Panarea and Stromboli (NE) and Filicudi and Alicudi (W) are more isolated and distant. The north and east, Stromboli, is 55 Km from Capo Vaticano (Calabria); the southernmost, Volcano, it is 20 from Calavà (Sicily). The Aeolian Islands are home to 9 Sites of Community Importance and Special Protection Area, in addition to some protected areas. Since 2000, they were declared "World Heritage" by UNESCO.