Salina is the island that the Aeolian archipelago keeps for those who have been to Lipari and want something quieter. The second largest of the seven islands, it is also the greenest the twin volcanic peaks of Monte dei Porri (860 metres) and Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 metres, the highest point in the Aeolian Islands) trap the moisture from the sea winds and produce a landscape of vineyards, capers, lemon groves and forest that is entirely different in character from the volcanic black of Stromboli or the pumice white of Lipari. Salina produces the finest Malvasia delle Lipari in the archipelago, the finest Aeolian capers and the specific atmosphere of an island that has remained agricultural and residential in a way that the more tourist-developed neighbours have not.
Salina is also the island where Michael Radford filmed Il Postino (1994) the film about Pablo Neruda’s friendship with a Sicilian postman during his exile on a fictional island, which was filmed entirely on Salina and which gave the island a specific cinematic identity that persists in the literary and film-aware travel community.
In this guide
- Malvasia wine the essential Salina experience
- Salina capers
- Pollara the most dramatic beach in the Aeolian Islands
- Il Postino filming locations
- Hiking the twin peaks
- Lingua the lagoon village
- Boat tour around the island
- What to eat and drink on Salina
- Getting to Salina
- Practical tips
- FAQ
Salina quick facts
- Size: 26.4 square kilometres second largest Aeolian Island
- Population: Approximately 2,500 permanent residents
- Highest point: Monte Fossa delle Felci, 962 metres highest in the Aeolian Islands
- Getting there: Hydrofoil from Milazzo (1 hour 30 minutes) or from Lipari (25 minutes)
- Don’t miss: Malvasia tasting at a producer, Pollara beach, Il Postino locations, the caper harvest (June to August)
- Best for: Wine tourism, walking, beach, quiet island atmosphere, Il Postino fans
- Best season: May to October; wine harvest September, caper harvest June to August
Malvasia Wine the Essential Salina Experience
The Malvasia delle Lipari DOC is the wine that made Salina’s international reputation. Made from the Zibibbo grape (the Sicilian name for the Muscat of Alexandria, brought to the islands by the Phoenicians or the Arabs), dried in the sun after harvest to concentrate the sugars and aromatic compounds, then fermented to produce a sweet amber wine of extraordinary fragrance orange blossom, apricot, honey, with the specific volcanic mineral note that the Aeolian basalt soil imparts the Malvasia is one of the finest dessert wines produced in Italy and the beverage most associated with the Salina experience.
The three producers most worth visiting for tasting: Hauner (the reference producer, whose estate at Santa Marina covers the principal Malvasia vineyards on the eastern slope), Caravaglio (a smaller family operation at Malfa on the northern coast, producing a Malvasia with a specific citrus intensity from the north-facing vine exposure) and Colosi (at Lingua on the southern tip, with a panoramic terrace tasting room overlooking the lagoon). All three accept visitors by arrangement; the cellar visits at Hauner in particular provide the most complete understanding of the Malvasia production process the drying racks where the Zibibbo clusters lose 30 to 40 percent of their water weight in the September sun, the fermentation in the specific conditions that preserve the aromatic compound concentration.
The correct way to drink Malvasia on Salina: at sunset, on a terrace, with the granita di mandorla from the Bar Alfredo in Lingua (see below) alongside it. This combination the cold granita and the warm sweet wine is the specific sensory experience that defines the Salina evening programme for those who know the island well. Read our complete Sicilian wines guide.
👉 SALINA MALVASIA WINE TASTING AND ISLAND TOUR
A guided tour of Salina combining a Malvasia producer visit and tasting, the caper harvest (seasonal), the Pollara beach viewpoint and the Il Postino filming locations the most complete single-day programme of the greenest Aeolian Island. Available from Lipari or Milazzo.
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Salina Capers
Salina capers the caper buds of the Capparis spinosa plant grown on the volcanic basalt terraces of the island are among the finest in the Aeolian Islands and are a significant agricultural product of the island economy. The caper plant grows on the dry volcanic walls and terraced slopes of the island in conditions that would challenge most cultivated plants; the volcanic soil and the low rainfall produce a caper bud of intense flavour and aromatic complexity that is preserved in sea salt in the traditional Aeolian manner. The caper harvest runs from June through August, when the buds are picked before dawn each morning by hand the plants close their buds in the heat of the day, meaning the window for harvesting is the cool early morning.
The caper terraces on the western slope of the island, visible from the road between Malfa and Pollara, are the finest agricultural landscape on Salina the grey-green caper plants cascading over the black basalt walls, the flowers (when the occasional bud is allowed to open) producing striking white and purple blooms. The caper products from Salina the buds in salt, the caper berries (the seed pods of the opened flowers), the caper leaves are available at the island’s food shops and directly from the smaller producers, at significantly lower prices than the mainland retail equivalents and at higher quality. Read our complete Aeolian Islands guide.
Pollara the Most Dramatic Beach in the Aeolian Islands
The Pollara beach, on the northwestern coast of Salina below the village of Pollara, is the most dramatic single beach landscape in the Aeolian Islands a black pebble beach enclosed within the caldera of an ancient submarine volcano, with the crater walls rising steeply on three sides and the open sea providing the fourth. The caldera formation creates a bowl of extraordinary geological character: the semicircular cliff face above the beach, the specific enclosed atmosphere of the cove, the view from the beach back up to the village of Pollara on the crater rim above.
The beach is accessible by a steep path (approximately 15 minutes each way) from the road at the crater rim no vehicles can reach it. The descent is straightforward but requires appropriate footwear. At the bottom, the pebble beach has no facilities; bring everything needed for the day including water and food. The swimming is in a natural caldera pool, sheltered from the open sea by the crater formation and with the specific deep blue of the open Tyrrhenian visible through the caldera opening. The view back from the sea to the caldera wall above the beach the specific volcanic architecture of the ancient submarine crater is one of the most photographically distinctive landscapes in the Sicilian islands. The Pollara beach was used as a filming location for Il Postino.
Il Postino Filming Locations
Michael Radford’s Il Postino (1994) the film about Pablo Neruda’s friendship with a Sicilian postman during his political exile, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and was nominated for Best Picture was filmed entirely on Salina. The island stood in for the fictional island of Cala di Sotto on which the story is set; the specific Salina locations used in the film are identifiable and visitable.
The primary filming locations: the road and harbour area of Santa Marina Salina (where the postman Mario cycles on his rounds), the village of Pollara (where the Neruda house exterior and the beach scenes were filmed the same caldera beach described above), the path between Pollara and the crater rim (the scenes of Mario’s bicycle journey through the volcanic landscape) and the beach below the village where Massimo Troisi’s final scenes were filmed. Troisi, the Italian comic actor who played Mario, was suffering from severe heart disease during filming; he died of a heart attack 12 hours after the final day of shooting. The film’s specific emotional weight is amplified by this biographical context, and many visitors to the Salina filming locations carry an awareness of it that gives the landscape a particular quality.
The Bar da Alfredo in Lingua (see below) appears in the film; it remains the most cited specific destination for Il Postino visitors to Salina.
Hiking the Twin Peaks
The twin peaks of Salina Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 metres, the highest point in the Aeolian Islands) and Monte dei Porri (860 metres) provide the finest elevated landscape programme available on the island. The ascent of Monte Fossa delle Felci from the Valdichiesa sanctuary (the most common starting point, at approximately 500 metres) takes 1 to 1.5 hours; the summit view covers the complete Aeolian archipelago on clear days all seven islands visible simultaneously from above, with the Sicilian and Calabrian coasts framing the horizon beyond. The trail passes through the fern forest (the “Fossa delle Felci” the fern hollow that gives the peak its name) of the upper slopes, one of the most unusual forest environments on the volcanic islands.
Monte dei Porri on the western slope is accessible from the Malfa-Pollara road and provides the finest elevated view of the Pollara caldera the extraordinary bowl of the ancient submarine volcano visible from above, the beach far below and the open sea beyond the caldera mouth. The two peak hikes can be combined in a full-day programme; the trail connecting the two summits traverses the ridge between them through the forest. Read our complete hiking in Sicily guide.
Lingua the Lagoon Village
Lingua is the village at the southern tip of Salina the settlement beside the salt lagoon from which the island takes its name (Salina, from the Latin for salt works). The lagoon, now a protected natural area and a migratory bird habitat, is separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land on which the village stands. The lagoon view from the village promenade the still shallow water, the salt-tolerant vegetation, the occasional flamingos and herons provides the most specifically natural landscape on the island and the finest evening walking programme.
Bar da Alfredo on the Lingua waterfront is the most famous food establishment on Salina a granita bar that has been producing what many consider the finest granita in the Aeolian Islands since 1958. The granita di fichi d’India (prickly pear cactus fruit) is the house speciality and the most specifically Aeolian flavour available; the almond and lemon versions are equally accomplished. The specific Alfredo formula a colder, slightly more crystalline granita than the mainland Sicilian standard, served with a generous brioche in the Messinese tradition is worth the ferry crossing from Lipari alone. Read our complete granita siciliana guide.
Boat Tour Around the Island
The boat tour circumnavigating Salina provides the finest perspective on the island’s volcanic geology and the Aeolian landscape the sea caves on the western coast, the Pollara caldera visible from the sea (the most complete view of the volcanic bowl from the water), the submarine fumaroles in the channel between Salina and the uninhabited islet of Salina Nord, and the swimming stops in the marine protected area waters on the northern coast. The water clarity around Salina is among the finest in the Aeolian chain and the underwater marine life particularly in the north-facing sea caves is exceptional. Half-day boat tours depart from Santa Marina and Rinella. Read our complete Sicily boat tours guide.
What to Eat and Drink on Salina
The Salina food programme is built around the three specific products of the island’s agricultural tradition: the Malvasia wine, the capers and the specifically Aeolian seafood (the swordfish and tuna from the inter-island channels, the locally caught fish prepared with the island’s own capers and olive oil). The pesto eoliano tomatoes, capers, olives, oregano and Aeolian olive oil appears on every restaurant menu on the island and is the most specific Salina pasta sauce.
Bar da Alfredo in Lingua is the essential food stop for the granita di fichi d’India; at lunch the same establishment serves a broad food programme including the typical Aeolian antipasto of preserved fish and caper preparations. For dinner, the restaurants of Santa Marina and Malfa serve the Aeolian kitchen at standards that reflect the quality of the island’s own ingredients. I Pinnau at Malfa, with its terrace above the northern coast, is the most consistently cited Salina restaurant for both the food quality and the atmospheric position the view of Lipari and Vulcano across the channel from the dinner table, with the Stromboli glow visible on clear nights further north, provides the most compositionally complete version of the Aeolian Islands dinner experience.
Getting to Salina
Salina is accessible by Liberty Lines hydrofoil from Milazzo (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes) or from Lipari (approximately 25 minutes). The island has two ports Santa Marina Salina on the eastern coast and Rinella on the southern coast; most services arrive at Santa Marina. In summer, inter-island hydrofoils connect Salina to all other Aeolian Islands. In winter, the service frequency reduces but the connection to Lipari and Milazzo is maintained daily. Read our complete Milazzo guide.
👉 RENT A CAR
To reach Milazzo for the Salina hydrofoil, a rental car from Catania or Messina airport is the most practical option. Compare prices on DiscoverCars. Leave the car at Milazzo port parking and take the hydrofoil to Salina the island has its own local bus and scooter hire for getting around.
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Practical Tips for Salina
Salina is the most self-sufficient of the Aeolian Islands for an extended stay the agricultural character of the island means that fresh produce, local wine and the island’s own food products are available at levels unavailable on the smaller, more resort-oriented islands. For visitors who want to stay more than 2 nights on a single Aeolian Island, Salina provides the most complete programme: hiking, wine, beach, film tourism and the specific agricultural atmosphere of the caper and Malvasia harvest season.
Accommodation on Salina is concentrated in Santa Marina Salina, Malfa and Lingua. Book well in advance for July and August; May, June and September have better availability and significantly lower prices. The island’s small hotels and B&Bs are almost entirely family-run and provide the specific character of Aeolian hospitality that the larger Lipari establishments cannot always replicate.
Getting around Salina: a local bus service connects the main villages; scooter and bicycle hire is available at Santa Marina and Malfa. The distances are manageable on two wheels for those comfortable with the Aeolian hill roads. The Pollara path descent requires going on foot no vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions about Salina
Is Salina worth visiting?
Yes Salina is the finest base for visitors who want the complete Aeolian Islands experience with a quieter and more agricultural character than Lipari. The Malvasia wine, the capers, the Pollara caldera beach, the hiking programme and the Il Postino filming locations provide a programme that is entirely specific to the island and unavailable elsewhere in the archipelago.
Where was Il Postino filmed?
Il Postino (1994) was filmed entirely on Salina. The primary locations include the harbour and road area of Santa Marina Salina, the village and beach of Pollara (the caldera beach), the Bar da Alfredo in Lingua and the paths and roads between the island’s villages. The Pollara beach is the most commonly visited filming location.
How do you get from Lipari to Salina?
By Liberty Lines hydrofoil approximately 25 minutes from Lipari to Santa Marina Salina. Services run several times daily in summer; in winter, 2 to 3 times daily. The hydrofoil ticket costs approximately €8 to €12 depending on the season.
The Island That Kept Its Character
Salina’s specific quality is that it remained agricultural when the rest of the Aeolian Islands were becoming resort destinations. The vineyards that produce the Malvasia, the caper terraces, the twin volcanic peaks covered in forest, the lagoon at Lingua with its flamingos these are not preserved for visitors; they are what Salina does. The island’s 2,500 permanent residents are farmers and fishermen as much as hoteliers and restaurant owners, and the specific character of a working agricultural island in the Tyrrhenian Sea is what gives Salina the atmosphere that the more polished Aeolian islands have partially lost. Il Postino was filmed here because the landscape had the quality that Radford needed: genuine, unhurried, specific. Thirty years later, it still does.
For the complete Aeolian Islands picture, read our Aeolian Islands guide, our Lipari guide and our Stromboli guide.
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