The water of the Mediterranean Sea has always sparked the imagination of writers and so have the islands that inhabit them. Stories of mermaids and sirens, gods and goddesses, can be found on every one of islands that surround the ?boot? known as Italy. The Eolie Islands are no exception.

Named after Aeolus, lord of the winds in Odyssey Book 7, the Eolie Islands lay North of Sicily. The ten islands, three inhabited, seven uninhabited, form an archipelago of volcanic origins. The largest island, Lipari, contains most of the important sites to be seen. Capers are one of the island chains biggest exports as well as the prestigious Mavasia wine of the island of Salina. The island Vulcano sports black sand beaches and the volcano on Stromboli is still active today. Monte Pilato, a volcano on Lipari, is also considered active even though it has not erupted since the 4th or 5th century.

Lipari was settled by the Cnidian in 580 BC, naming the island chain after Aeolus due to the winds that seem to whip around them. They constructed sanctuaries to Demeter and Persephone on the islands and remained there in peace until 260 BC when war broke out across the islands between Carthage and Rome. The islands were all uninhabited for a period of time in the 1500s and then repopulated by residents of Italy, Sicily and Spain.

Tourists to this volcanic archipelago chain can reach it via ferry or hydrofoil and can stay a luxury hotels scattered about the seven inhabited islands. There are also apartments and rooms for rent on the islands and the hospitality is a mix of rustic simplicity and refinement. The typical food on the island is fish and crustacean served in aromatic herbs, capers and mint. Tomatoes, raisins, almonds, and wine are also high on the menu of the many restaurants you will find nestled in these islands.

Each of the islands has their own unique tourist attractions. Starting with Lipari, the visitor will find a castle on the oldest part of the island that surrounds a primitive village that dates back to as early as the 4th century BC. There is a Norman built cathedral there and the town has developed around it. There is also an archeological museum there with artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age. Pumice caves and black and white sand beaches finish off the beauty of the island. Lipari also has the Aeolian Museum which holds artifacts of the chain's geology.

The island of Vulcano offer excursions to the sand beaches and the great crater as well as underwater hot springs and natural mud. Salina, the second largest island in the chain ? and also the greenest ? offers tourists must sees of Punta Perciatu, Pollara, and Lake Lingua, as well as the salt flats that gave it its name and the many vineyards. Stromboli still has an active volcano in its midst and occasionally the lucky tourist will get to see incandescent lava and lapilli, as well the black rock and beaches. Panarea is the most fashionable of the islands and it wouldn't be surprising to find someone famous sunning on the beach.

It is suggested that visitors to the islands book a guided tour so that they get to see the beautiful islands in their entirety and be able to see the many grottos and other wonders they have to offer.