Private water taxi across the Aeolian Islands

Normally at the San Pietro jetty, the island's only harbour, where the hydrofoils also berth. It is a working quay, so the skipper comes alongside for the boarding window rather than staying moored; we confirm the meeting point and time by message the evening before. If you are staying towards Ditella or Drauto and the sea is calm, a tender pick-up from the beach can be arranged instead.

On paper the hydrofoil is quick, but it runs on a fixed timetable with intermediate stops and you have to build the whole day around it. Panarea to Stromboli takes roughly forty minutes direct in our boats, at the hour you choose, with luggage handled for you. The real gain is in the evening: after the sunset eruption viewing off the Sciara del Fuoco there is no scheduled service left to bring you back, and the same applies to a late return from Salina to Panarea.

Yes — the classic run is to leave Panarea in the late afternoon, arrive off the northwest flank of Stromboli around sunset and hold position at a safe distance from the Sciara del Fuoco while the volcano works. Access is governed by the Lipari harbour authority and the exclusion limits change with volcanic activity, so the skipper follows the ordinance in force on the day.

Yes. The Aeolian Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site and much of the seabed is protected seagrass. We anchor only on sand at the recognised anchorages — Cala Junco, Cala Zimmari, the lee of Basiluzzo — and stay clear of the posidonia beds, and the crew follows the local marine ordinances on speed and distance from shore. It changes nothing to your day except where the boat stops, and it is the reason those anchorages are still worth swimming in.

The archipelago is exposed. A summer maestrale from the northwest builds a short chop in the afternoon, and an autumn scirocco from the southeast can make the eastern landings uncomfortable. The skipper decides in the morning, and if the crossing is not safe or not pleasant we reschedule or refund rather than sail it. Long crossings towards Sorrento, Capri or the Amalfi Coast are weather-dependent by nature, are run with a larger fast boat rather than the island tender, and are always confirmed the day before.

For up to ten guests, soft bags are ideal and standard suitcases are fine on a normal transfer. Tell us the count when booking: on the Aeolian quays the boarding window is short, and knowing the load in advance lets the crew plan the stop at San Pietro, Scari or Santa Marina properly.