Imagine a smoking volcano as a child would design it. This is how the outline of Stromboli looks, when you see it emerging from the sea. For many it remains the most fascinating of the Aeolian Islands, which can be explored with a day trip, but its atmosphere should be experienced at least for a couple of days so as to be fully appreciated. Slow rhythms, romantic charm, primordial nature: all that bewitched Roberto Rossellini in the 1949 film Stromboli (Land of God) with Ingrid Bergman. You will remain enchanted by this land that seems to emerge from the past, without roads crossing the island and with only one inhabited settlement in the north-eastern corner of the island. For nature lovers it is a priceless experience to visit Stromboli, with its black beaches at the north coast, the most beautiful of all the archipelago (the most accessible is Ficogrande), and a trekking trail on the crater of the Stromboli, reachable only when you are accompanied by a guide (apart from the first 400 meters of ascent that can be trekked independently). The excursions leave every day in the afternoon, so as to reach the peak at sunset and observe the lava explosions (which take place roughly every 20 minutes). Here you feel like you are inside of a fire, but you can admire the same view by taking just an hour’s walk and reaching the panoramic point of Sciara del Fuoco (the black lava strip along the north side of the volcano). Following this path before dawn is a unique experience, and you will feel like you have the volcano all for yourself.