Stromboli has three souls at least. There is the island, with all that it represents to be in the middle of the sea and surrounded by the sea, especially in the evening, when the last hydrofoil from Stromboli leaves. There is the sea, precisely: the crystalline water of the Aeolian islands, the beach that changes light and atmosphere from morning until evening, the breeze and the scent of the salt that reaches everywhere. And then there is Iddu, Stromboli, the guardian of the island, who has always been stationary yet in constant motion. A giant with whom the inhabitants of Stromboli have always dealt, as we have seen here.
How do you get on Stromboli?
First of all, it is necessary to make use of an expert guide, who can be booked on site or by asking the staff of the Hotel Ossidiana in Stromboli as soon as they arrive on the island. To get to the top of the crater it takes about three hours, the walk is not particularly difficult but it is obviously necessary to be prepared both physically, with good trekking equipment, and mentally.
Why mentally? Because the show will be unique and at some point, especially in the climbs of the late afternoon, with the clear panorama, the sea opens in front of your eyes in all its enormity, the sky that seems much closer to the heads and the explosive activity of Stromboli which can be seen a few meters away. Nobody says a word for a few moments: it is not fatigue - that is forgotten in a moment as soon as you reach the top - it is the unique, unrepeatable amazement.
The descent to the sea
Once full of beauty and energy that Stromboli gives, the descent to the center of the island from where you started begins. From 918 meters to sea level crossing a path covered with volcanic ash. For about two and a half hours (the duration of the descent) it will be like walking on the moon, and the third soul of Stromboli, that active and majestic volcano, still changes shape.