Located in the bluest sea of the peninsula, a pyramid of land rises upwards almost wanting to approach God. It is known as the island of Erica or the island of a thousand steps, it is Alicudi. The most curious and fascinating of the Aeolian Islands. It has less than a hundred inhabitants and is perhaps the only real place left intact and not affected by modernity. No roads, no street lights. Only the moon and the stars illuminate the paths at night.

A leap into the past, to realize what the world was like before phones and technology, where you are listening to the wind and scrutiny the horizon. The beaches of the island are pebbles and rocks and the winter swells make them go back or advance, sometimes leaving a few flaps of dark kidney.

Once you arrive exclusively by sea, riding the donkeys or with a good pair of shoes, you can go into the discovery of the island and what can offer, its smells and its fruits. The island is dominated by Monte Filo dell'Arpa, located 675 meters above sea level that can be reached from the path that passes through the church of San Bartolo, passing through landscapes surrounded by greenery, heather plants and prickly pears. From Filo dell'Arpa you can easily get to the valley of Sciara dell'Arpa, an inlet crossed by lava that dropped to the sea from the old volcano now inactive for centuries.

Another natural wonder not to be missed is the Rock of the Galera in the western part of the island that is carried as a sword from the sea to the coast. It looks like the head of a dragon because of the conformity of the rocks that make it almost scaly and that will surely stimulate the imagination of the little ones. The Scoglio Galera is very well seen by sea so a tour of the island on a boat or a canoe is suggested.

Continue towards Punta Roccazza where skiing ends (from the plural “sciarì” in Sicilian that are indicating the landslides) arriving at the Scalo Vecchio where the sailors sheltered the boats from the wind of Tramontana.

It is impossible not to visit the Perciato Rock, a beautiful natural arch crossed in the rock that makes the island a suggestive agrave; incredible. As Alicudi is a very ancient and easy 'prey' island of pirates and privateers, when they docked for their slides, women and children took refuge in a craggy area, a sort of natural fort, called the Timpano delle Femmine.

On the island there is only one restaurant, which offers typical Aeolian dishes including the delicious spaghetti tomato, capers and tuna.