Not far from the Sicilian coast lies Salina, the second largest island in the Aeolian archipelago. The small volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea is known for its landscape, beautiful nature and a few tranquil villages. Largely spared from tourism, Salina is considered a special place of peace and bears the beautiful title “Isola Slow”.
Salina – The Green Island
Traditionally, Salina is vitiated and capers have also been grown on the small island since time immemorial. More than 30 years ago, the island was placed under nature conservation. The great special feature of Salina is the sustainable tourism concept, because there are no bed castles on the idyllic island and are not planned. Rather, the focus is on preserving the natural beauty and appealing to nature-loving tourists who want to escape the stressful everyday life.
Enjoy with all your senses
Exploring Salina is a special experience, because the green island landscape invites you to long hikes. The landscape is characterized by two volcanoes, whose slopes are now densely overgrown, because the volcanic soil is particularly fertile and ideal for viticulture and agriculture. The lack of beaches makes the island uninteresting for typical beach vacationers, but for nature lovers and those in need of peace and quiet, the island is a paradise. If you still want to enjoy a little cooling in the sea after a hike, you can visit a small swimming strip between Rinella and Lingua.
But the charm of the island lies in the fact that you can see, feel and even smell the beautiful nature here. Dreamlike avenues of acacia trees attract visitors to Salina, as do the fishing ports of Santa Marina and Rinella, which are located on the steeply sloping coast and are one of the few villages on the island. If you spend a few days on Salina, you will find that you can also taste nature, because the island’s cuisine relies on the local food, so that the dishes are particularly tasty.
Deceleration – not a conscious decision on Salina
There are hardly any cars on Salina, because both the locals and the tourists rely on scooters or walk. It is remarkable that everything happens more slowly on Salina. Even if the women perform at their best during the caper harvest, for example, they still seem calm and balanced.
However, a lot of patience is required during processing and so the calm heartbeat of the island embraces both the locals and the visitors. Everything is quiet on Salina and there is no noise in the few villages, only the church bells are a bit louder. The pilgrimage church of Madonna del Terzito is also a place of peace and contemplation. It is considered the oldest Marian sanctuary in the archipelago was built on the foundations of a Roman temple.
Visitors can enjoy absolute peace and quiet on the way to the volcanic craters of the volcanoes Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri. But hikes also seem to be a little slower on Salina, because again and again beautiful places invite you to linger.
