DUFOUR CATAMARAN 48 | PARIS (DUFOUR CATAMARAN 48)

Our tour starts from Lipari, where from 18:00 on Saturday you can embark at the 'Eol Mare' jetty. Once settled into your cabin, a short organisational briefing with the skipper will give you the chance to familiarise yourself with the boat and the crew and to get to know the itinerary for the week... And then it's off to the village to enjoy the first evening! You will dine ashore in a typical Liparota restaurant to enjoy excellent Sicilian cuisine. After dinner, you will be free to visit the old town and enjoy a stroll to Marina Corta, with its shops and live music venues and Sicilian specialities... granitas, cannoli and cassatas! Night on board, moored and cradled in the Buona Fonda.

On Sunday morning we cast off the moorings, perhaps after having had a typical breakfast of granita and brioche, and start sailing. We will head straight for the Pumice Quarries (about 30 minutes from the start), a unique place for the turquoise colour of the waters and the dazzling white of the pumice sand... here the first swim is a must! We will continue our navigation, heading for the island of Panarea, the most 'chic', frivolous and holiday-loving of the seven, the 'Capri of the Aeolian Islands'. We will make our first anchorage on the sand at Cala Zimmari, the perfect setting for venturing with mask and fins into the crystal-clear waters. In the late afternoon, we will decide whether to stop here for the night or move to the Dattilo rock in front of the village. The most suggestive moment is at dusk, when the islands show themselves in all their beauty, illuminated by an incomparable variety of colours and shades. As always, there are those who enjoy the sunset while waiting to dine under the stars, and those who can't resist visiting the island for a stroll through the white alleyways. Then we all meet up at Raya, a club and discotheque with one of the most beautiful terraces on the island. Here we will enjoy a good apéritif in the dim lights, admiring the Stromboli, restlessly puffing on the horizon.

Monday morning will be the turn of Liscia Bianca. This anchorage is a 'must see stop' in the Aeolian Islands, not only for snorkelling, but also for solfataras. Another extraordinarily beautiful spot in front of Panarea is Basiluzzo, the largest of the islets of this small archipelago, surrounded by a deep blue sea. After bathing in the sulphurous waters of Panarea, you will head for Stromboli, or 'IDDU': Europe's most active volcano, unmistakable for its conical shape and the cloud of black smoke that hovers almost perpetually at its summit. It will be the tongue of black beach at the foot of the village of San Vincenzo that will host us in the roadstead so that we can go ashore and visit the village, where it will be pleasant to meet on the terrace of the Ingrid Bar for an apéritif together. Dinner will be by boat and, if you wish, it will be possible to circumnavigate the island to admire the spectacle of the 'Sciara del Fuoco' after sunset, perhaps enjoying an arancino bought in a typical island rotisserie.

Salina: the largest of the islands and the green heart of the Aeolian Islands, thanks to its extraordinary and incomparable variety of landscapes. The morning and lunch will be devoted to the Bay of Pollara, over which looms a mighty rocky amphitheatre overhanging the sea: nothing but what remains of the ancient mouth of an immense crater, once smoothed by fire, now by the sea. In the afternoon, we will sail to the beautiful village of Santa Marina. After a swim, we will get ready to visit the village, coloured by caper flowers and enhanced by the fruity taste of Malvasia (for those who wish, it will be possible to visit one of the island's many wine cellars). You will be able to return to the boat for dinner or, for those with a sweet tooth, it will be the perfect time to drop in at Lingua, where 'pane cunzatu' and granita at Alfredo's await you! Night at anchor.

On Wednesday morning we will sail to Filicudi, perhaps the most 'mystical' island in the archipelago, alone and lost in a blue sea, coastline and seabed untouched in every glimpse... If we are lucky, we will have the chance to spot some dolphins or turtles! A swim at Punta Graziano and then continue on to Pecorini a Mare, a fishing village where the Saloon will be waiting for us in the evening: the legendary place that awaits us yachtsmen with its delicious Malvasia accompanied by Sicilian appetizers prepared by the ladies of the village, to be savoured while sharing chats and laughter under the stars.

On Thursday morning, as soon as we wake up, we have breakfast and head for the west coast of Filicudi to take a closer look at "La Canna", a rock formation of an eruptive nature that rises out of nowhere in the blue sea, reaching a height of around 74 metres. After a swim in this splendid sea, we set sail for Vulcano, Ponente Bay, to prepare ourselves for an eventful evening in the village or, if you are more of a calm and restful person, for a nice evening in the sheltered bay waiting for one of the most evocative sunsets in the Aeolian Islands.

The day has unfortunately arrived to return to Lipari... but the day is long and the cruise is not over yet! For those who want to, the morning is the ideal memento to go up the Vulcano or, for the sweet tooth, breakfast with granita and brioche at Remigio's gives great satisfaction! All set, we will move to the south side of Vulcano after admiring the Grotte del Cavallo, where there are two beautiful bays: Baia di Gelso and Baia della spiaggia del Cannitello, also with black sand. In the Baia di Gelso you can have lunch at the famous 'da Pina' restaurant. In the Baia della spiaggia del Cannitello a bar is open for a happy hour on the beach accompanied by dancing music. A last sunset swim in the shadow of the Faraglioni of Lipari is a fitting conclusion to this wonderful week spent together. Back in port, we will console ourselves with an excellent dinner all together in one of Lipari's best restaurants... with the wonderful emotions we experienced together among the islands of Aeolus in our eyes, minds and hearts.

Disembarkation will take place on Saturday morning by 9 a.m.