Gelso beach on Vulcano Island-
You can reach Vulcano main harbour by ferry or hydrofoil form Naples or Milazzo (north coast, province of Messina)
There are 3 different overnight trains departing from Rome main train station (Termini) to Milazzo, and there are various flights from the main Italian cities to Catania, where a public or private coach can be hitched to Milazzo. Alternatively a flight can be taken to Reggio Calabria (southern tip of the Italian peninsula, followed by a hydrofoil trip from Reggio Calabria direct to Vulcano.
The house can be found on the extreme western strip of the populated coast of the island of Vulcano, which once was the agricultural and pastoral village of Gelso.
Today Gelso village is inhabited almost exclusively in the summer, when it becomes a centre of attraction for its evocative light house, typical restaurants, the extensive sandy beaches of black sand, and the tiny harbor (for small private boats and inflatables). At the horizon the North Coast of Sicily can be seen, where you can often recognize Etna, covered with snow at times, and yet smoking away.
Gelso can be reached by travelling 15 km south of the main harbor in Vulcano, along a secondary road with a beautiful scenic view. If you are not travelling on your own car, cars or scooters can be hired for a number of days at the main harbor. In the summer you will also find a daytime local bus service covering the route, 3 times daily (10.15, 11.35 and 16.30 at the cost of 2 euro 50).
Vulcano-Piano is another village worth a visit, only 7km away. It is made up of rural houses, farms with animals reared in freedom, farm-holidays, and typical restaurants.
The main harbour instead is a touristic area, with many different shops with typical products, supermarkets, banks, swimming pools with thermal waters, restaurants, hotels. From the harbour you can also board hydrofoils, larger boats, ships and ferries, or hire boats to reach the other closer Eolian islands, such as Salina, Lipari, or Panarea, or the further ones of Alicudi, Filicudi and Stromboli. At the harbour you can also join excursions to the crater of the volcano.
Life in the Gelso-area goes by slowly, sweetly as it used to once, alternating from leisurely swims off black-sanded beaches which can be reached by foot or via boat/inflatable, boat excursions, catching the sun lying on the beach or on the rocks, dinner at local restaurants in the village, visits to nearby farmhouses (offering local-product tasting), walks by the beach. Ideal for whoever wants to be ‘away form it all’.
