A Hike Into the Heart of Fire: My Day Trip to Volcano Island in the Aeolian Islands

There’s something about living in Italy that teaches you to slow down, savor, and pay close attention to the world around you. While I was based on the island of Lipari, one of the jewels of the Aeolian Islands, I had the opportunity to take a day trip that was nothing short of surreal—a hike up the active volcano on Vulcano Island.

Yes, Vulcano. That’s not just a nickname or poetic license—it’s the actual name of the island, and it’s where the word volcano originates. The Romans believed this steaming island was the chimney of Vulcan, the god of fire and metalworking. Standing at the crater's rim, breathing in the sharp, eggy scent of sulfur, watching smoke billow from deep within the earth—I understood exactly why.