Salina Guide

Forming one of the Aeolian group of islands, Salina lies just to the north of Sicily and is the second largest island in the archipelago. The island is divided into three distinct areas. Santa Marina which is on the eastern coast, Malfi in the north and Leni in the south west. With a history that can be traced back to the 4th century, Salina began as a Greek settlement which at the time was called Didyme, which is a Greek name that means "twins" in reference to the two mountains on the island. However, the island was inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age and since then has been developed and abandoned many times. The island is popular with visitors and one of the most popular sights is the salt lake at Lingua which was once the site for the production of sea salt, hence the name Salina ("salt mill" in Italian). Also popular attractions are the Roman tombs that are located on the slopes of Fossa and the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Terzito, located between Malfi and Leni. This is the religious centre of the island and attracts many pilgrims on the main feast day of July 23rd each year.

Salina has two ports, Santa Marina and Rinella, served by ferries and hydrofoils from Hydrofoil service is active from Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Messina and Milazzo.