Ferry from Filicudi to Messina

Filicudi Guide

Filicudi is one of eight islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago and is located 30–50 km to the north east of the island of Sicily. The island has a few small villages including Valdichiesa and Pecorini Mare. The island is perhaps best known for the production of wine, olive oil, grain and vegetables. The island's highest point is Monte Fossa Felci which is 774 m above sea level and in the 1990's around three quarters of the island was declared a nature reserve.

Popular with scuba divers, the island has many underwater caves ready to be explored. The "Grotto del bue marino" ("Grotto of the Monk Seal") is not far from the "Rock of Canna" (Scaglia della Canna) and is especially popular with divers who are keen on underwater photography. Boats are needed and can easily be hired in the main port. The “Grotta dei Gamberi” ["Cave of crawfishes"] is inhabited by a considerable amount of small crawfishes, sponges, octopus, moray eels, red and black scorpion fish and groupers.

Ferries from Filicudi can be taken to Milazzo and Palermo.

Messina Guide

Messina is an Italian city and is sometimes referred to as 'the door of Sicily' and lies on the Strait of Messina in the north east of Sicily. The city's port has played an important role in the city's growth and fortunes and supports tourism for the city and surrounding area and is also home to commercial and military shipyards. Since 1548, Messina has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite and is also home to the University of Messina which was founded in 1548 by Ignatius of Loyola. A popular tourist attraction in the city is the 12th century cathedral which guards the remains of King Conrad who was ruler of Germany and Sicily during the 13th century. Following a huge earthquake in 1908 the cathedral had to be almost completely rebuilt between 1919-1920 and then again in 1943 following a fire that was caused by Allied bombing during the Second World War.

Ferry services from Messina operate to one of two ports in Calabria (Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria) or on a longer ferry ride to Salerno, just south of Naples.