Travel report: Bike and boat Lipari Islands - Sicily
From our guests Jutta and Hans-Werner
Jutta and Hans-Werner traveled the Mediterranean with the ship Sundial in June 2018. They loved our "bike and boat trip from Sicily to the Aeolian Islands"*. They sailed in crystal-clear waters to the volcanic islands to explore them by bike. They tell us about their impressions of this multifaceted trip.
*This trip is no longer available, but we invite you to discover our exciting new alternative:
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We were absolutely thrilled by the experience with its varied moments, strong impressions, the alternation of lazing around on board and the activity program on the islands themselves. The support on the ship and during the tours on foot and by bike was warm and informal, the food for us was top Mediterranean and only made with regional products and local cuisine.
As we already had plenty of experience with pleasure craft and small sailing boats, we had no problems getting used to the cramped cabins and occasional camping feeling. Anyone expecting the luxury of cruise ships here is naturally wrong-footed. But pure water sports with rocking ship planks and anchoring in bays with turquoise water, in which you could take a wonderfully refreshing swim from the bathing ladder.
All the attractions of the islands with wonderful Nice View Points, sulphurous mud bathing and the lava eruption of Stromboli by night included.
You have to be lucky with the weather (strong winds are poison) so that the sea remains smooth and the ship can sail to all destinations. In this respect, the skipper plans from day to day without any guarantees - depending on the weather, as is usual in pleasure boating.
The crew (5 people) was absolutely right, as was the composition of the passengers. There were 10 of us, 6 Americans, 2 Brits and us. The average age was around 60 and was absolutely right for us. Everyone was nice and in a good mood, so the trip was great. You should be a bit fit, the islands are steep - volcanoes. As for the bikes, thank goodness we chose ebikes like most of the people on the ship - brand new bikes, by the way.
