5 most beautiful Islands in Italy
By: Luci

Capri Island

View from Anacapri - Photo © rocdam

Capri is an island of limestone rock that represents the outermost tip of the mountain chain on the Sorrentine peninsula. The coastline, whose dolomite cliffs fall right to the sea in many spots, is dotted with countless caves and surrounded by reefs whose shapes suggest fantastic creations.

Mount Tiberio (334 m.), to the east, and Mount Solaro (589 m.) to the west are the two main peaks on the island. Between these heights, on a saddle-shaped ridge connecting the Marina Grande, ("Large Marina") - north end - and the Marina Piccola, ("Small Marina") to the south - is the town of Capri (138 m.). The other town, Anacapri (286 m.), sits in the large, verdant plain to the west of Mount Solaro.

Info: http://www.capri-island.com

Stromboli Island

Photoby bartolomeo perrotta on Flickr

PhotosBy ~Steph~

tromboli is the northernmost of the Aeolian Islands: its territory is about 13 km and it counts about 450 inhabitants.

The island is dominated by the impressive outline of the volcano and in its crateral rim, you can see volcanic dents erupting lava flows. This moderate activity is not a danger for the inhabitants since magma flows down the Sciara del Fuoco. In 2002 a great eruption of lava made some rocks falling into the sea: their fall caused a tidal wave that ran over some of the Aeolian islands.

The coasts of the island of Stromboli are quite steep and there are few beaches. The main villages are Ginostra and Stromboli, whose inhabitants live mainly with fishing, viticulture, capers picking and above all tourism.

Info: http://www.isolelipari.it/

Elba Island

PhotoBy kontakiu

PhotoBy MABIPI

The island of Elba, pearl of the Tuscan Archipelago, the island without limits: the clear blue sea, the beautiful beaches and the small inlets, the gree countyside, the small towns on the hills, the archeological treasures, the chestnut trees woods, and more follow each other without end.

The island gives the sensation of many things in one, in the short distances of the island you will travel across very different touristic and ambient realities: zones where the sunshine and the wind have dried us the soil, others were the green dominates, golden beaches, shingle beaches and steep cliffs. It is to remember that the Island of Elba is for a big part area of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.

Info: http://www.infoelba.com/informazioni-generali/

Vulcano Island

Photoby Peter Fuchs on Flickr

Photoby zeitspuren on Flickr

Vulcano is located north-east of Sicily and south of the Island of Lipari.The island of Vulcano is made up of three volcanic units: Vulcanello (123 metres) in the north, coming from an eruption during II century B.C., it is linked with the island by a strip of land made up of lava flows. In the middle, you can find the Gran Crater or Vulcanic Cone (385 metres) which is stll active; in the south there is the Mount Aria (499 metres), inactive, it is the top summit of the island.

Vulcano is a very interesting island due to its volcanic and post-volcanic phenomena. Its plateau, the widest of the Aeolian Islands, is surrounded by hills, falling towards the sea. Vulcanello is made up of three lined-up craters in direction North-East/South-West. Vulcanello is constantly monitored by the Institute of Vulcanology of the University of Catania. The islands of Vulcano counts around 450 inhabitants who are involved in tourism and viticulture.

Info: http://www.isolelipari.it/

Ischia, Capri, Procida and Vivara

Photolacco ameno d'ischia, particolare della baia di san montano

Photoischia, sant'angelo

These are the partenopean island in the bay of Naples. To the north of the gulf are situated Ischia, Procida and Vivara, looking toward the "Flegrea"coast (and "Flegree" is their name), while in the sotuh of the gulf, opposite to the Sorrento peninsula, lays Capri.

The "flegree" islands are different from Capri both for their position and for their different geological origins.

Ischia is the largest island with her 47 square kilometers, followed by Capri with an extension little more then 10 square kilometers and Procida which is about 3 square kilometers. Procida is linked to the small island of Vivara which is a wonderful natural reserve.

Famous for its incredible health thermal baths and spas.

Info: http://www.ischiaonline.it/