Alicudi Island - Italian Smaller Islands

Alicudi Island

(Italian: Isola di Alicudi)
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The island of Alicudi
is an island of 5.2 km ² part of the Aeolian Islands. Administratively part of the town of Lipari (ME) The islanders are called Arcudari.
It was formerly known as Ericusa (rich heather).
Alicudi Island is the westernmost of the Aeolian archipelago and is located about 34 nautical miles west of Lipari. It is dominated by Mount wire ARPA, an extinct volcano, almost perfectly circular, about 5 km ², with steep and craggy coastline that constitutes the emerged part, from 1,500 mt. depth of the seabed up to 675 meters above sea level the highest point the island. It is inhabited only the eastern side, sloping down to a less harsh towards the sea. The only inhabited island is also called Alicudi and consists of five small hamlets: Alicudi port, located above sea level and is characterized by the presence of the pier on which ferries and hydrofoils dock, two stores food (the only two on the island) and the post office (Alicudi there are no banks it ATM).
Contrada tuna, which is the village to the west island.
San Bartolo, which is rising from the port at a height of about 330 meters long and is characterized by the presence of a church dedicated to San Bartolo, patron of the Aeolian Islands.
Contrada Pianicello, which is the same height of S. Bartolo, but further west and is inhabited by a population of German-speaking Switzerland's original. This small fraction uses the electricity supplied by photovoltaic systems and rainwater collection tanks using the old houses. The majority of population has also begun to cultivate some crops such as traditional life and the olive.
Contrada Sgurbio, which is the same height of S. Bartolo, but on the east side of the island. This tiny village is composed of five houses, each of which has the name of one of the senses.
The island of heather in the postwar period was inhabited by over 600 people, mostly emigrated to Australia over the next decades. Currently the population has about 100 inhabitants.
The only means of transportation other than their own two feet, able to climb the steep mule are the donkey and the mule. There are no vehicles of any kind, and there are no roads, except for a strip of asphalt that winds for several hundred meters and is used to connect the square, used to heliport for emergencies, the small pier. The island is connected to the larger island, Lipari, a maritime service, either by ferry or by hydrofoil to Lipari by Alicudi Filicudi Rinella and Santa Marina Salina or directly from Sicily.

» View the page concerning the tourist area of Alicudi Island.