Hotel La Canna

The rooms are simple, but the views and calm are incredible, and Enzo, Grazia, and their family make you feel warmly looked after. From here you can walk to the trailheads or down to a beach in about 15 minutes. They can also arrange boat trips and fishing. Coming back to what soon feels like home, there's a swim in a pool with one of the best settings imaginable. Float or sit with an aperitivo and watch the sky change over the other Aeolian Islands, spread out like pearls. If you're lucky, the moon will rise through the red haze above Stromboli’s belching crater while you eat on the open terrace. The local dishes use fresh ingredients, including herbs from the owner's garden. Some guests have been coming for decades, and there's a real sense of community, with easy conversation and plenty of amaro shared by guests and staff after dinner. Filicudi won't suit everyone: if you want shopping, spas, or lots of restaurants, this isn't the island for you. But for a peaceful, active break where time seems to stop and you're treated more like family than a room number, there's nowhere better than Filicudi and La Canna.