The mud baths of Vulcano
Warm grey mud at the foot of the Faraglione, a few steps from the sea at Porto Levante. Sulphur in the air before you see it.
The Pozza dei Fanghi – the mud pool – sits at Porto Levante on Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, between the harbour road and the sea. A shallow basin of pale grey mud, ringed by yellow-stained ground. Above it stands the Faraglione di Vulcano, the sulphur-stained rock stack that marks the bay.
The mud is warm. The volcano is dormant but active: shoreline fumaroles vent gas here, monitored by INGV, and the same heat runs through the pool. You smell it before you see it.
A few steps away are the Acque Calde, the warm bubbling shallows where gas vents heat the sea. They are a separate area and generally accessible.
Fumarole areas emit gases, including hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, that pool in hollows and can be dangerous. Do not approach the vents closely, linger downwind of them, or visit at night or alone. Ground and shallow water near the vents can scald: wear water shoes. The sulphurous water stings eyes and blackens silver and other metals. Not recommended for young children, pregnant people, or anyone with respiratory or blood-pressure conditions. Access to the Pozza dei Fanghi has been repeatedly suspended for safety reasons. Check the current status with the Comune di Lipari or Geoterme Vulcano before planning around it.
