Guide of Rinella (Salina)

Rinella is a tiny hamlet on the island of Salina, which forms part of the Aeolian Islands located to the north of Sicily, in southern Italy. The village has a port surrounded by pastel-coloured houses with ferry and hydrofoil services to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands, also known as the ‘Seven Sisters’. The island has a population of only 2,600 residents and is known as the Green Island of the Aeolians.

A brief history of the island 

The first human settlements on the island date back to the Bronze Age, then when the Greeks arrived they called it Didyme, because of the two conical twin mountains, Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 m) and Monte dei Porri (860 m). Then the Romans changed the name Salina, due to the presence of a huge salt lake on the island. During Roman times the island was an important producer of salt and capers. The other main export on the island is the famous Malvasia grape arrived on the island from Greece in the second half of the seventeenth century. This wine has shaped the fate of the island ever since. When first cultivated, Malvasia allowed the island to prosper, as they exported the wine around the world. Wine production continued until 1880 when a phylloxera epidemic destroyed the vineyards and caused starvation, which prompted massive emigration to Australia and Latin America. Then in the 1970s, an entrepreneur replanted the Malvasia vines on the island, this restarted the wine production and made the Malvasia from Salina and the Aeolian Islands famous throughout the world. Today, tourism has also become the main economic activity on the island, together with agriculture and fishing.

Things to do in and around Rinella

The best thing to do on Salina, is hiring a moped to explore the few villages on the island. The roads are quiet and so quite safe, and the views are amazing. One place to stop is the Museo dell'Emigrazione Eoliana it is a small museum, tucked behind the church on the main road above Malfa and it documents the emigration of thousands of residents from Salina and the other Aeolian Islands to Australia and the Americas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Also, check out the sleepy little village of Pollara, located between the sea and the steep slopes of an extinct volcanic crater on the western edge of the island. In 1994, this beach was a location for the film Il Postino. For some souvenir shopping, the Laboratorio di Ceramiche Artistiche is a good place to pick up some traditional ceramics from the region. There is a workshop where you can watch the artisans in action, they also ship aboard in case you can fit it all in your suitcase!

Beaches around Rinella 

There are a couple of decent swimming spots near Rinella, the sandy beach by the village centre sometimes gets too cramped in summer, so follow the path to Punta Megna, to access Spiaggia Pra Venezia, a pebbly beach with crystal clear waters.