The Messina Lipari ferry route connects Sicily with Aeolian Islands. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Liberty Lines Fast Ferries. The crossing operates up to 35 times each week with sailing durations from around 2 hours 25 minutes.
Messina Lipari sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
Prices shown represent the average one way price paid by our customers on this route. Prices shown are per person.
The Italian city of Messina is the capital of, and located in, the Province of Messina and is the third largest city on the island of Sicily. It lies on the Strait of Messina, opposite Villa San Giovanni on the Italian mainland, in the north east of Sicily. The port in Messina is an important economic driver for the city's economy as it is a key component in the city and region's tourist infrastructure. It also supports both commercial and military shipyards. Agriculture is also important in the area and visitors exploring the countryside will often find oranges, lemons, mandarin oranges and olives growing. Since 1548, the city has had a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat and is home to the University of Messina which was also founded in 1548.
The city's port offers passengers ferry services across the Strait of Messina to the ports of Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria in Calabria. There is also a longer crossing to Salerno, which is to the south of the city of Naples. Most ferries that arrive in Messina dock at either the Messina Marittima/Bluvia dock or at the Molo Norimberga docks on Via San Ranieri. Occasionally some ferries will dock at the Rada San Francesco di Paola I docks on the northern edge of the town.
Lipari is an Italian island and the largest of the Aeolian Islands, which is a volcanic archipelago located off the coast of Sicily. The island's largest town is also called Lipari, which is also the largest town in the archipelago, and is full of life with its harbour, historic castle-citadel and charming streets just waiting to be explored. Just like the other islands in the archipelago, Lipari has volcanic origins although the last eruption that occurred on the island was around 1,400 years ago, although there are some thermal springs and fumaroles on the island. Because of the fast ferry connections to and from Sicily and to the other Aeolian Islands, it is a great base from which to explore the other islands in the archipelago.
Lipari town is a great place to wander around and has some fine town houses to see that sit alongside more humble houses that tend to have balconies with full of flowers, washing and onions and peppers! There are Greek tombs located in parkland but the most impressive site in the town is the castle which is located on a headland and is the heart of the town that was once located on the site.