Monte Fossa, the Fern Mountain

The view from the top of Monte Fossa. The town of Lingua seen in the foreground. The big ‘pond/lake’ looking thing is a saltern but is no longer in use. Lipari is the closest island to Salina, followed by Vulcano in the background on the right.

All the aeolian islands are unique from each other and one of the signature features of Salina is that it possess 2 mountain peaks (nearly 1000m high). We love walking and on every trip to Salina, it is our ritual to hike up the mountain to visit at least one of the peaks. This time was no different even though temperatures soared to 32°C and the humidity was practically unbearable.

At the start of our climb up Monte Fossa. It doesn’t look like it but boy was it hot!!!

We started our hike at 8am hoping that starting early before temperatures reached its maximum would make the hike easier. However, our efforts proved to be futile as we struggled up the mountain with each breath being harder than the last. The air was thick and heavy with moisture that it seemed like no amount of breathing could have provided enough oxygen to complete the hike. The entire dirt path up the mountain was lined with cacti and small pine bushes leaving us completely exposed to the sun’s unforgiving rays. Moreover, there was not the slightest breeze…the air just stood still and heavy. While this sounds silly and looks stupid, especially to seasoned walkers, hubby and I wiped out our umbrellas for this climb. Normally, we would have walked without them but on this trip, hiding under the shade of our umbrellas made the hike possible.

The path through the trees! Our escape from the sun!!

The top of the mountain was lined with trees and on this day, clouds were trapped at the top. So once we reached the tree line, we were able to cool off in the shade and the mist of the clouds. Also at the top, there is a small hut and a hand pump that pumps water from the ground. Without any delay, hubby held his head under the pump while I pumped the cold water up and over his head. We stayed at the hut for a good 20 minutes, drinking water and nibbling on biscuits and peaches we brought before continuing on our way along the ridge that gently inclines towards the peak. From this point, the path is easy going, cushioned by the needles from the pine trees that line the path. Being amongst trees, we were also constantly shaded so the umbrella retired for a while.

Rifugio di Serro Capo: a small hut with a hand pump outside.

Newly made signs along the walking trail.

As we walked, we noticed that the walking trails are now marked by newly-made signs. Since the hubby is familiar with most of the walking trails, we were happy that the walking paths are now official. At the same time however, we were disappointed at how some of the signs are a bit misleading, pointing in the wrong direction. We should have followed hubby’s mental map rather than the signs as we ended up having to backtrack our steps on a couple of occasions.

The path towards the viewpoint. Again the lack of shade!

Instead of reaching the peak, we walked to a viewpoint not far from the peak that is actually no longer in official use as the new signs direct people around the area. It is a bit sad because I love this viewpoint. It is the only point where 4 of the other Aeolian islands (Stromboli, Panarea, Lipari and Vulcano) and Sicily can be viewed from Salina on a clear day. Because this point is no longer on an official route, the path to get there was not well maintained and overgrown with blackberry bushes and French broom (Genista). Out in the sunshine, we pulled out our trusty umbrellas again only to get them caught in the thorny bushes. Despite this, the view made it all worth the inconvenience. As we did not have a completely clear day, we could only see Panarea, Lipari and Vulcano. We also had a clear line of vision of our next destination, a town along the coast called Lingua.

Our climb down Monte Fossa on our way to Lingua! Walking on a path lined with cacti did make me a bit nervous.

Pane Cunzato topped with dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, tuna and mozzarella. YUM!

Our walk down to Lingua was not as challenging as our climb up from Santa Marina. Somehow, the air was lighter even though the heat was just as scorching. We could even feel the heat radiating from the stones along the path. No words could describe the relief we felt once we reached the town. We made our way to the beach and sat ourselves down at one of the cafes called Da Alfredo for a Pane Cunzato. This sinfully good dish was covered with tuna, cherry tomatoes and topped off with a mountain of mozzarella cheese. It was so big that we still had left-overs even after sharing one between the two of us.

Lingua from the road on our way back to Santa Marina.

A quick dip in the sea and a walk back to Santa Marina along the main asphalt road concluded our day. We were already feeling the weight of our legs from the climb and were sure our legs would ache like crazy in the days to come! Now all Salina needs is a not-crazily expensive massage parlour or day spa for total relaxation.

Ferns on Monte Fossa, the Fern Mountain.