Located in the eastern part of the island, ferries and hydrofoils from the other islands of the Aeolian archipelago, Sicily and the Peninsula dock in the port of Panarea.
Fast and daily connections from Milazzo. During the summer, trips from Palermo and Messina are also available (the travel time of the listed routes varies between 1h and 30min and 4h).
During the summer season Panarea can also be reached from Naples (Mergellina) and Salerno (the average travel time varies between 4h and 5h).
The port of Panarea can be reached on foot, by golf cart and by bike and scooter (useful info for those who are already on the island).
As this is the smallest island in the entire archipelago (3.34 km² surface), it is not possible for tourists to travel by car. If you really can't give up the comfort of a means of transport, once you arrive on the island you can rent bikes, scooters and golf carts (which also act as taxis).
The terminal where you can buy hydrofoil and ferry tickets is located a few hundred meters from the pier.
Near the port of Panarea there are several commercial activities: bar; restaurants; clothing stores; food; baker; jewelers; rental boats etcetera.
Given its small size, it is possible to enjoy the beauty of the island (which since 1997 has been part of a protected natural area together with other nearby islets) without necessarily using a means of locomotion.
On the island - chosen as a film location by Rossellini and Antonioni - there are several beaches, which keep their wild nature almost intact (Cala degli Zimmari, Spiaggia della Calcara, Cala Bianca and Cala Junco).
Near Cala Junco it is possible to admire what remains of the prehistoric village of Punta Milazzese, discovered in the late 1950s by the archaeologist Luigi Bernabò Brea and dating back to the Middle Bronze Age.
Other places of interest are two churches: that of the Assunta and that of San Pietro, patron of the island. Finally, Scoglio la Nave deserves special mention: of volcanic origin, it is located in the place where, around 200 thousand years ago, the main crater of the island erupted.