We stayed at Therasia for 10 nights as part of our honeymoon having spent the first 4 nights in Taormina. We flew from Gatwick with British Airways to Catania. It was about 1 hr's drive from Taormina to the port.
We got the hydrofoil over to the island of Vulcano which takes about 45 mins. When we arrived we were picked up at the Port by the Hotel's shuttlebus. It takes about 5 mins to get to the hotel (you can walk it but be wary of the hill!). As we approached the hotel, it reminded us of Jurassic Park, it was just fanastic being in the middle of the volcanoes with the sea ahead of it. There is a electric gate at the hotel which made us feel very safe. There is volcanic rock and sand everywhere which we just loved.
When we arrived at the hotel we were amazed as the photos really do not do it justice! It was a lovely quiet oasis of calm and relaxation. The receptionist was very friendly (although not our favourite, Roberto that day!) He showed us to our room which was a deluxe double seaview. We were not disappointed at all!!! We had a beautiful double room with large terrace and perfect sea and island views. It was ideal. Again, champagne and little sweet treats awaited us so we enjoyed those. There is a minibar in the room which has very limited drinks in it. These are complimentary. No alcohol though! We were able to use it for our own drinks. There is a safe in the room, use of which is free.
The bathroom was out of this world, huge with two sinks and our window looked right out over the sea. There were lovely fluffy robes and slippers.
We were staying on a B&B basis and breakfast was of a very high standard each morning and beautifully presented. There was all of the usual suspects - cereals, breads, cheeses, hams etc and some bacon and scrabbled egg if you fancied that. You could have some fizz or wine if you wished as well.
The infinity pool is amazing. We spent a lot of time relaxing by the pool and it was lovely to sit on your sunbed and look out to sea. There is also a smaller pool beneath it with jets. There are also some more sunbathing areas heading down to the sea. You can get in to the sea via the steps but there is also a private beach which unfortunately we didn't venture to. The pool attendant Ninni was so friendly and made sure we got a good spot each day and was happy to put our umbrella up for us. You get towels from him as well. He told us when the jellyfish were out so as not to go in to the sea.
We ate in the restaurant a few times. Only one of them was open as there is supposed to be a restaurant and then a grill as well. We have to say that we did find the food overpriced, but what else would you expect from a 5* hotel?! You do get a complimentary starter from the chef each night which was nice. You could have the whole 4 course meal if you wished and there was plenty of seafood on offer along with steaks etc. We would say however watch your bill. One night I ordered the seabream from the menu which was 18 Euros. I was however charged 35 Euros being the per kg price as it was fish of the day! We had changed it in the restaurant but on checkout this had not been updated! My husband had ordered the steak one evening, but was brought a plate of cold roast beef with rocket. We sent it back as the Maitre D had even asked him how he wanted the steak done! There were two on the menu which led to confusion (as with the fish!). I was a bit annoyed that evening as whilst the staff were apologetic, there was nothing given to us to say sorry and I ate my dinner whilst my husband waited for his to cook! There is a extensive wine list to choose from. We sat outside one night and enjoyed a superb view of the sunset. It is just fantastic to watch!
We ate at the Gazebo Bar for lunch a few days as well. This was also nice with salads, toasties and seafood on offer. It also does icecream which was very tasty! The barman Giussepe was our favourite, he was good fun and makes superb cocktails!
We had a cocktail on our last night at the Faraglione Bar - 15Euros each but have to say well worth it to watch the sunset and enjoy the vast array of nibbles which were brought out to us! A lady sings and plays the piano there too so it is lovely and relaxing.
We did a trip to Stromboli and Panarea. We booked it through reception and got the boat at 1.30pm from the Port. It was a long day and we weren't back til nearly 11.30 but it was lovely to see the other islands. We also got to see Stromboil errupt which is a must!! Such an experience we will never forget!
There are a few volcanoes to climb on the Island and my husband enjoyed this. The other thing you must do is the mudbaths if you can stand the smell of sulphur. It is only really noticeable around the mudbaths area down at the Port. It's about 3 Euros for a mudbath and shower. You are only supposed to stay in for 20-25 mins and apparently the mud has skin healing properties. The smell was a bit much but at least we can say we did it!
The town, Port Levante is nice. it is quite small but there are plenty of nice boutiques and shops on offer. Most importantly, we found the supermarket. It's on the road up to the Grand Crater. There is also a pharmacy. There are a few restaurants. We tried a pizzeria one night and it was lovely except we were the only ones eating in and felt a bit odd! Our favourite restaurant was Vincenzino's which we frequented on several occasions. We can recommend the pepper steak! It was a favourite with the locals as well and the staff were so friendly. We enjoyed a few drinks at the Faraglione Bar and the Stevenson bar at the front. We loved the Stevenson as you get to enjoy their nibbles on offer for free!
The only thing we have to say that annoyed us about the hotel was the amount of kids. We have nothing against them, but Citalia do not allow kids at this hotel. We did feel that it is an exclusive resort and should be reserved for couples. There were a lot of Italian families who turned up for a few days with their kids who were very badly behaved and shattered my peace and quiet around the pool! One boy even decided to go to the toilet by the side of the smaller pool before he got in with no clothes on. I was not impressed with this and neither was my husband. The other pool attendant was not on that day and he didn't seem to be bothered to tell the family off. There is absolutely nothing for kids to do at this hotel. It is best reserved for couples with small babies or parents with teenage children.
We also enjoyed free internet use whilst at the hotel although there is no booking system for it so if it's free, go for it!! There is plenty of carparking and you can hire cars from the Port if you wish. The roads are tiny and reminded us of Guernsey.
So all in all, we had the perfect honeymoon and would definitely go back to Vulcano. We are not sure if we could afford Therasia again as it was expensive but we would love to go back one day!!
- Therasia Hotel Isola Vulcano
- Therasia Hotel
