Rinella: Black Sand, Sea and Paths on Salina

Rinella is well suited to travel planning that allows you to consider the coast, sea, footpaths and culture separately. The town offers several different points of interest for this: a distinctive beach, opportunities for observing nature, paths for pedestrians, and historical and cinematic associations. This allows you to focus your stay on the sea, a hike or local history, without reducing Rinella to just one aspect.

Black sand beside the harbour

Spiaggia di Rinella is a small, crescent-shaped beach with black sand. It lies next to a small harbour where hydrofoils dock. Access to Spiaggia di Rinella is free and is not subject to set opening hours. Spiaggia di Rinella is also considered the only sandy beach on the small Aeolian island of Salina. This gives you a clear connection to the coast, combining the shape of the beach, the colour of the sand, its proximity to the harbour and the access conditions. If you are planning your day by the sea, you do not have to take any fixed opening hours into account there.

Observing the sea and snorkelling

In front of Rinella, gas emissions known as Sconcassi can be observed when the sea is calm. You can also observe marine flora and fauna while snorkelling at Spiaggia di Rinella. The gently sloping, sandy seabed at Spiaggia di Rinella is suitable for snorkelling when the sea is calm. The coast therefore offers two different nature experiences: observing phenomena in front of Rinella and observing the underwater world at the beach. The condition of calm seas is explicitly relevant to both options and should be taken into account when planning.

Footpaths between the coast and the towns

Rinella also opens up different directions on foot. An old road between Rinella and Leni is considered well preserved and connects the two towns for pedestrians. Hiking trail Sentiero n. 11 begins at Rinella beach, runs along the cliff coast and leads to the village of Serro Spinnato. The two routes therefore have different destinations: one connects Rinella and Leni, while the other follows the cliff coast to Serro Spinnato. This distinction is helpful for your travel planning if you want to consider a connection between towns and a coastal trail separately.

Cultural and cinematic associations

Saint Gaetano is the patron saint of Rinella and the patron saint of fishermen. Caves were cut into the rock above Spiaggia di Rinella; they once served as shelters for the fishermen’s boats. A large part of William Dieterle’s film “Vulcano” was shot in Leni. The villa is now Hotel Ariana. Those interested in local history, maritime traditions or film will therefore find different points of interest in Rinella and Leni.

More destinations

If you would like to discover other places in addition to Rinella, you can also find Tindari, Castroreale, Misserio, Brolo, Venetico, Cesarò, Torregrotta and Malfa.

For the higher-level travel overview: Messina.