The main harbour and the only real settlement on Vulcano sits between two volcanic cones — the active Gran Cratere to the south and the older Vulcanello peninsula to the north. Everything on the island — the ferry dock, the handful of restaurants, the shops selling volcanic stone trinkets — is within a few minutes' walk.
The port itself has a dramatic setting: the crater looms directly overhead and the bay faces Lipari across a narrow channel. In summer the water around the harbour is warm enough for swimming, heated from below. The seabed offshore is visibly active in places, with clouds of bubbles rising from underwater vents.