Stromboli is an active volcano that erupts more or less every ten minutes. Small and frequent explosions during the day produce clearly visible puffs of gray smoke that tower over the cone-shaped island. During the night, those same explosions appear as red flares of lava spitting into the air. It takes about an hour and a half to reach Stromboli from Salina. The sunset views from the boat, as it circles the island, are breathtaking. By the time you reach the western side, the evening darkness allows you to fully experience and enjoy the excitement of hearing and seeing the volcanic eruptions.