Salina's inhabitants live in the villages of Santa Marina, Malfa and Leni. In the island there are several villages: Lingua, Rinella, Valdichiesa, Pollara and Torricella. Santa Marina is located on a beach, in the middle of the east coast and it is 1 Km fa from Lingua, Leni is at the foot of Monte Fossa delle Felci, the highest peak of the island (962 metres). On the southern coast there is Rinella, favorite place for diverss while Malfa is in the middle of the North coast and has a small harbour.

Two extinct volcanoes, Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri, are the manifestation of the island's volcanic nature, and, according to the testimony of Thucydides and Callimachus, the ancient name of Salina, was Didyme which means twin because of the presence of these two volcanoes. The island is now called Salina after a small salted lake, exploited for salt extraction, the latter is indispensable for the preservation process of capers and fish.

The east coast's finds confirm that Salina was inhabitated in the Bronze age. It certainly played an important role for the development of the Aeolian archipelago. After hellenistic age and late Roman age the island continued its growth until the Byzantine and Medieval age.

In Salina cars are allowed to disembark. Water, abundant in the island plays a very important role in the development of Salina and it is fundamental for its plentiful and varied flora. Botanical works have identified more 400 varieties of plants, some of them are typical of the woodland (the Monte Fossa delle Felci is known for its beautiful wood) including oaks, strawberries, chestnuts, pines and others typical of the maquis such as vineyeards, olive trees, fruit trees, rosemary bushes and capers. Bird species populating the island are extremely interesting, for this reason in 1980 a commitee for the promotion of the regional park was set up and in 1981 the natural Reserve of Monti Fossa delle Felci and Porri was founded. This green and luxuriant island (watered by frequent rainfalls) lives a very simple life following the rhythm of the seasons. After the summer and the departure of the last tourists, Salina starts its usual rhythm again: raisin and caper harvesting, the hours spent at the bar savouring the exquisite coffee "granita" with cream, the saint day celebration, etc. Students have to go school in Lipari. There is only one disco on the island. there are only a few persons living in salina, because they are extremely linked to their native land. In the past, the the majority of islanders decided to migrate to Australia and there, some of them, mad their fortunes. They were forced to leave their land because of the peonospera, a mushroom parasite that irreparably undamaged vineyards.