We had a lovely stay at Franco & Oriettas apartment in Pollara. We took a taxi from Santa Maria port - €35 which was a lovely drive around the island. The apartment is 2mins walk from the main piazza (don't follow the Airbnb google map directions).
Pollara is lovely and quite. The restaurant was closed during our stay but there was a great value snack bar which served drinks and tasty paninis. It is a pleasant 15-20min walk down hill to the sea where you can swim- the water was crystal clear & beautiful. This was the main reason we chose Salina and we were not disappointed - we swam every day!
Several days we got the bus to Malfa. Buses run approximately from 6.30am til 6.30pm €1.90 each journey. Here you'll find a supermarket, bank and a couple of snack bars. There is also a lovely peble beach which was great for swimming- again with beautiful water. To get elsewhere on the island by bus you need to change in Malfa. The service was very reliable and I'd recommend this as a great way to see the island- we chose to use the bus on our return journey to the ferry port. If you are interested in hiring a car, we saw lots from the same company and I think they were collected from Santa Maria.
The apartment itself was lovely with a stunning view out to sea. There are two rooms- one with a dinning table and two single beds, this then leads on to the master bedroom. You go outside to access the bathroom and seperate kitchen. The farm house has been lovingly restored with the utmost attention to detail and provides a unique stay in the peaceful Pollara.
Thank you to Franco & Orietta for their wonderful hospitality!