Mt Etna
 

We will be travelling to Sicily in Sept, and want to know the options and recommendations for seeing Mt. Etna. My husband is fascinated by volcanoes, we are in moderate shape, and dont just want to do the regular tourist thing. We also want to see Alcantara gorge. Any suggestions?

Hi Cathy,

Not sure where you intend to stay, but you can get good views of Mount Etna from the hotel between Taormina and Castelmola. Sorry I do not remember the name, but it is one of the 'Romance' chain of hotels.

The one thing I would not do is drive up to the top of Etna on a Sunday. The Siciliani are not the world's most cautious drivers to begin with and Sunday is the day to drive up to the top, pile snow all over your car totally blocking out your front window and then driving down the hairpin curves as fast as you can to see if you can bring home some snow. As you drive up you will notice little piles of snow melting on the outside of each turn that has been flung off the cars going through the turns. As you get closer to the top you will start seeing cars still totally covered in snow with the driver leaning out the window to see. Sunday drives up Etna can be interesting, but so is sky diving with your shoot packed by the village drunk!

It's hard for me to respond to your request, because I'm not sure what the regular tourist thing is for Etna. What we did (I was part of a small walking/hiking group) is bus up to Piano Provenzana, the site of a small ski/tourist resort on the north-east side that was totally destroyed in the 2002 eruption. We hiked about 45 minutes across the lava field through knee-deep snow (this was in 2 years ago in March) up to a couple of subsidiary craters where the lava was still warm.

As for the Alcantara gorges, you drive into the parking lot, you pay your small fee, you descend in the elevator to the river level and wander around. Sadly, we couldn't do it in March due to high water level and flows.

I agree to avoid Sunday to visit Etna.
A good place to stay is, IMO, TENUTA SAN MICHELE at Santa Venerina.
It is a D&B at 500 metres above the sea, along the main road to drive to Etna.
It is also a winery and in September you can enjoy the way they prepare the harvest.
The wines are excellent and the dinners, also.
If you like sparkling wine, do not miss their Murgo Brut, nice not only as aperitif but also to match several their meals.
Look at its website: www.murgo.it
I was there last March and I appreciated it very much.
Zafferana Etnea is also the town of the honey. If you like honey, you can taste and buy it.
Have a lovely trip.
Ciao.


Vincenzo

On our recent trip to Sicily (family of eight adults, which included a son-in-law and his parents); we made the trip from the much-less-traveled northern side, up through the Nebrodie mountains, traveling from Capo d'Orlando to Randazzo in about two hours by (two) car(s) - - a little less than 70 miles actually driven, I think.

Randazzo is interesting in its own rights, with many churches and other buildings built from volcanic stone (almost pure jet-black and very porous in appearance). We had a delightful lunch at San Giorgio e il Drago (St. George and the Dragon) there, housed in a former 13th century monastery.

Then we split up for the afternoon - - and I cannot give you a firsthand account - - because I was not in the group of four who drove onward as far up the northern face as you can go - - to where eruptions took out roads and a town in 2002. Based on their pictures and account of their afternoon, I think they were glad they went.

Interestingly, we had just missed by one day the Etna marathon (the daughter who was part of the four that made the trip up became a marathoner last year) - - surely one of the world's more unusual marathons. As if running 26+ miles were not enough - - how about climbing 3000 meters in the process!?

So, how much "in moderate shape" are ya? (though I cannot ascertain that it's an annual event, even if you were traveling there next May - - there might not be another one for two years?)

Still, I guess you could just plot out your own course and do or some or all of it in your running shoes!

Best wishes,

Rex

If your hubby is into vocanos, then look at the Aeolian islands. Stromboli is active and Volcano is pretty freakin cool. I think the are more interesting than Enta.

The idea of Randazzo is a very smart and lovely idea and in Randazzo there is a very comfortable and delicious D&B, SCRIVANO.
At its restaurant do not miss Lardo dei Nebrodi and torta al pistacchio di Bronte.
Look at its website: www.hotelscrivano.com .

Vincenzo

There is a regular train that travels the circumference of Etna called the Circumetnea.

http://www.circumetnea.it/accessibile/main.asp?lang=uk

You might find this virtual tour of the Circumetnea train helpful. Click on the "then let's go" link.

http://www.swisseduc.ch/stromboli/et.../index-en.html

Just returned from Sicily and went to Enta. First of all get over the tourist thing, that's what you are!

We took a 1/2 day "Jeep" tour which was fun, but I'm sure there are more detailed tours, I do recommend it though because of the the guide knew a lot about the volcano!

I do recommend staying at Villa Paradiso d'Etna near Catana. You will see the recent lava flow from there at night, it is a charming hotel with a helpful staff, and when you drive in the gate you really enter a little paradise!

On the south side head for Philosopher's Tower where a chairlift goes up to a place where 4-wheel Jeeps take over - at least this is my understanding - have not been theree

cable car is periodically out of commission due to lava flows - the Circumetnea narrow-gauge railway i have taken and it too can be severed by lava flows

I loved the train as it does slice thru numerous old lava flows - but since it goes around Mt Etna's base you do not see the volcano's crater

Randazzo has good bus service to Taormina - i did a day trip from there - train to Catania, take Circum Etnea train to Randazzo, which i agree is an interesting old town.

Hi, cathygreen -

I joined a full-day group tour of Mt. Etna and the Alcantara gorge, which I booked through my hotel in Taormina. I don't usually like to join tours, but I was pleased with this one - and it simplified things because several changes of transportation were required.

Hope that helps!