OUTING TO ETNA

The outing to the Etna volcano will take place on Thursday, May 23. The participants leave the Hotel at 14:00. The excursion lasts about 5-6 hours. The buses will take the participants to the Sapienza Refuge. It is situated on the south slope of the mountain at altitude 1910 meters.

The buses leave the participants there. Those who want to reach the central crater (3300 meters) will have about three hours at their disposal. There is a cablecar that takes tourists up to 2500 meters. It was partially destroyed by the last year eruption of Etna and it isn’t certain if it is going to function in May. An offroad minibus service is also available, bringing you to altitude 2940 meters, with the summit about an hour’s walk away, with optional accompaniment from mountain guides. In both cases, the price of the full ticket, including the mountain guide, is about 40,00 Euro.

It is not always possible to visit the crater in absolute safety, and in certain periods mountain guides are officially prohibited from leading parties up to the rim of the crater.

However, once the crater rim is reached, the spectacle is guaranteed, with on one side a vast panorama of the surrounding region, and on the other the vision into the fiery bowels of the earth offered by the three craters that at present form the summit of the volcano.

Sudden changes in the weather are always possible. This means, even on short easy walks, choosing strong boots, because of the rough surface of the lava; then consider clothing, adequate to protect you against the cold and the wind; a good state of physical fitness is essential.

Those, who decide to remain near Refuge Sapienza will enjoy a beautiful panorama as well. At this altitude there are many old craters to visit. A lot of small shops sell the typical local products.