Description
The Etna and Alcantara Gorges tour begins when the guide meets you at your accommodation, the harbour, the station or the airport. The drive climbs through villages with vineyards and orchards, and the guide shares what there is to know about local life, the people's attachment to this fertile land and how Europe's largest active volcano was born.
On the mountain comes an easy 90-minute trek along the rim of extinct craters. You see different lava flows set against forests of birch, oak and pine, then walk down into the craters to find every type of lava, minerals, volcanic debris and pioneer plants. Next is a lava flow cave, which you enter wearing a helmet and carrying a lamp.
Lunch is at a mountain lodge, a typical Sicilian meal with a starter, a first course and wine, paid separately, so mention any allergy or diet in advance. The last stop is the Alcantara Canyons, carved by lava flows that filled the river bed, where you wade barefoot along the river. Afterwards the guide takes you back.
- Transport and an environmental hiking guide
- Helmets, lamps and trekking shoes on request
- Entry to the Alcantara River Park
Bring comfortable shoes, water, a hat, sunscreen, a light jacket, swimwear and a towel.