Description
The Etna and Alcantara Gorges tour pairs the volcano's northern slope with a cool lava canyon, over a full day with local experts. Pickup is from an arranged meeting point in places such as Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Catania or Linguaglossa, and you travel by SUV or minivan with up to eight passengers, not by big bus.
The first walk crosses the Ragabo forest to the lava front of the 2002 eruption, an eruption that wiped out the Piano Provenzana facilities and a part of the pine wood. The road then follows Mareneve to Rifugio Citelli, where an easy 3 km trail among white birches climbs from 1,665 m to about 1,775 m around the Monti Sartorius craters, with views toward Calabria and the Aeolian Islands.
- Grotta dei Ladroni, a lava tunnel entered with helmet and flashlight, with 1776 carved above the entrance from the days when snow was stored here
- Lunch at an Etnean restaurant: a first course, water and coffee
- Castiglione di Sicilia, passed on the way to the valley
- Alcantara Gorges, entrance included, with time to relax on the beach, walk or swim in the river
The guide may adjust the programme to the weather. Closed shoes are required, and babies are welcome in a carrier backpack. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.