t Hikers traversing the sandy black landscape around the volcano
Fundamental to Sicily’s nature and landscape, Mount Etna is Europe’s largest active volcano and dominates the whole of eastern Sicily. Feared and loved, Etna is both snow and fire, lush vegetation and black lava. Around the crater you can still see the remnants of numbers of ancient vents. Further down is the eerie, barren landscape of the Valle del Bove.
t Hikers traversing the sandy black landscape around the volcano
EXPERIENCE Mount Etna, the Aeolian Islands and the Northeast
t Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe, spewing lava and ash into the sky
To the Greeks, Etna was home to Hephaestus, god of fire, and the Arabs knew it as Mongibello (Mountain of Mountains). Today, Parco dell’Etna offers breathtaking views, great hiking and, in season, skiing, and the occasional eruption of red sparks and lava. In 2013, Mount Etna became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A protected area 58,000 ha (143,260 acres) in size, Mount Etna offers many opportunities for excursions. A popular route is from Zafferana to the Valle del Bove, the spectacular hollow whose shape was changed by the eruptions in 1992. The hike up to the large craters at the summit is not to be missed. Start off at the Rifugio Sapienza and Rifugio Citelli hostels and Piano Provenzana. A trip around the mountain is also thrilling: from the Sapienza to the Monte Scavo camp, Piano Provenzana and the former Menza camp. There are also several lava grottoes.
t A lone skier pausing on the icy slopes beneath the volcano’s peak in winter
Etna is a relatively “recent” volcano, emerging some two million years ago. Some of its most devastating eruptions were in 1381 and 1669, when the lava reached Catania. The most recent ones took place in 2001 and 2002. Some of the worst eruptions from the last century are shown here.
The approximate percentage of the Sicilian population that lives on the slopes of Mount Etna.
EXPERIENCE Mount Etna, the Aeolian Islands and the Northeast
Timeline |
1928Lava flow from an unusually low fissure cut off the railway at the base of the mountain and wiped out the village of Mascali in just 2 days. |
1971Lava flow on Etna’s east bank endangered several small villages, as well as destroying the Etna Observatory. |
1991–3Earth barriers, controlled explosions and concrete blocks dropped from helicopters were used to stop lava reaching Zafferana. |
2001–2Lava flow caused extensive damage to Rifugio Sapienza and came within 4 km (2.5 miles) of Nicolosi. |
t The vivid crater on the slopes of Mount Etna