I'll be in Sicily in May and going up onto Mt. Etna is high on my list, no pun intended. I'd like to go fairly far up to see craters, i.e. not just on some of the 20-30minute hikes I've seen on the web. I'll probably be coming from Taormina, and will have a car but am open to taking an organized tour from Taormina as well. My questions are: 1) is it much different going up the north side vs. the south side of the mountain? 2) can one reasonably do this as a day trip from Taormina? 3) does it work well to drive as far as possible up Etna and then find a guide/tour, versus taking a tour from Taormina?
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Tilburg, Netherlands
2829 posts
I love the Etna and have been there 7-8 times already! Now, the practical info you asked for: - as for the volcano itself, the major all sides have had signs of recent or not-so-recent eruptions left there. Secondary craters can be found on NE and SW corners, but it is not easy to hike there. - there is a major "high camp" on the East face from where you can take a gondola up to a small ski resort (open out of season as a base for trails and so) and then hike from there. This ticket is cheap. - to go from the mountain station to the vicinity of the major crater, you do need to pay another optional ticket for an organized tour by the National Park which uses trained rangers, high-wheeled adapted transporters and take you as safe as possible to the main crater, always subject to weather and, especially, stability of the volcano itself (it closes at the slightest increased risk of eruptions). Hiking on your own without the rangers is possible on some limited trails, none of which take you to the summit (too dangerous) - it is perfectly doable doing a day-trip from Taormina. It is much better to take your own car because you can explore the back roads of the ETna slopes, where you can find rather sci-fi like natural scenarios, like small cottages semi-buried on lava, or picturesque villages covered on the typical dark grey dust that comes from the mountain. If you are taking you car, head off the highway sooner rather than later and go slowly through the slopes and small villages. Well worth the trip.