Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
station, including buses 1-4 and 4-7 (both running hourly from the station to Via Etnea)
and Alibus 457 (station to airport every 30 minutes). A 90-minute ticket costs €1. From
mid-June to mid-September, a special service (bus D-Est) runs from Piazza Raffaello San-
zio to the local beaches.
For drivers, some words of warning: there are complicated one-way systems around the
city and the centre is pedestrianised, which means parking is scarce.
Catania's one-line metro currently has only six stops, all on the periphery of town. For
tourists, it's mainly useful as a way to get from the central train station to the Circumetnea
train that goes around Mt Etna. Tickets cost €1.
For a taxi, call
Radio Taxi Catania
(
095 33 09 66)
.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Mt Etna
ELEV 3329M
Dominating the landscape of eastern Sicily and visible from the moon (if you happen to
be there), Mt Etna is Europe's largest volcano and one of the world's most active. Erup-
tions occur frequently, both from the volcano's four summit craters and from its slopes,
which are littered with fissures and old craters. The volcano's most devastating eruptions
occurred in 1669 and lasted 122 days. Lava poured down Etna's southern slope, engulfing
much of Catania and dramatically altering the landscape. More recently, in 2002, lava
flows from Mt Etna caused an explosion in Sapienza, destroying two buildings and tem-
porarily halting the cable-car service. Less destructive eruptions have continued to occur
regularly over the past decade, with 2013 seeing several dramatic instances of lava foun-
taining - vertical jets of lava spewing from the mountain's southeast crater. Locals under-
standably keep a close eye on the smouldering peak.
The volcano is surrounded by the huge Parco dell'Etna, the largest unspoilt wilderness
remaining in Sicily. The park encompasses a remarkable variety of environments, from
the severe, almost surreal, summit to deserts of lava and alpine forests.
Sights & Activities
