Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The southern approach to Mt Etna presents the easier ascent to the
craters
. The AST bus
from Catania drops you off at
Rifugio Sapienza
(1923m) from where a
cable car
( 095 91 41
41;
www.funiviaetna.com
; one way/return €14.50/27, incl bus & guide €51; 9am-4.30pm)
runs up the
mountain to 2500m. From the upper cable-car station it's a 3½- to four-hour return trip up
the winding track to the authorised crater zone (2920m). Make sure you leave enough
time to get up
and
down before the last cable car leaves at 4.45pm. Or, you can pay the
extra €24 for a guided 4WD tour to take you up from the cable car to the crater zone.
An alternative ascent is from
Piano Provenzano
(1800m) on Etna's northern flank. This
area was severely damaged during the 2002 eruptions, as still evidenced by the bleached
skeletons of the surrounding pine trees. To reach Piano Provenzano you'll need a car, as
there's no public transport beyond Linguaglossa, 16km away.
Tours
Several companies offer private excursions up the mountain.
Volcano Trek
(
WALKING TOUR
333 209 66 04;
www.volcanotrek.com
)
Run by expert geologists.
Gruppo Guide Alpine Etna Sud
( 095 791 47 55;
www.etnaguide.com
)
The official guide service on Etna's southern flank,
with an office just below Rifugio Sapienza.
WALKING TOUR
Gruppo Guide Alpine
Etna Nord
( 095 777 45 02;
www.guidetnanord.com
)
Offers similar service from Linguaglossa on Etna's
northern flank.
WALKING TOUR
STAR
( 347 495 70 91;
www.funiviaetna.com/star_etna_nord.html
; €40)
Between May and October,
STAR runs 4WD excursions to the summit from Piano Provenzano.
DRIVING TOUR
Sleeping & Eating
There's plenty of B&B accommodation around Mt Etna, particularly in the small, pretty
town of Nicolosi. Contact Nicolosi's tourist information office for a full list.
