MEDITERRANEAN ISLANDS - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 81

108 under The VolCano, mounT
eTna naTional park

Need to know The lodge is open from April 1
to November 15; minimum stay is three nights.
For directions, prices and booking see W www.
etnalodge.it; T [phone]. Mount Etna
Experience ( W www.etnaexperience.com) runs day-
trips led by geologists fluent in English. For details
on visiting the national park and guided nature tours
(booking essential) see W www.parks.it/parco.etna.

There's nothing quite like jumping out of bed
and picking fresh fruit off a tree for breakfast.
Especially when you're staying in the foothills of
Mount Etna and in the distance you can see the
mountain shimmering in the morning haze.
Etna Lodge, a renovated farmhouse on a
former wine-producing estate beneath the
mountain, is a great place to stay if you want to
explore the national park. Sicilian owner Enrico
and his Scandinavian partner Ingrid grow fruit
and veg and make organic jams, wine, drinks
and oil (all of which are for sale). You stay in
the south and north wings of their nineteenth-
century farmhouse, while dinner is served in the
candlelit foyer of the main building.
There are any number of walks you can do
around the foothills and outlying craters of
Mount Etna as well as up to the summit. Tours
leave from Catania or Taormina and usually
include a full day of hiking through ash deserts
and lava landscapes, and some offer a sunset trip.
But if you'd prefer just to look at the mountain
rather than walk up it, you can chill out back at
the tranquil estate, read a book and pluck some
fruit from the trees. No one will mind.

109 porT side aT The peTiT
hoTel, siCily

Ports aren't known for their charm. Unless you're
a boatyard junkie, most are chaotic, gritty places
you can't wait to escape from. The port of Milazzo,
however, on the north coast of Sicily, is popular with
Italians as a destination in its own right, thanks
to the beaches and well-equipped campsites at
Capo Millazo, as well as being the main point of
embarkation for ferries to the Aeolian Islands.
If you're worried about the air quality then
stay at The Petit Hotel, a nineteenth-century
building on the seafront overlooking the hydrofoil
dock, which has an ionizing filter in every room
to purify the air. The hotel was given a green
makeover in 2002 using only natural materials
(such as lime instead of concrete, and non-toxic
paints). Breakfasts include organic yogurt, eggs
and jams, and the restaurant
serves traditional meals
using organic and fair trade
products.
Antonio, the owner, is also
a paragliding pilot, so go
easy on his organic wine,
otherwise you might find
the next day you've agreed
to a spot of high-altitude
soaring. It's marvellous for
the head, though, so they
say.

Volcanic terrain, Etna

Need to know For directions
and further details see www.
petithotel.it; T +39 (0) 909
286 784.