Description

DIFFICULTY: •••/5 | SHARED TOUR | €59 GUIDE + €54 CABLE CAR TICKET (RESIDENCE IN SICILY €15)

This high-altitude excursion, a great alternative to visiting the summit craters when they are closed to the public, will let you experience the thrill of walking surrounded by surreal panoramas.

The stages of the tour

Ascent by cable car

On this excursion, the first part of the ascent—from 1950 to 2510 meters—will be done on the famous Etna cable car, departing from the renowned Rifugio Sapienza. This pioneering ski lift project has challenged the volcano since 1955. This tourist facility has been engulfed by lava five times. The view of the Gulf of Catania and the southern slopes, with their recent and ancient lava flows, will loom ever higher.

floor of the lake

After leaving the Etna cable car station, we'll head towards the Piano del Lago, so called because of the once-present seasonal lake formed by melting snow. After the 2001 eruption, it no longer exists and has been covered by a volcanic cone (the cone of the lake) about 80 meters high.

The Barbagallo Craters

We'll then climb to the rim of the Barbagallo crater (approximately 2950 meters), a cone formed in the 2002/3 eruption that altered the morphology of the area. From here, the view is breathtaking. You'll be able to admire the expanse of volcanic "tephra" that forms the jet-black lake plain, the most recent lava flows, and then them: the summit craters of Mount Etna, looming before you just over a kilometer away as the crow flies.

The Valley of the Ox

Another unmissable stop, if we're lucky—weather-wise—will be the Valle del Bove lookout point at 2700 meters, the highest point we reached on our adventure. This is the best vantage point to enjoy the extraordinary panorama of the natural amphitheater created by a series of massive volcanic collapses and cataclysms, which literally caused the volcano's eastern flank to collapse into the sea.

Descent into the sandy ravines

Depending on the group's physical condition, the descent will be entirely by trekking through the sandy ravines back to the parking lot, or alternatively, by taking the cable car again. For the afternoon version of the tour, the descent must be by trekking.