Many tips to live an experience in close contact with the imposing nature of the best known and most visited volcano in Europe.
THEEtna has always been there most popular and requested destination by tourists in Italy and Europe. Also, did you know that 2019, inaugurated as the year of green, slow and sustainable tourism, has mountains as protagonists?
In this case, I even tell you that we will see our Volcano excel over all other destinations.
The highest and most visited volcano in Europe
Yes, with its 3340 meters high, Etna wins the primacy as the highest volcano on the European continent and with its natural landscapes it attracts a multitude of visitors every day, international and non, ready to experience strong emotions at its imposing presence.
There are many hiking activities that you can play on this Good Giant.
Those that I will propose later (personally, as a good Etna!) Are certainly the two most exciting and complete activities to get to know Mongibello better and, why not, do some physical exercise at the same time in view of the summer!
Trekking on Etna
Walking is certainly the most direct and impactful way to get in touch with nature, to learn to know and respect it; it is for this reason that trekking on Etna conquers the podium in my personal ranking of the best excursions on Etna. If your goal is to get away from the boring routine and chaotic and noisy life of the city, this is the route for you!
After deciding the starting point: Randazzo (due to its strategic position), we leave for the wonderful natural and volcanic sceneries that await us.
We leave Randazzo along the Provincial Road Etna Quota Mille and we advance until we take the path that will take us to the first stage of our journey. We turn to the right and then to the left, what we see is the same thing: we are surrounded by skiing, black as pitch, typical of Etna. We walk again, always observing that almost extraterrestrial landscape, straight towards the 1981 eruptive vents, craters formed during a lava flow so imposing as to threaten the destruction of the town of Randazzo.
Slow pace, therefore, careful and upward gaze! Once there, we have the opportunity to see for ourselves the depth of these inactive craters. Taking pictures here is almost mandatory!
Woods and lava flows
We walk again and this time we don't just see skiing, but nature begins to emerge, fearful, and lets itself be admired: what we observe is an alternation of woods - now of pines now of centuries-old beeches - interspersed with ancient lava flows. Always new landscapes, which change abruptly, and different in vegetation, colors and smells, accompany us while the chirping of birds is the background melody for this pleasant adventure.
We are lucky and we see a cute little animal dart in front of our feet and leave its little footprints: it is a wild bunny (if you are hoping to find the wild cat of Etna, however, forget it: it is rare if not almost impossible).
After about 500 meters of ascent, sometimes even a bit tiring (but don't worry, you will be rewarded), we reach boundless lava fields that are over half a millennium old! From this position we peer into the distance and we realize that what we see on the horizon, blue and placid, is the sea: incredible!
The Raspberry Cave
But the amazement doesn't stop there, we have a final stage to reach, perhaps the most enchanting. Shy and hidden among the lava valleys, she lies solemn one of the most beautiful volcanic caves of Etna: the Cave of the Raspberries. I recommend, only by having the right equipment and the necessary knowledge, with the right precautions, you can channel yourself into its bowels! With its three canals hundreds of meters long and the marvelous stalactites - also called "dog teeth" - this is one of the deepest lava flow tunnels on Etna. The gallery is located in the declared natural site World Heritage Site in 2013. With eyes full of enchantment and wonder, we are now ready to return home after hours of walking, more aware of how much sublime beauty Mother Nature can hide and protect (together with us, we owe it to her).
MTB on Etna
Other exciting activities aimed at visiting the Volcano are, then, the mountain-bike excursions on Etna. No longer our feet, but the bicycle will be the link between us and nature; not only the desire for adventure and discovery, but also the fatigue and strength of our legs will give us the motivation to continue undeterred and determined towards the goal, all accompanied by that adrenaline-pumping thought of feeling the wind on us and seeing the asphalt slip away under the two wheels.
Don't be afraid of this disheartening preamble, there is no contraindication to getting on a bicycle (indeed, according to research, it extends your life!).
The route that I propose later (the best, I assure you) will take you to explore the most evocative and important naturalistic points of Etna, all in a single day. The departure, also in this case, is scheduled in Randazzo (my city) and, after having performed a general check of our vehicles, we are ready to ride.
We have chosen a splendid sunny day, the ideal companion for not giving in to discouragement when it is time to work hard. We pedal under the cloudless mantle of the sky, the sunlight radiates our face. We begin to undertake the Alto-montana track, a circular dirt path that leads to the destinations we have chosen.
We pedal without realizing the time that has passed and we arrive at the New Gussonea Garden of Etna, a magnificent botanical garden that houses and safeguards only Etna plant species in order also to make the local flora known and studied.
We go forward and observing among the wooded areas we can recognize birches and downy oaks among countless species. We take pictures, put everything in the drawer of our mind and leave again. The sun is now filtered by the foliage and the chirping gives way to the relaxing rustle of the leaves on the trees and below us.
The landscape view changes again, we arrived near the eruptive fracture of Monte Nunziata in 1843; developed on the western slope at an altitude of 2300 meters, it triggered a lava flow aimed at threatening the town of Bronte. We know that at the base of this eruptive apparatus there is a cave, we walk with an attentive look and we find it: it is the cave of Monte Nunziata, a lava flow tunnel with a steep and landslide entrance (about 7 meters).
We leave and arrive near Spanish mountain; the vegetation seems to have grown thicker. We come across the largest and most secular beech forest of Etna and this place also seems to be ready and posing for a photo shoot; we don't want to disappoint him and we immortalize him in countless shots.
After not much pedaling, we notice a landscape change again: lava again. We observe the already described inactive eruptive vents of 1981 and suddenly we are close to Pass of the Dammusi, desert and earth of the particular and rare "rope lavas" (for their rope shape) or "pahoehoe" (lavas on which you can walk), curious and with a surface similar to that of a grater due to the crystals incorporated in the inside them. A truly out of the ordinary landscape, there are no words to describe it except “WOW”!
Finally, a short distance away we find the aforementioned Grotta dei Lamponi, the last stop of our fantastic adventure, tiring, but undoubtedly to remember.
Both the two activities are easy to carry out in total autonomy, but for those who do not know Etna and its paths or those who want to live these experiences in absolute safety, I recommend visiting the specialized site sicilynatureadventures.it and contact guides among the most experienced in the area which, in addition to ensuring moments of pure fun and emotions in the midst of nature, will give you all the information you need to increase your knowledge of this imposing volcano, the territory in which it lives and its history.
Why linger any longer? Choose the activity that suits you best, lace your shoes, take your favorite backpack and go to meet the sublime grandeur of nature!
