Adventure between off-road and breathtaking views
Set off on an exciting excursion on the north side of Etna, aboard latest generation 4×4 off-road vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6 environmental class), authorized by the Etna Park Authority. Throughout the entire excursion, you will be accompanied by authorized Mountain or Volcanological Guides, also in foreign languages.
The tour begins from Piano Provenzana (1,800 m) and follows the drivable track towards the summit areas of the volcano, with final destination the Volcanological Observatory of Pizzi Deneri at an altitude of 3,000 meters.
The first stop allows you to admire the ruins of the “Le Betulle” hotel, the only visible structure among those destroyed by the lava flow of October 27, 2002. You then continue towards the “Umberto and Margherita” craters (approximately 2,380 m altitude), where you can take a short trek along the edge of these impressive extinct craters, perceiving the force of nature that creates and destroys.
Upon reaching the Volcanological Observatory of Pizzi Deneri, you leave the off-road vehicle for a short trekking route of about 15 minutes to the top of the promontory (3,000 m). Here, weather permitting, the view embraces the Aeolian Islands, the Ionian Coast from Syracuse to Taormina, the Gulf of Giardini Naxos, the Calabrian coasts and the towns at the foot of the volcano, such as Castiglione di Sicilia. From above you can safely observe the summit craters and the majestic Valle del Bove, often a natural protective barrier during lava flows.
The tour continues with a visit to the eruptive theatre of the eruption of October 27, 2002. Arriving at an altitude of 1,980 m, a circular trekking route begins along the lava flows and volcanic deposits, walking on the edges of the craters and observing the characteristic “buttonhole” morphology typical of Etna’s lateral eruptions. Reaching the summit at about 2,050 m, you admire the impressive view of the eruptive theatre and the lava flow that destroyed the Piano Provenzana tourist resort.
Finally, a short descent on a sandy slope brings you back to the off-road vehicle for the return to Piano Provenzana, concluding an intense, exciting and unforgettable excursion.
