Most visitors to Sicily tend to stay in the Palermo/Cefalu’ area on the northern coast of Italy’s greatest island or in the iconic tourist towns of Taormina or Agrigento. Palermo is the capital city; Cefalu’ a famous beach resort; Taormina a jet-set destination celebrated by both ancient writers and, more recently, the likes of Truman Capote; and Agrigento is home to some of our planet’s greatest Greek ruins.
Wherever you make your base in Sicily, it is worthwhile to put aside one day to take any of the island’s fabulous highways for a visit to Mount Etna, arguably one of the world’s most impressive volcanoes.
Etna stands imposingly at slightly less than 11,000 feet tall at Sicily’s center. The town of Nicolosi is at its base, notable for its many walls and buildings built from the black lava rock once spewed from Etna’s mouth. From the base, visitors can take a cable car up the side of the volcano. From there, buses and cars for hire bring you to a tourism center where arrangements can be made to purchase a ride to the crater’s edge in an all-terrain vehicle.
We visited in the early fall when temperatures at the volcano’s base were well into the high ’70s and above, yet the top of the volcano was still snow-covered, and we actually were able to rent recycled military jackets and purchase knit hats and gloves to protect us from the cold at the crater.
The all-terrain vehicle brings visitors to within a hefty walking distance to the actual crater’s edge. Along the way, one observes an eerily fascinating moonscape, mainly gray with misty cloud wisps along the ground mingling with residual smoke from Etna itself. On days when the volcano is more active, fiery red ashes may float above the actual mouth. If lava is actually flowing down Etna’s sides – as does still happen periodically – visitors are obviously restricted from approaching the crater and putting themselves in harm’s way. Still, even at some distance, the sight of a churning volcano is something amazing to see.
Wherever one is staying in Sicily, the drive to Etna is always easily managed in a day trip with time to spare for a stop in Enna, a charming city in the very center of the island. Just a half-hour from Etna’s base, Enna’s fabulous views can be enjoyed and photographed. Have a leisurely lunch or dinner there, or linger over a drink in one of the local cafes while you savor the excitement of the great volcano rising above the arid, prickly-peared landscape of this beautiful ancient island.
To help you plan your day trip to Etna, here are some sample travel times from Sicily’s major lodging centers:
Palermo/Cefalu’ to Etna (about 90 miles), or approximately 1.5 hours each way.
Taormina (about 17 miles), or approximately 25 minutes each way.
Agrigento (about 83 miles), or approximately 1.5 hours each way.
Enna to Mt. Etna (about 32 miles), or approximately 30 minutes each way.
Again, Sicily’s highways are well-constructed and a pleasure to travel, offering fabulous views of the island and passing dozens of charming towns along the way for leisurely rest stops. Drive safely and enjoy it all.