Sicily’s tallest peak is the majestic Mt. Etna, one of Europe’s most famous active volcanoes. In the 20th Century, the most violent eruptions occurred in 1910, leading to the formation of 23 additional craters. Then in 1928, a lava flow destroyed the village of Mascali, and other major eruptions have since followed: in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1991-92, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012.
In the half-day excursion, we will visit the Crateri Silvestri, an area at 2,000 metres (6,000 feet). In the full-day excursion – weather-permitting, of course – we can ascend to the top by funicular and 4-wheel drive to reach the slope of the central crater at around the 3,000 metres (10,000 feet). We will be in the vicinity of the former Torre del Filosofo, a refuge, which was destroyed by lava in 1998. Here also are four other craters: the southeastern crater, the immense central crater, the northeastern crater, and the Bocca Nuova (“New Mouth”), which has been the most active recently.