Catania has a beautiful seaside promenade, an amazing and long history, which brings lots of culture and arts. But, just 35km / 21mi from Catania you can experience all the terrible beauty of nature: Mount Etna, the tallest volcano in Europe.
Just like “moonwalking”: the Etna Landscape
Etna is around 3,329m /10,922ft. around because the eruptions can vary – even dramatically – the shape of the mount.
Etna is a stratovolcano, with its classic, iconic, conical shape it dominates Sicily and the Catania Skyline.
You have many options about tours to visit the threatening and menacing slopes of the mount, that remind of desert moonscape where the solidified lava had annihilated the vegetation.
Etna: of ice and fire
Mount Etna is… tall enough to get snowcapped in winter, thus it is possible to ski, sometimes with a lava flow in background too! Ski instructors are available, while it is possible to go for a freeride or snowshoeing as well.
Etna… by donkey
A definitely unusual way to visit the Etna’s slopes is the donkey trekking option, but, if you are more into… horsepower than donkeys, also the quad bike option is available: which definitely makes sense, as sometimes the Etna landscape could just be a Mad Max Set!
Hanging – literally! – around the Volcano
If you want to transform a day trip from Catania into a volcano – centric holiday, you should give Circumetnea a try.
The around Etna train service is a perfect way to enjoy not only the landscape and the environment, but, a small town after another, the culture and the amazing food of the area as well.
From the Catania Borgo train station you will reach Randazzo, with the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria; the medieval castle of Paternò; or, if you are in search of local delicatessen, Bronte: the capital town of pistachio!