Etna & Wine Tour

MEETING POINT GIARRE

Our excursion begins at the motorway exit in Giarre. Already during the ride, our English-speaking guide will tell you interesting facts about the surroundings and about Etna, the largest active volcano on the Eurasian plate.

You will learn about the formation of Etna and how this volcano is reflected in the thoughts, customs and habits of the people who inhabit it.

You can enjoy comfortable and safe transport in a 6-seater Toyota, Nissan or Mitsubishi or a 7-seater Mercedes minivan. We guarantee you:

• Vehicles with regular NCC registration,
• Authorised driver with proof of professional qualification.

TOWARDS ETNA PARK

We set off in the direction of Etna Park. We leave the beautiful Lemon Riviera and approach the villages on Mount Etna.

From 1000 m above sea level, the nature reserve “Parco dell’Etna” (Etna Park) extends over an area of 720 km². We encounter lava flows that, like black highways, cut through the slope of the mountain: the “sciara”, as the lava is called when it is cold and hard.

TREKKING – CRATER VISIT

We start our trekking on the north side of Etna. As we walk among pines, beeches and globally unique indigenous plants, such as the beguiling smelling Etna broom (Genista aetnensis) and the Etna birch (Betula aetnensis), we can admire this unusual landscape and enjoy breathtaking views.

We reach the edge of a side crater, where the boiling hot lava flowed out of the slope. In front of us, however, is not just this one crater, but a series of seven craters in total. We are standing on the “buttonline” of the Sartorius craters, which was formed during the eruption of 1865.

They were named after the geologist Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen. He produced such good and accurate maps of Etna that they were used for about 100 years, until the switch to satellite imagery in the 1980s.

We walk along these 7 craters and can admire the north-eastern crater, one of the 4 summit craters of Etna, and Monte Frumento delle Concazze, the largest of the more than 300 lateral craters of Etna.

TASTING OF HONEYS, CREAMS AND LIQUEURS OF ETNA

After the hike you can taste the sweetest specialities of Etna for free: Honey, also called the gold of Etna; creams made from pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts; Modica chocolate and of course liqueurs such as the fire of Etna, pistachio, almond, hazelnut, tangerine, melon liqueurs,…

LAVA TUNNEL

Now we want to discover what lies beneath the hard crust of lava. In front of us we see a crack in the ground: one of about 190 lava tunnels on Etna, created by the flow of hot lava.

Equipped with helmets and lamps, we descend and begin the underground adventure to discover the most hidden secrets of “a muntagna”, as the Sicilians call Etna.

VISIT OF A WINERY, WINE TASTING & LUNCH

After the trekking we visit one of the most renowned wineries of Etna to get to know the volcanic wines. After a guided tour of the winery and learning about wine making here on Etna, a tasting of wines and matching local specialities awaits us.

You have two choices:

• For the small appetite, there is the version with 4 wines and starters (cheese, sausage, ham, olives, etc.).
• If you want to get to know the typical Sicilian cuisine better, you can choose the option with 5 wines and a complete menu with antipasti, first and second course (pasta, meat with side dishes) and dessert.

RETURN – UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE!

After exploring Etna inside and out, we have reached the end of our day together. Well fortified, we return to the starting point of our journey.

Until the next adventure!