Etna and Alcantara Gorges
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Etna and Alcantara Gorges
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From the Gorges of the Alcantara river to the tallest active volcano in Europe.
Description of the itinerary
The tour will you take away from the crowded areas of Etna. It starts with an easy walk on one of the most beautiful routes, “Parco dell’Etna”, where you will discover the colors and natural beauties of Europe's most active volcano. You will enjoy the spectacular lunar landscapes that Etna offers, between ancient and new lava flows, across pine, chestnuts and birch forests in company of a naturalistic guide.
Total roundtrip duration of this segment about 2-3 hours, difficulty available to change by arrangement with the guide.
Afterwards, you will explore the depths of the volcano through one of the most interesting lava caves around Etna. You will walk through a lava tube through which lava once flowed, equipped with helmets and lamps provided by your guide. During the route you will also make several stops to observe different points of interest: the eruption of 1669 of the Red Mountains which destroyed more than two thirds of the city of Catania, the basalt quarry, the old house surrounded by lava, and different ancient lava flows.
If requested, you will finish the tour on Etna with a free tasting of traditional Etna products (wines, liquors, honey, olive oil, etc.) from a Honey Farm in Zafferana.
In the afternoon, you will discover one of the most spectacular sceneries that Sicily has to offer on our detour into Alcantara Fluvial Park (not the crowded entrance most tourists know!). Here, we will observe the 300,000-year-old Gorges, deep river canyons carved out by the violent meeting of the Alcantara river’s waters with ancient lava flows from Mount Etna above.
Throughout the tour, a professional and certified guide of the Italian Association of Environmental and Walking Guides (AIGAE) will share their knowledge of the history, biology, and geology of Mount Etna and Alcantara Gorges.
Includes
- An experienced naturalistic guide member of the Italian Association of Environmental and Walking Guides (AIGAE)
- Free Pick-up/drop-off at your hotel or at the meeting point
- Helmet and torch for visiting cave
- Everything in the tour description
Languages
The excursion will take place in Italian or English
Recommended Equipment
- Sports or hiking shoes with thick warm socks;
- Outdoor clothing. The weather in the mountains can be very different to the city, and sometimes the temperature may be lower than in Catania by 10 to 15°C;
- Rucksack with water bottle;
- In summer: swimsuit;
- A camera. You can take as many pictures as you want;
- A good attitude and a great respect for nature
Requirements
Your safety is paramount and you will be accompanied by expert guides at all times: please rest assured that extreme safety precautions are taken at every step of the process.
We strongly advise those who are not in good health to refrain from attending the walking excursions, especially those suffering from cardioid or respiratory diseases. For those who fall into this category, or otherwise experience limited mobility, or simply wish to rest their tired feet from all the sightseeing they’ve already done, we can offer a tour entirely by car.
Note
In case of bad weather conditions, the guide reserves the right to make changes to the itinerary to ensure the safety of everyone present.
€ 89,00
Prices shown are per person. For groups of at least 3 people, € 10.00 discount per person
4-12 years 30% off
0-3 years Free