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Etna Alcantara tour is the experience to discover two totally different types of lava landscapes. The first part of the day will take you in the northern side of Mt. Etna at 6500 ft above sea level. Here you will learn about the stages that led to the origin of Mt. Etna and the different types of volcanic activities all hiking up to the edge of some of the extinct craters formed by the eruption of 2002.
In the second part of the Etna Alcantara tour, you will visit the Alcantara Valley where the Alcantara river has shaped the famous lava canyon formed by prehistoric lava flows of Mount Etna. Don’t forget to wear your swimsuit, as you will have the chance to go in the chilly waters of the river.
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Departure times are set according to the arrival and departure time of cruise ships based on the calendars that we know in advance. Return on time is 100% guaranted, and we wait for our guests to arrive if the ship is late disembarking.
At the check-out, you can see and decide what you want to pay according to the group size you choose.
At the check-out you will be asked to fill a form with basic info: name, mobile phone number, e-mail, name of the ship ecc. If a discount code is available, this is the moment to use it.
*Please, be sure to share with us a correct phone number because we will use it to share important reminiders and notes for your trip in advance.
You have the option to pay with a deposit of 40% if the total due amount is more than 500€. We will later charge your card for the balance within 15 days to the tour departure.
Mt Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe with it 10.900 ft. The newest mountain of Sicily, it started its eruptions 500.000 years ago and since then has never stopped!
Alcantara River Park: the Alcantara river Park, established in 2001, is a protected area the cold Alcantara river originates in the Nebrodi Mountains and flows into the middle of a spectacular lava canyon. In the Alcantara area became a River Park
Hiking tour: we will hike up to some of the extinct craters of Mount Etna, walking around the edge and admiring the wonderful lava landscape.
Alcantara river experience: according to your fitness level you can choose whether to reach the Alcantara Gorges with a staircase down the river or if you want to hike along the river banks to reach the so-called Gurne of Alcantara, natural round ponds that the river shaped in the lava rocks.
Volcanism: Mt Etna is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world. With this hike tour you learn how a volcano works, the different kinds of eruptions, and you will experience by yourself how an eruption can affect the landscape.
Geology: we will be able to see different lava type, both on Mt Etna and in along the extraordinary Alcantara river with its basaltic lava wall.
The Etna Alcantara tour starts from the cruise pier. After a driving of around 2 hours, we will first reach the northern slopes of Mt Etna. Here we will start our hiking experience up to ancient craters, admiring the lava landscape, the new vegetation and remains from the last big eruption of 2002.
After the hike with our bus we will drive through the lava fields with views on the town of Castiglione di Sicilia crossing the countryside with many vineyards, to reach the Alcantara Valley.
After lunch, we will go to see the amazing landscape of the Alcantara river. We are going to see the impressive lava canyon with its basalt walls. Here you can put your feet in the refreshing water of the river and take a nice picture. If you like to hike more you can reach the Gurne of Alcantara.
English, French
Adjustable according to the fitness level of the group.
Don’t forget to wear proper hiking or comfortable shoes. Swimsuit, towel and water shoes in the summertime. A windbreaker could be helpful on Mt Etna, especially in the autumn season.
The Etna and Alcantara tour will depart from the cruise pier of Messina.
Memorable trip to Mt. Etna and Sicily
Claudia and Andrea made this Mt. Etna tour very enjoyable and memorable despite the
less than perfect weather. We would gladly tour with them again when we get another
chance!
A Mountain of Memories
Hiking Mt. Etna with my family. Sara was wonderful and even took us to a cave. We would highly recommend this tour. Be sure to be ready for a hike and bring water shoes for the gorges because the rocks can hurt your feet. Sara made the most of our time there and it was definitely a high light of our trip!
Great and comfortable tour!
This tour and our guide Sara did a wonderful job. We highly recommend her and the company used. It was our most comfortable transport and knowledgeable/personable guide. We enjoyed the volcano and the gorge. Some improvement areas would be a standard checklist to let guests know what items they need to bring with them (we were unaware of needing water shoes and had to purchase them at the gorge site). Very happy overall – thank you.
Recommended!!
What a fantastic day! Our guide Claudia was wonderful! She showed us this amazing
landscape. Shared loads of information and beautiful sites! Lunch was very good at
Alacantra and the river beautiful. Be prepared to walk some steep terrain in the sun!
Would definitely do this again!
This was an amazing once in a lifetime experience that I would highly recommend! It doesn’t matter your fitness level because the guide takes breaks along the way and it’s not more than 2 miles with only 900’ elevation gain. There’s also an easy hike option versus a harder hike option so anyone can do it. We pregamed with the best cannolis I’ve ever had to fuel our hike and then had an amazing Sicilian lunch afterwards. Our tour guide Sara did such a great job and taught me a lot about volcanos, local traditions, the culture, etc. They also guaranteed us back to our port with plenty of time to spare. The convenience of the pick up and drop off right at the port was great!
