Mt. Etna

Mt. Etna

Commanding eastern Sicily is Mount Etna (3292 m), the highest and largest active volcano in Europe. Etna has been active in modern times, as close as 2001 and 2002. The most threatening eruption was in 1928 when the little village of Mascali was buried under its lava. The last eruption was in October 2002 when eastern Sicily was covered in thick, dirty air. The ash was seen as far away as on the coast of Tripoli. Luckily, none of the neighbouring villages were destroyed. The most violent eruption however took place on 11th March 1669 with the trail of destruction extending up to Catania, thirty-one kilometers away.

Etna plays an important role in Greek mythology. The god of fire and blacksmiths, Hephaestus, and his assistant, a single-eyed Cyclops, is said to have lived here. Zeus defeated Typhoeus the dragon under Etna and brought Olympus under his control. This led the 5th-century B.C. Greek philosopher, Empedocles, to jump into it so he’d get to Mount Olympus to his seat among the gods. Legend has it that when Typhoeus tried to break out of his prison under the volcano lava erupted and a powerful earthquake was caused.

You can choose where you want to enter the volcano from, the north or the south. Most of the lava flow in the recent past has been towards the south and this has caused the slope to be a desert. The northern side is thickly forested and a lot prettier and cooler than the southern side. But strangely, the southern side is more popular with visitors.

To get to the northern side, take the highway to Piano Provenzana that ends in an area full of souvenir shops. (During winter this is also a small skiing village with five downhill slopes and several cross-country trails.) You buy your tickets here to enter the tope of the volcanic mountain. The guided tour lasts two hours and costs 37€ for adults and 26€ for children under 16. These tours are quite frequent, especially in summer when there is a departure every hour.

The bus takes you up to an abandoned seismic exploration station. You can walk a bit farther to a point near the top for a closer look. There's no fire and brimstone to see however. And if there is all bus tours are immediately discontinued.
Etna is visible from ground level only in the morning; it is often hidden in mist after lunch.

The Foothills of Mt. Etna

For the best excursions to Mount Etna, get to Linguaglossa. Piano Provenza is easily accessible from here, from where you can visit the volcano’s summit as well as the ski resort. The summit can be reached either by van or you can also hike to the top. For the latter, you’ll take the same route used by the bus excursions and will take you three hours to get to the top.

Porto Ercole

Porto Ercole

On the south side of Monte Argentario is Porto Ercole. It is an attractive old quarter and has a fishing-village atmosphere. Porto Ercole has several boating marinas and has long been a sailors' town. It is home to no less than three forts, the most interesting of which is Fort Stella. Named for its shape, it was built in the form of a star. One of its courtyards is a hexagon. Though founded by the Romans, Porto Ercole’s chief historical monuments are two Spanish fortresses, facing each other across the harbour. At the entrance to the old town, a plaque on the stone gate commemorates the painter Caravaggio, who in 1610 keeled over with sunstroke on a beach nearby and died of a fever; he was buried in the parish church of Sant'Erasmo. From the village, you can easily walk across the Tombolo di Feniglia, which is barred to traffic and is a prime spot for birdwatching over the lagoon.

The town of Porto Ercole is surrounded by the remains of a mighty stone fortress. Much of the wall facing the Tyrrhenian Sea remains sufficiently intact and you can walk its length while standing tall above the ocean. The wall is narrow and uneven but if you're up to the challenge, it's worth it. The sea is so beautiful and the palm trees so grand, you can forget to look where you're going. So please be careful!

After facing down the dangers on the fortress wall, you can go outside the walls on the other side of town and grab yourself a delicious gelato. Several kiosks are located at the edge of a park serving sweets and espresso. During the summer, these little cafes continue serving well into the night, so you can indulge yourself on the way home from a movie, dancing or a local concert. Finest restaurant for fish and seafood is the classy Gambero Rosso, Lungomare Andrea Doria (tel 0564 832 650; closed Wed).