Private Mount Etna Drive
Private Mount Etna Drive
After meeting your professionally trained guide, you will set out for the one-hour drive to the base of Mt. Etna. You will then follow a scenic road that winds its way around the slopes of the mountain passing through the town of Giarre and the villages of Santa Venerina and Zafferana. Mount Etna Cratere Silvestri is at an elevation of more than 6,500 feet above sea level. Although it is not the top of the mountain, it does offer splendid views of the slopes which are covered with volcanic cones, craters and the remnants of lava flows from the most recent eruptions. Smoke is often seen rising from Trifoglietto I and II and Mongibello at the summit, (over 10,000 feet above sea level) a reminder of the activity within.
The barren slopes at the top of the mountain lead down to forests of beech, birch, larch, and Corsican pine, which flourish in the lava-rich soil. Then rejoin your transportation for an approximate two-hour drive back to Messina.
- UNESCO Site
