At a height of 3300 metres above sea level and surrounded by approximately 58000 hectares of natural park with ancient trees Etna offers to its visitors many wonderful excursions both in summer and winter, verified by the thousands of tourists who visit every year. One of the most beautiful destinations is to follow the walks  leading from Zafferana to the ‘Valley of the Ox’ – a natural hollow, changed by the eruptions of  1992.  One excursion not be missed is that to the larger craters, reachable on foot from Rifugio Sapienza, Rifugio Citelli and from Piano Provenzana. In 2002 Rifugio Sapienza which is also a well-known Sicilian ski resort was wiped out by an eruption. Now completely restructured and renovated, it provides  walking excursions, skiing and much more. One of the lesser known spectacles that Etna has given us are the numerous lava caves naturally formed over a hundred years of eruptions in succession. During the winter it is possible to snow on Etna even if there aren’t a lot of ski lifts, there is the possibility of cross-country skiing or mountaineering. The most popular excursion of all the tourists who come to visit Etna is the ascent to the top craters at around 2900 metres above sea level,  this point can be reached via a cable way and Jeep specially prepared to cover the hard lava terrain.

The Etna district itself  is within the depression of Alcantara to the north, and the river Simeto to the west and south.  The fascinating landscape etneo  in  which overlapped with tenacity the works of man, both in cultivation  and permanent  head office, constantly challenged by the relentless activity that characterizes the multiplicity of its aspect. Infact up to 500 mt. of altitude  the area of Piedimonte etneo is marked by the spring waters, by the high concentration of settlements, because of the dense vegetation for agricultural use.  Higher the thinner area, give space to the grapevine cultivations and the Mediterranean scrub that goes to a height of 1300 meters above sea level. Etna for its significant natural meaning and the exceptional  landscape value, it has been declared as National Park.

Useful Etna volcano links:

http://www.funiviaetna.com/
http://www.parks.it/parco.etna/Eindex.php

ITINERARY -ALCANTARA GORGE The Alcantara gorge is situated in the Alcantara valley in Sicily. The gorge stretches  up to 25 metres high and is wide, at its narrowest point 2 metres and its widest point 4-5 metres.  This natural canyon, on the contrary to common belief, is not the result of water erosion over thousands of years.

-TRAIL OF THE 'GURNE'  (FRANCAVILLA DI SICILIA)  PACKED LUNCH* The 'Gurne' or small lakes of Alcantara  are situated in the Alcantara valley in Sicily. They consist of  16 small, round lakes formed in the lava bed of the river, all falling towards each other . Their width varies from 5 to 30 metres in diametre and their depth from 5 to 10 metres. The 'Gurne' are located in the vicinity of Francavilla di Sicilia near to the hilltop ruins of its castle, The last 'Gurna' is near the village of Fondaco motta.

Archeological digs:

Le saje

Le Gurne

Il Castello di Francavilla

Al Qantarah  ( FIUME ALCANTARAM )

Il Mulino Ciappa

-BYZANTINE CHURCH  +   GORGES The Cuba is a paleochrisitian or byzantine chapel  in Sicily, erected by basilian monks from the VII century. The  gorges are situated in the terrority of Castiglione di Sicilia.

-MOUNT MOYO ( VULCANO OF MOYO ALCANTARA) Close to the town of Mojo Alcantara, lies this small vulcanic  mount,  700 metres high. A path winds along the side of the volcano, reaching the summit at its crater and circling its entire circumference.

Isolabella from our restaurant

Mazzarò (alias Taormina mare) is a coastal fraction of Taormina. Tourists have plenty of choice, to make their way from Taormina that leads to the sea and vice versa. You can drive along the Via Pirandello and continue on  the SS.114, or by the cable car that connects in few minutes   Mazzarò to Taormina center and vice versa. For those who wants  to enjoy the colors of Sicily  can undertake a walk that starts from the beautiful panoramic view and ends with the arrival of the front bay  of Isola Bella, immersed in an evergreen garden full of flowers and prickly pears characteristic of the Mediterranean. From the Bay of Mazzarò you  can reach any other costal  area : The Grotta  Azzurra, the Capo Taormina one of the most exclusive area , also for its emerald green sea.

> See our rooms with sea view.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

Catania has had a long and eventful history, having been founded in the 8th century BC.In the 14th century and the Renaissance, Catania was one of Italy's most important and flourishing cultural, artistic and political centres,including having witnessed the opening in 1434 of the first university in Sicily.Today, Catania is one of the main economic, touristic and educational centres in the island, being an important hub of the technological industry, thus gaining the nickname of the "European Silicon Valley".

The city has two Roman amphitheaters. The smaller one, off Via Vittorio Emanuele near Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi, was built upon an earlier Greek theater and is open to the public. It is said to have accommodated as many as 6,000 spectators. The nearby Odeum, a much smaller theatre, could hold about 1,300. A larger amphitheatre, closer to the commercial center in Piazza Stesicoro at the intersection of Via Etnea and Corso Sicilia, is a completely Roman structure built in the second century AD. The piazza, incidentally, is named for Stesichorus, a Greek poet who lived in Catania during the sixth century BC. Now located below ground level and usually closed, this vast complex probably seated about 14,000 spectators. Only a small part of is actually visible today. With its vast underground network of passages and alcoves, it is reminiscent of the Roman Colosseum.

Ursino Castle, located in Piazza Federico di Svevia, at the end of Via Auteri between Via Plebiscito and Via Garibaldi, used to be a coastal fortress before volcanic eruptions extended the coastline. This castle was built by Richard de Lentina on the orders of Emperor Frederick II von Hohenstaufen in the first half of the thirteenth century and subsequently modernized in the manner of those at Messina, Taranto and Bari. It is now a museum open to the public.

Though extensively rebuilt on Baroque and neo-classical models, the oldest part of the cathedral (duomo) was constructed in 1092. Several royal personages are entombed there, including Frederick III of Aragon (ruled 1296-1337) and Queen Constance, wife of Frederick IV (ruled 1355-1377). It was during the Aragonese period that Catania began to compete with Messina to become the most important city of eastern Sicily, and a point of reference for islanders from Castrogiovanni (Enna) eastward.

Most of Catania's wide streets and majestic palaces were built during the eighteenth century, coincidental to the Bourbon's development of Naples, and the architectural similarity between the two cities is striking. That both were continually menaced by volcanic eruptions is a further similarity, though Etna is larger and more active than Vesuvius. An obvious difference will be seen in the gray volcanic stone used to construct the Catanian buildings; some visitors believe it gives the city an ominous face.

Giovanni Verga and Vincenzo Bellini were Catanian (though Verga was actually born at Vizzini). Catania's best known citizen was Saint Agatha, its patroness, martyred here in the middle of the third century.

It was during the eighteenth century reconstruction period that noble families from across eastern Sicily began to build palazzi in Catania. Thus began a social and economic rivalry with Palermo that continues to this day. One of the essential differences between the cities is that while Catania is somewhat more industrial, Palermo remains the administrative center of Sicily. Though it won't be readily apparent to the casual visitor, the two cities differ from one another in many subtle ways. Catania is certainly less chaotic than Palermo, and most streets and squares are a good bit cleaner. Its residents are generally more open, and organized crime, which certainly exists, is slightly less pervasive here than in Palermo. Most Sicilians, even Palermitans, would agree that it's generally easier to do business in Catania than in Palermo.

For all its Baroque grandeur, the city is not frequented by the number of tourists who flock to Palermo, Syracuse and Taormina, most of whom just briefly pass through Catania on their way to Mount Etna or Syracuse. That's unfortunate because, like Messina, Catania has something to offer those willing to unveil its historic treasures. Even during a brief itinerary, this very special city is worth at least a morning or afternoon.

For Visitors: If you're shopping for souvenirs, Taormina might be a better choice than Catania as it has a large number of shops concentrated on a few streets, though Catania offers Via Etnea. The city has a number of restaurants but they're not easy to find. Catania is certainly worth seeing --at least for a brief visit. The two large street markets are particularly interesting, and the churches and palaces have a distinctly Baroque aura. Catania is a good point for making connections to other places if you're traveling by train or bus. Buses for Etna, the airport, Palermo and various nearby towns depart from the piazzas near the train station (there are several different bus lines with offices off the main square). Fontanarossa Airport is only about 20 minutes from Catania. There are fairly frequent train departures for Taormina, Syracuse, Messina and the mainland.

Next to this underground cavities are other huge cave Rope Makers, until a few years ago used by the artisans that produced hemp rope. Archimedes's Tomb site in the northwest of the archaeological park of the city an area that until Hellenistic necropolis that was dedicated to the burial caves. One of the largest graves is traditionally called Tomb of Archimedes. The philosopher born in Syracuse, was one of the greatest scientists of antiquity.