Etna

The largest active volcano in Europe, in ancient times Etna was known as Vulcan’s forge and was simply called gebel (the mountain) by the Arabs.

Its distinctive Strombolian activity and its frequent eruptions, which are highly spectacular but never destructive, draw crowds of tourists from all over the world for their grandeur.

The regularity of the eruptive phenomena has turned Etna into a true laboratory and is reflected in the ever-changing scenery.

In order to safeguard its vast floral and faunal heritage, in March 1987 Parco dell’Etna was established, a huge nature park with 4 major craters and 260 volcanic cones, streams of petrified lava and rivulets fed by the snow from its peaks.

The millenary woods, the desolate valleys, the self-sown vegetation and the agricultural cultivations give life to a remarkable, unequalled scenery that anyone travelling in Sicily should not fail to visit.