Mini Travel Guides

The mountaintop town of Erice, on the west coast of Sicily, looks medieval, but it’s much older than that. Waves of conquerors left their mark long before the Normans got there in 1167, built their fortresses and changed the name from Eryx to Monte San Giuliano. That name stuck until 1934, when it was changed to Erice.

The town stands 750 meters above the sea, and I got there by driving a narrow, winding road in fog and mist. Next time I’ll ride the funivia (cable car) from Trapani and explore Erice on foot. (The funivia is closed for 3 months in winter.) Erice’s maze-like streets were not designed for cars, and some of the lanes are so narrow you have to walk single file. Guided walking tours are available. I just wandered in the swirling fog, feeling a surreal sense of long ago. Sometimes I caught tantalizing glimpses of views that are spectacular when the weather is clear. Erice looks over the city of Trapani and the salt flats around it, the coastline, outlying islands, and the sea beyond, sometimes as far as Tunisia.

Piazza Umberto is the heart of Erice, a public square edged with shops, cafes, and the Cordici Civic Museum in the Town Hall. The museum holds artifacts from the Phoenician, Greek and Roman periods and several archeological discoveries.

Erice has about 60 churches, some in ruins. A few not to miss:

Mother Church (Chiesa Matrice)
This 14^th –century building, both Gothic and Romanesque, was made from stones from the Temple of Venus. It holds treasures of silver, alabaster, ivory, and silk, as well as frescoes, rose windows, a marble Renaissance altarpiece, and a 17^th-century silver statue of St. Padua.

Church of St. John and Church of St. Ursula
These churches have been modified but still show their medieval beginnings and craftsmanship.

Church of St. Martin
Redone in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the church has some beautifully carved wooden pieces.

My climb up to the church on the edge of the mountain peak, was worth every step. The fog lifted, and before me lay the whole panorama. The castle stands on the site of the Temple of Venus, where the goddess was worshiped long ago, and legend has it that a well on the property is where she bathed in milk. In the 12^th century the Normans built a crenelated fortress on the temple ruins, and today it’s surrounded by the Balio Gardens, a park of greenery contrasting with the rugged hillside and gray stone.

Since Erice is on the coast, seafood can be found on most restaurant menus, and it’s prepared with Sicilian flair. Monte San Giuliano is one of the best restaurants, serving swordfish, tuna, calamari and other seafood fresh from regional waters, along with pasta dishes and the local favorite, couscous. The restaurant has indoor and patio seating.

One of Erice’s claims to fame is its wonderful pastries. If you like almonds you’ll love them here. One of the best pastry shops is owned by Maria Grammatico, who learned her art during her convent childhood. Her creations are much more than cookies. They include rum-filled marzipan balls, miniature fruits and animals made from almond paste, and torrone, a candy of almonds, pistachios and honey. Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian Girlhood was written by Maria Grammatico with Mary Taylor Simeti. Another fine bakery is Pasticceria Michele Il Tulipano. Pastries here, made with almonds and chocolate, are beautifully decorated and can be eaten at the shop’s coffee bar.  Other Erice artisans are noted for making ceramics, jewelry, and hand-made carpets, sold in dozens of shops.

If you spend the night in Erice, the tour crowds will be gone by early evening and you’ll feel you have stepped back in time as you stroll the quiet streets. A few recommended hotels:

Hotel Moderno
This 40 room hotel has great views from the roof terrace. Rooms in the 19^th-century building and annex are basic, but the amenities are modern.

Villaggio Hotel La Pineta
La Pineta has a lovely setting among pine trees. Prices are reasonable for the simple rooms. There are two bars, one with a terrace, and the restaurant serves Sicilian and traditional Italian foods.

Hotel Elimo
Elimo has 21 rooms, some with sweeping views, a restaurant with a terrace, and a piano bar.

Torri Pepoli
While you may not have been invited to William and Kate’s wedding, you will have an opportunity to stay in a castle. This one, first built in the 11^th century and added to over the years, has three watch towers. Four-star Pepoli, set in a lush garden, is expensive and enchanting. Its seven rooms, each beautifully furnished and with stunning views, have all the modern conveniences (though there are corridors and stairways to contend with). A room in the tower wing is perfect for a romantic honeymoon. (NOTE: Torri Pepoli is closed from May 5, 2011 to December 31, 2011.)

Erice’s best-known festival takes place every summer. It’s the international Week of Medieval and Renaissance Music, drawing musicians, tourists, and music-lovers from around the world. I can’t imagine a better setting for it.

Written by Marilyn McFarlane for EuropeUpClose.com

Related posts:

1. Off the Beaten Path in Sicily
2. The Skinny on Taormina, Sicily
3. Around and About Catania, Sicily

Italy is a very popular holiday destination but as Andy has written, the gorgeous island of Sicily is sometimes overlooked. Overlook it no more! Here is a collection of things to do in Sicily which should convince you to add it to your holiday wish list. One big tip though – unless you’re a real sun-lover, Sicily can often get really hot in high summer so try pretty much any other time of year.

Mount Etna

Europe’s tallest active volcano is located on Sicily, and a visit to (or at least near to!) Mount Etna is an essential part of a Sicily trip. It’s very active so don’t expect to go hiking up around its rim or anything too adventurous, but Mount Etna and surrounds are part of an attractive national park.

Mount Etna by ascii

Palermo: Sicily’s capital city

You might think Palermo is famous for housing many mafia members (and you might be right), but it’s also a pleasant city to explore. It features the Capuchin Catacombs, the Palermo Cathedral, La Martorana Church and the Gesu Church, among other key sights. Most of these are within walking distance from each other in the city’s centre. You can find the best deals at Palermo hotels using the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Cathedral in Palermo by ImNotQuiteJack

Catania: Sicily’s second city

Catania is somewhat unique in that after the 1669 eruption of Mount Etna which destroyed the city, it was rebuilt out of the lava – it’s really a volcano city. Catania has great nightlife if you’re looking to get out of your hotel in the evening and during the day, you can admire the World Heritage-listed baroque architecture of its centre.  You can find great prices on hotels in Catania on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Collegiata Church in Catania by ciccioetneo

Erice

Sian has written about the hidden gem of Erice before, a small medieval town atop Mt Erice. The fairy tale Pepoli Castle is the most well-known attraction but Sian suggests that simply strolling around is also a great way to spend a day in Erice.  If you want to spend a night in Eirice, HotelsCombined quickly finds the lowest hotel prices.

Shopping in Erice by Pelodia

Archaeological sites

Sicily is home to numerous archaeological sites and you can view many artefacts at Palermo’s Archaeological Museum. There is also a Greek amphitheatre in Taormina and near Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples is also well worth a visit.

The Temple of Gemini near Agrigento by Alun Salt

Aeolian Islands

Just off Sicily, the Aeolian Islands are a string of seven islands including Lipari, Salina, Panarea and Stromboli and they’re the place to visit for nature lovers and anyone looking for gorgeous landscapes. Boat tours including several islands are readily available or just pick one for a longer stay. You can find compare hotel prices in Lipari and Stromboli on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

View from Lipari by tore_urnes

Vendicari Reserve

Vendicari Reserve is a long stretch of wild beach on the south-east side of Sicily and a great place for a long walk and to get away from the daily bustle.

Vendicari Reserve by Gabriele Iuvara

Your Sicily travel tips

What parts of Sicily can you recommend? Please leave any tips in the comments – thanks!

Seven Things to Do in Sicily

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

Sicily, a region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is home to Catania, the island’s second largest city (Palermo is the largest.) Catania is a very beautiful, laid-back city that boasts a surprising amount of greenery, considering its extremely sunny and hot climate. The humidity, however, is quite low and when the sea breeze hits, the air is absolutely delicious. In spite of the low humidity, travelers are routinely thankful to find an abundance of public drinking fountains. And while there is much to see and do in Catania, it is in the small, surrounding towns where you’ll find pure, Italian charm and  respite from the crowds of tourists.

Waiting for a city bus in Catania (or in most of Sicily) can be an adventure, as there is no time schedule, and buses only stop if someone at the bus stop signals to the driver that they’d like to get on. If you know your stop, but don’t know if a particular bus goes there, simply flag down the bus and yell out the name of the stop to the bus driver, who will at least nod his head or shake his head, before continuing to chat with bus patrons.

From Catania, you can take a bus to get to the largest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna–but only once a day at 8:15 in the morning. You can also take a train (very frequent) all the way around the base of Etna, or choose from a variety of guided tours of the active volcano, including a helicopter or jeep tour with a private guide. Just look for the brown “Tourist Information” sign when you’re in the center of Catania.

From Catania’s main bus station, which is adjacent to the train station (located right beside the city’s port), you can take frequent buses to cities and towns across the island. Try moving south along the east coast of the island, to Pachino and then down to Portopalo, where the Mediterranean Sea merges in surreal shades of turquoise and jade with the Ionian Sea. Bus tickets can be purchased in newspaper shops, “billeterias” near the bus station or sometimes directly on the bus from the driver.

While Pachino is a cozy, more “hectic” town with access to beaches, Portopalo’s lazy summer life revolves largely around its beach-going crowd, with tourists hailing mostly from mainland Italy. But being such a small, out of the way town makes it an excellent choice to avoid the usual summer crowds you might experience in Italy’s more popular cities and beaches. You will always find plenty of space on the beaches in Portopalo, either on the sand or in the mesmerizingly clear water. When heading out for a day at the beach, remember to take along strong sunscreen and a beach umbrella if possible, because here on this southernmost tip of Sicily, the sun gets unbelievably strong, and there’s not a drop of shade to be found.

Plenty of pizzerias, gelaterias, cafe-bars and souvenir shops and stalls line the main street in Portopalo, and you can while away your evenings on the seaside plaza, listening to live music or people watching.

If you’ve never been to Italy, don’t forget the siesta hours between approximately 12.30 or 13.00 till 16.00 or 16.30. During this period you will have a difficult time finding open shops and cafes. Usually only the gelaterias stay open, satiating hungry tourists with heavenly pistachio gelato, an out-of-this-world pear granita, or even a hearty pastry-like arancini.

Be sure to try the local Nero D’Avola wines from the coastal city of Avola which you will likely pass through on your way to Portopalo. For wine lovers, the city of Avola and the surrounding area offer plenty of winery tours as well as bed and breakfasts nestled within the vineyards.

If you are traveling by air, don’t worry too much if you haven’t had a chance to collect gourmet goodies and souvenirs during your trip. Catania’s airport has several very well-stocked (and duty-free) shops offering locally produced pastes, preserves, pastas, spice, wines and much more, so you can bring home a taste of Sicily. Low cost Europe airlines flying into the Catania airport include: Wizz Air, Air Berlin, Easy Jet and Wind Jet.

Written by Suchi Rudra for EuropeUpClose.com

When I was on holiday alone in Sicily, I found myself walking from the station in Palermo to Teatro Massimo. It was about 9pm, and not quite dark. But I was followed slowly by a car and it really scared me. It was very probably just teenage boys playing about, but it scared me. And then I realised that late at night, Palermo changes. It gets slightly unsavoury. There doesn’t seem to be any danger around, but the atmosphere doesn’t quite feel right. It was only after that night that I read a guide book that said the same thing. It’s not a particularly dangerous place but the vibe changes.

But that doesn’t stop you from walking around when you’re on a summer holiday. It doesn’t stop me from exploring (and winding up in a rather run down area just because I could spot a church in the distance that I wanted to go and see). I’m curious about how conscious we are about our safety when we travel.

When we’re on holiday, we’re relaxed. We let our guard down. We’re not thinking about anything serious. Of course, most of us still won’t walk down a creepy looking alleyway on our own, but I don’t think we always put our safety first when we’re away. Of course, a lot of this is common sense, but I don’t think it’s always top of our agenda when we’re away. Not mine, anyway. I’m not proud of that, but I think it’s the truth.

Most of the time, even during the day, we can spot a dodgy bar (I’ve been to more than enough of those in London). But you don’t really know, do you? That cafe that looks fine could be quite horrible once you get inside. I’m all for throwing out the guide book, and going it alone, but a quick flick through will tell you where the dangerous areas are. Asking friends if there’s anywhere you should avoid is key (and very handy now there’s Twitter).  You can also read our “Top 10 Tips for Safe Travel“.

I hate being a holiday killjoy, but it always surprises me that I’ll talk to anyone on holiday, chat away, go to a bar with them. I wouldn’t do that as readily in London. I don’t think I’m alone in that. The urge to experience everything and meet new people kinda takes over. And whether we like it or not, that makes us vulnerable. Especially when we’ve gone out for a few drinks. I don’t feel like I do enough to put my personal safety first. I’ve never found myself in a dangerous situation, but I have put myself in a couple of hairy places that could have easily been avoided. I think I need to take off the rose-tinted glasses when I’m away.

What about you? Are you more vigilant when you’re abroad, or do you want to experience everything and think about safety a little less than you should?

Flickr image from Dominic’s pics‘s photostream.

How safe are you when you travel?

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

An hour from Palermo, sits Castel De Tusa. Along the coast (a tiny walk from the train station) is Atelier Sul Mare, the most wonderful hotel I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in and it has to be one of the best hotels in Sicily. I’m still sad that I ever had to leave. If they’d had wi-fi, I might had just moved in.

This Art Hotel is a little gem in a perfect landscape. The hotel is an art gallery of the very best kind, meaning that your hotel room is a piece of art in itself. And you can’t fail to be impressed by the fact your bathroom has a shower like a carwash, or that you’ve got a giant sculpture in your room. Or the door opens like a drawbridge (that was my favourite). There’s even a room that’s based on a camera shutter, with a balcony all around the outside. It’s utterly wonderful.

You pick the room you’d like to stay in on your first night, and then the next day? You move. And the next, and the next. This stops someone renting out one of the art rooms for their entire stay, and gives you an entirely different experience each night. Of course, you can’t guarantee that every single room will be free (getting an early start will help that), but all of the rooms have something special about them.

Then there’s the restaurant. Overlooking the bay, I literally sat there for hours. Mostly because the beer was cheap and my boyfriend’s flight had been delayed, but honestly, I don’t think I’d have moved anywhere. Warm, peaceful, and utterly beautiful. Why would I want to go anywhere else? That said, unless you’ve hired a car (it was with said boyfriend), you can’t really go anywhere. There’s a very small strip of restaurants, but you either need to hop on the train or drive around.

And you should drive around, because there are about 20 sculptures dotted around the local area as well. You’ll need a few hours and a map to find them all, but it’s a lovely drive and you’ll see some stunning countryside. Make sure you pop into the gallery in the hotel too. Or, find yourself ‘borrowing’ on of their arty plates when your boy sneaks breakfast into the hotel room. Ahem.

The downsides to the hotel? Well, there might be a little beach, but it isn’t sandy. Which is a shame. But it’s yours. And so tiny you’ll probably only have to share with three other people. I learnt to swim in that sea, I didn’t really care about sand. And the hotel is pretty old, so it’s rough around the edges. One of the hotel rooms needed some serious work doing to it. And don’t, whatever you do, go for dinner at the restaurant right at the end of the bay. Not if you want your evening ruined by bad service and awful food. Luckily the service and food and the hotel is excellent.

And as prices for an art room tend to come it less than €100 (and much less if you go off peak), I can forgive them their downfalls. I adore it here. I want to stay in every single room. This is a really special hotel and I don’t think I could take another trip to Sicily without coming back to the Atelier Sul Mare . In fact, I might just go and check out the flight prices to Palermo now.

Atelier Sul Mare, Sicily’s Art Hotel

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

The true face of Sicily can still be seen in the small villages although many locals would say their way of life has changed immensely from what it once was. The locals in the town of Sant’ Ambrogio are resolved to do something to preserve their way of life while offering an authentic experience to tourists looking for the real Sicily. Sicily’s first “eco-village” is being created by locals that immigrated to the area.

Sant ‘Ambrogio is located in a little nook behind the city of Cefalù on the north coast of Sicily. Cefalù is an ancient fishing port with a great Romanesque cathedral at its center. Cefalu has largely succumbed to tourism, with much of its Sicilian character hidden during the summer tourist months. In Sant ‘Ambrogio, however, life continues much as it has for the past 500 years. Old men still sit in rows on the benches in the little piazza, while their wives gossip on the whitewashed doorsteps.

Recently, some local owners of villa type properties in Sant ‘Ambrogio have been renting to tourists, offering what they call the “Sicilian experience”: a glimpse of a way of life that is fast disappearing. Many of these properties are rural houses set amid the pines, olives and fruit trees that cover the hillside above the bay. Others are townhouses or apartments in the town itself. Most are elegant buildings with delicately frescoed ceilings, but some are  more rustic places with heavy wood beams and whitewashed walls.

They are managed in the most environment-friendly way, with low-energy light bulbs and eco-cleaning products imported from the mainland. There are recycling containers available at each property. Many owners sell jars of jam and limoncello liqueur they made themselves. The charming town square holds discreetly placed recycle bins, and pots of colorful flowers are planted throughout the village. A museum of village life is now in place and it has organized communal clean-ups. All of this has been adopted by the locals in order to save their community and way of life for future generations.

Two great places to stay are Apartment Mare and Casa Santorum. From Casa Santorum one can see medieval hilltop towns such as Castelbuono and Pollina. You can rent these homes from a company called the Sicilian Experience . Our apartment at Casa Santorum had a private terrace where we could see across to the Aeolian Islands. There is a terraced garden below the house with cobbled streets leading  to the apartment where, in the evening, you can join the locals and sit out enjoying the sea breeze. The people of  Sant’ Ambrogio are warm and will invite you in for Ricotta, bread and homemade wine. They believe that hospitality should be freely given and they frequently can be heard to say, “Benvenuti nella mia home .”

Now would be the best time to visit the area because the world’s largest suspension bridge, that will link Sicily with the mainland, will be built (by 2012)  and many more tourists are expected to converge upon the area. Although it will cut travel time to Sicily, most of the locals are opposed to the bridge and fear that even more tourists will mean a further loss of the traditional way of life. The town of Sant ‘Ambrogio, however, continues to cling to that traditional way and won’t give it up without a fight.

Written by Carla Scott for EuropeUpClose.com

Atop a mountain in a tiny walled town in Sicily, you can see the whole of Trapani, wonderful blue sea and a perfect landscape. It’s my favourite view in all of Europe, so a visit to Erice, a stunning and secluded medieval town,  is one of my top Europe travel tips.

This hidden gem of Sicily is located at the top of Mount Erice, 750m above sea level.  There are a couple of ways to get there from Trapani (flights from the UK run daily). Obviously, you can get a bus from the city, but the most exciting way is easily by cable car.

Follow buses to the East of Trapani, and you’ll find on that takes you in the general direction. The cable car is only a thirty minute walk from Trapani centre (although not in the nicest area of the city so I wouldn’t suggest walking it alone in the evening). The cable car runs until 8pm every evening and it’s not only the quickest way to get to Erice, it’s also the most exciting. It’s about €8 for the trip, just make sure you don’t lose your ticket!

There are some key points of the town that you should definitely try and visit, but strolling about is the best way to do it. You can buy a day ticket for all of the attractions (which includes every church in the town – and there’s a lot of them!) from any of the museums. They’re inexpensive, and give you the freedom to wonder in and out of museums and ruins. You’ll get a map too, if you really want to plan a route. But I’d just walk about, down the little cobbled streets, see what you stumble across.

Of course, most cobbled streets are leading to one point. Pepoli Castle. It’s hard not to miss this imposing Sicily attraction, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. The Torri Pepoli is now a hotel, so if you feel like playing princesses (and you have few hundred euros for a night’s stay) then this is where you should head. There is cheaper accommodation in Erice, but it’s also much cheaper to stay in Trapani and visit.

Feeling hungry? Then head to the main square and take your pick of restaurants in the sunshine. The food is traditional and fairly priced. No trip to Erice would be complete without popping into La Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico. Maria’s is a world-famous sweet shop is renowned for the marzipan treats. Make sure you try the wonderful pistachios sweeties. And bring some back. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

After all that strolling and eating, you’ll have just enough time to watch the sun go down behind the castle. Walking that little bit quicker to keep warm (you’re higher up than you think, it gets shivery in the evening) and make sure you catch the cable car back down to Trapani. Of course, if you miss your ride, you could always stay another day.

The first time I visited Taormina was somewhat by accident. If you enter Sicily by ferry from Reggio di Calabria, the final city on the toe of the boot, and decide to go south on Sicily’s eastern shore—toward cities like Catania or Syracuse—Taormina is one of the first towns you’ll encounter. Strapped for time, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go in Sicily. But when I saw the striking Isola Bella, a tiny island straight out of Treasure Island, as I passed on the train, the striking natural beauty of Taormina drew me in.

The town is located at the top of tall cliffs that rise almost straight from the sea; the train I was on barely had room for it’s tracks before the steep, beautiful cliffs climbed upward. The town stretches upon a plateau in the cliffs, and the town of Castelmola can be seen high up on the cliffs behind Taormina. All of this results in a town of small proportions surrounded by a plethora of twisty, winding hiking trails with stunning coastal views. Mt. Etna smokes on the not-too-distant horizon.

The truth is, as I quickly found out, that Taormina shares its incredible beauty with a large number of people. Its beauty has drawn a large number of high-profile artists too, such as John Steinbeck, Truman Capote, Oscar Wilde, and Richard Wagner. One of the main draws to the town is the ancient Greek Theater, dramatically located on a jutting rock peninsula with sides that plummet straight to the sea. The acoustics are impeccable, and whispers can be heard throughout the theater, emanating from every corner.

Luxury resorts meet family-run B&B’s in Taormina. I stayed at a B&B that provided a modest breakfast on a wonderful terrace with an elaborate view up the coast. One room for two people for one night cost 55€. Because Taormina is overrun in the summer months of July and August, few practical stores can be found, particularly large grocery stores. Gelaterias and stores selling expensive souvenirs can be found on every corner.

I discovered that, while it only takes a few hours to explore the town of Taormina, the hiking trails are practically inexhaustible. One trail takes you down to the beach on which Isola Bella is located. The island is actually connected to the beach by a thin strip of sand and makes for an ideal view while sun tanning. Trails run both directions on the coast too.

A more laborious hike leaves from the top of Taormina, where a set of stone stairs takes you up the side of the cliffs and into towns higher on the cliffs, such as the medieval town of Castelmola. The trail provides an aerial view of Taormina, including the Greek Theater, but, while the views are stunning, the trail always felt secure. Compared with some of the knee-quaking trails on the Amalfi Coast, the hikes in Taormina are quite sound.

In the end, the views that Taormina offers are what it’s all about, and I look forward to my next time there. But there’s no way I’ll be planning my trip for the months of July or August.

Related posts:

1. Off the Beaten Path in Sicily ...
2. Hiking Italy’s Amalfi Coast ...

1. Off the Beaten Path in Sicily ...
2. Hiking Italy’s Amalfi Coast ...

Mt. Etna, a volcano located on the eastern side of Sicily, dominates the island’s skyline and its awe-inspiring peak is visible during the ferry ride from Italy’s mainland. Unfortunately, when I took the ferry in April, the day was cloudy, so I failed to notice that the top of Mt. Etna was buried in snow, rendering me completely unprepared for the six chilling hours that I spent near the volcano’s peak, huddled inside of a trinket shop, drinking red, cinnamon-flavored liquor designed to look like lava.

I’d heard stories of hiking the volcano and wanted to try it out for myself. My hotel was located in the nearby town of Catania, known for its industrial port and delicious seafood. Catania is not a pretty city, and the street venders selling skewers of grilled horsemeat made me feel like I was in another world. The seafood and lively night scene of the city were intoxicating, however, and the fritto misto I had there (a platter of fried whole fish, pieces of swordfish, calamari, whole prawns, and scallops) remains the best ever.

The weather in Catania was breezy but warm, and when I packed my bag for a daytrip to Mt. Etna, I decided to pack a jacket and an extra shirt. I also packed a picnic. If it were not for these lucky decisions, my day on Etna would have most likely resulted in my own frozen death. Buses leave from Catania’s main train station and run frequently in the summer. The two-hour ride revealed beautiful towns, countryside, and twisty, steaming plains of hardened lava, but when I noticed the snow banks closing in on either side of the bus, I began to grow concerned. Where was I headed? Antarctica?

When the bus dropped me off at a Santa’s Village-type compound, the snow was six feet deep on either side of the road. A half moon of miniature log cabins wrapped around the black tar parking lot, selling identical Mt. Etna t-shirts and Mt. Etna shot glasses. Otherwise, there was a cafeteria building and the building that runs the cable car. The cable car turned out to cost 30€ and only took passengers another quarter of a mile or so up the volcano. Since I couldn’t imagine a different scene a quarter mile up, I decided to walk the only road a little ways in each direction. The air was frigid and a thick mist of snow or smoke from the lava oozing underground made visibility nearly nonexistent. I did hike out onto a small crater to the right of the road, thoroughly soaking my shoes and pants.

All of this took about 30 minutes. Then I learned that the bus would not be returning to Catania for another five-and-a-half hours. I was completely trapped on Mt. Etna. Since hiking was not an option, I took refuge in the cafeteria for the duration, and watched high school kids have snow ball fights. When the bus finally did leave, most of the wet and cold passengers had been waiting for two hours in the cafeteria.

Hiking Etna in the summer might be a great experience, but I wouldn’t recommend it in the winter unless you are prepared to snowshoe amongst lava-flows.

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