Mount etna

[Sounbelievablydull]

We are going to be in Sicily Taormina effectively for two days in April
Is it a good idea to visit mount etna on one of those days or is admiring it from a distance good enough??

It depends whether you're interested in visiting a live volcano really. I mean, if you just want to admire a mountain that might be smoking gently, you'll get a great view from Taormina. If you're interested in looking in the craters, seeing houses that have been swallowed up by lava flows, getting close to the maw of the beast, etc, then you'll need to go and visit it more closely.

We went to Taormina a few years ago and had an amazing trip up the volcano with Etna Moving. Highlight of our holiday.

Is etna moving a company ??

Juneau I love the idea of the maw of the beast

We were in Taormina last summer for 5 days - it’s very pretty & you could easily find enough to do for 2 days without an Etna trip - there is an incredible Greek theatre there & lots of back streets to wander. Take a bus or the cable car down to the beach & wade out to the Isola Bella (if it’s warm enough!). There were loads of tours on offer to Etna if you want to do that or take the Circumetnea train to Etna (from memory Riposto is the nearest station to Taormina but check that).

Actually, they don't let you close enough to gaze into the maw of the beast - Etna is far too unpredictable and dangerous to allow tourists to wander around the crater edge, like they do at Vesuvius!

But if you're a bit of a volcano nut (like I am), then it's really worth going up as far as they allow you to. We went on the bus from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza and then walked up as far as we were allowed to on a guided tour. It was brilliant. But it's cold - it is a high mountain - so if you go up there don't wear shorts and a t-shirt - wear trousers, socks, sturdy footwear and a decent coat. I had to borrow the latter, because I'd gone up in Sept in a t-shirt and shorts.

If you’re landing in Catania, nab the window seat! I got a great view of the volcano as we flew in. You can see it in the distance in Taormina - it’s closer in Catania & if you’re spending anytime there you get a real perspective of how catastrophic an eruption is. The city is literally rebuilt from grey volcanic stone.