Etna Excursion + Alcantara Gorges in Sicily – Sicily Excursion
#2 – Etna Jeep Tour + Alcantara Gorges (Full Day)
During this private trip you will explore Mount Etna’s interesting place ( as Bove Valley) and the Alcantara Gorges (the most beautiful gorges of Sicily) with a reserved jeep and a private guide.
Pick-up at your accommodation in Catania / Taormina / Giardini Naxos / Letojanni / Acireale / Giarre at 9.00am. Departure to reach the Northern side of Etna. Drive up an old lava flow by 4wd jeep. Stop to enjoy the beautiful panorama of the “Bove Valley” (the most important geological site of Mt. Etna). Visit cave originated by prehistoric lava flows (10.000 years old) with helmets, lamps and rope. Trekking around old craters dating back from 1865. Visit the lava flow originated from Piano Provenzana in 2002 (the last important eruption of the Etna volcano) and the old road. Lunch in Agriturismo with typical sicilian dishes. In the afternoon tour continues through off-road paths to reach the two little towns of Linguaglossa and Castiglione di Sicilia to the Alcantara River Park. Walk down to the Alcantara Gorges (the most beautiful gorges of Sicily) to admire basalt columns formation. Return to the hotel around 4.30pm.
Some places you will visit during this Etna tour:
ETNA EXCURSION: CALDERA BOVE VALLEY
The Bove Valley is a volcanic caldera ( a large depression, about 7 Km long and 5 km wide) on the eastern side of Etna. It is very important from the vulcanological point of view, because along the walls emerge various levels of ancient rocks that allow to rebuild the evolution history of the Volcano. It is a desert landscape, covered with important and impressive lava flows. The most recent eruptive events date back to 1991-1993. Even the latest eruption in 2017 has caused magmatic material to flow inside it.
ETNA EXCURSION: LAVA CAVE
Etna is rich in natural beauty and, among the many that distinguish it, are certainly spectacular the over 200 caves of lava flow. The caves originate during the lava flows: the external part cools and solidifies in contact with the atmosphere, while the inner flow keeps its heat and continues to flow. Once the lava flow begins to become extinct the conduct begins to empty, giving way to a cave of lava flow. Some lava tunnels in ancient times were used for different purposes: as a place of burial, place of worship or even a place where to store the snow to use it in summertime.
ETNA EXCURSION: SARTORIUS CRATERS
The Sartorius Craters were formed during the lateral eruption of 1865. The lava flow started at 1,825 meters above sea level, and reached up to 1,625 meters, with a length of 7.5 km. The eruption began on January 30, 1865, and ended at the end of June. Their name comes from Wolfgang Sartorius one of the first volcanologists that studied Etna volcano and its eruptions. The scenery is rather arid, except for Betulla and Pino Laricio, whose form is shaped by the winds coming from the North-West. At the base of the craters are visible a numerous “volcanic bombs”.
ETNA EXCURSION: ALCANTARA RIVER GORGES
The Alcantara is a river about 52 km long in Sicily.The name Alcantara is of Arabic origin (al Qanţara – the Bridge) and refers to a bridge from Roman times found by the Arabs.Several thousand years ago, the river bed was blocked by a lava flow from Mount Etna. Over the centuries the river dig a channel through the basalt columns, resulting in impressive gorges and ravines such as the “Gole dell’Alcantara” that are considered one of the most beautiful gorges of Sicily.The gorges reach a height of 25 meters, a width of 2 meters in the narrow parts and 4-5 meters in the widest parts.
Etna Excursion Alcantara Gorges Sicily
Visit Alcantara Gorges with our Etna Jeep Excursion, you can enjoy yourself with our guided tour!