Standing on the Summit: Our Unforgettable Ascent of Mount Etna
Our grand tour of Southern Italy and Sicily had already been spectacular, but one experience promised to tower above all others – literally. We were heading to meet Mount Etna, a living, breathing giant that dominates the Sicilian skyline. This wasn’t just a sightseeing trip. It was a pilgrimage to one of the planet’s most powerful natural wonders.
Location and Breathtaking Facts
Mount Etna is a relentless force of nature, brooding on the eastern coast of Sicily island, just a stone’s throw from the bustling city of Catania. It sits at the tumultuous meeting point of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, a prime location for its near-constant activity. In fact, its power is so immediate that as I began writing this in early June 2025, Etna was putting on a fiery show with a new eruption – a reminder that this mountain is very much alive.
Soaring to 3,350 metres (10,900 ft), Etna isn’t just tall. It’s a vast, sprawling presence covering an impressive 1,190 square kilometres, making it Italy‘s largest active volcano. As a stratovolcano, it boasts that classic, dramatic cone shape, built over millennia by countless layers of lava and ash. While its famous cousin, Vesuvius, shares this shape, Etna dwarfs it in both size and spirit, being far more active and twice as tall. Its raw power and unique landscape earned it a well-deserved spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2013, though its most serious recent event, a powerful eruption followed by an earthquake, shook the region in December 2018.
The Journey There: Ascending into Another World
No trip to Sicily is complete without paying homage to Etna. After exploring the baroque beauties of eastern Sicily, we based ourselves in the charming town of Acireale. Fuelled by a strong morning espresso, we began our ascent, the anticipation building with every metre we climbed.
The landscape began its dramatic transformation long before we arrived. Winding our way up serpentine roads, we drove through vast, desolate fields of ancient black lava, a stark preview of the adventure to come. Our destination was the main gateway, Rifugio Sapienza, which boasts a huge car park for visitors. The area is a hub of activity, with souvenir shops tempting you at every turn (we decided to save our shopping for the descent). A little further up, perched near the cable car station, is the Bar Funivia dell’Etna, a welcome sight with its panoramic terrace – perfect for a pre- or post-ascent drink.
For reference: If you’re arriving via the ferry in Messina, it’s about a 100 km drive to Rifugio Sapienza. It’s roughly 35 km from Catania and a much longer trek of nearly 250 km (over three hours) from Palermo.
The Ascent: To the Roof of the Volcano
The car park at Rifugio Sapienza is where the real adventure begins. Following the crowds, you’ll find the Cableway Station at 1,900 metres. From here, your options are clear. You can take the cable car alone for a taste of the heights (€27 per person during our visit), but we opted for the full, unforgettable package.
For €51 per person, we boarded the cable car, which whisked us up to 2,500 metres. The view from the cabin alone was worth the price, but the journey wasn’t over. Here, we transferred into a rugged 4WD coach that expertly navigated the steep, ashy tracks, delivering us to the authorised summit area at a breathtaking 2,920 metres above sea level. The entire return trip took us about three glorious hours.
The Summit Experience: Awe and a Touch of Fear
Nothing can prepare you for the sensation of standing on that summit. The view down into the vast, smoking craters was incredible, but the true magic was underfoot. We were walking on a landscape forged by fire – crunching over volcanic ash, touching warm, hardened lava, and feeling the heat of the ground radiate through our shoes. Plumes of steam and sulphurous smoke hissed from vents around us, a constant, humbling reminder of the colossal power sleeping below.
It’s a place that makes you feel both incredibly small and immensely proud. A slight, nervous tension hangs in the air, but it’s utterly eclipsed by the overwhelming feeling of wonder. We had ventured into the heart of a living volcano and witnessed one of nature’s most fantastic and impressive creations. It was, without a doubt, the absolute highlight of our Sicilian adventure.