Taormina/Mt. Etna

[sola7]

Our cruise line (Oceania) offers an excursion at Taormina that involves a bus up to the Silvestri crater on Mt. Etna, with a cable car bringing you higher up the mountain (to 9000 feet per the description) with a guided 4x4 ride along the craters at that height and options for exploring on foot. It is quite expensive, so I'm wondering if anyone has done a similar excursion and could provide any guidance. Is it worth the significant extra expense (about $200) to opt for a tour higher up the volcano, rather than a simple trip to the Silvestri crater. Also, while three of us are in our 40's, my mother-in-law is 70, although in good health. Too strenuous?

 

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

[LovesSicily]

sola7:

 

You might want to do some further research into any tours of Etna, the volcano has been erupting intermittently for the last three week or so. There have been no evacuations of any towns on Etna to date but the eruptions may affect access to the higher elevations.

[MeHeartCruising]

On my excursion, we only went up as far as the Silvestri Craters. I think we had lunch at a restaurant up there, if I recall. I found it very interesting to go that far, and personally, I would love to go up higher, but I'm a bit of a "geo" enthusiast. I've posted a link to my pictures to show you an idea of what you could expect by only going as far as Silvestri. You can see the ski lift going up further that would be involved in your additional trek if you go that far. Hopefully this will help you make a decision. As you can see, you can walk around the Silvestri Crater area and get an idea of the volcanic activity. The volcano pics start around 1/2 way thru the picture set. The rest are from Messina and Taormina.

 

Taormina - Mt. Etna Pictures

[sola7]

Thanks Heart. The pictures were definitely helpful to get an idea of what is up there.