DAILY PROGRAM

D1- Arrival in Catania airport and transfer to Milazzo harbour. Fast boat to Aeolian Islands till Santa Marina Salina. Hotel and time to relax and visit one beautiful beach. Santa Marina is a cute and quiet village on the sea, just under a green volcano and the island is famous for good food (there are many small interesting restaurants for a cheap price) and for some particular kinds of wines, over all the sweet malvasia. The island is covered by forest and wine farms, and we will have the occasion of visiting a famous wine-yard.  Dinner in a restaurant with typical spaghetti and fish. HB

D2 – Hiking excursion to reach the top of the Volcano “Monte fossa delle felci” surrounded by forest. On the summit (almost 750 meters hight) it’s open a spectacular  view on the many volcanic islands around. In the afternoon time to have a bath and resting time in the Pollara bay, a sort of spectacular half caldera on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. (Is the setting place of “the postman” famous movie with Massimo Troisi). Back to Santa Marina. BB

D3 – Boat transfer to Stromboli Island, the famous active volcano. We will pass by other nice islands as like Panarea and hits rocky small islands around, all part of an ancient caldera. Reach Stromboli village and time to relax on the beach. In the afternoon (4 pm) we start the ascent of the Stromboli volcano; slowly we will reach the summit for the sunset time and with a wonderful view on the Mediterranean sea and most of all on the active craters of Stromboli, just 150 meters under of us. In a while the darkness  let show us spectacular lava jet and its red lapilli forms every nights beautiful red-hot fountains. Slowly we will descend with the help of our head-lights (don’t forget it) and 9 pm we will be at the village. Time for a famous pizza as all the mountain guides used do after descending the volcano. (a pizza-dinner is included)

HB

D4 – Time to awake in the complete relax, in the beautiful village of flat traditional white houses surrounded by flowers. Afterwards is the time for a nice boat tour around the island, with typical fisherman boats; during the tour we’ll have time to bath in spectacular blue sea, under the volcanic cliffs  and time  for visiting the isolated small village of Ginostra.  BB

D5 – Early morning boat transfer to the island of Vulcano, where the mythology supposed to be the house of the gods goldsmith; walking excursion upon the smoking caldera, (300 mtr. hight) with great view on the archipelago, on the craters and on the sulfur crystals, forming on the many smoking pipes. Time for a bath into the hot springs along the sea. In the afternoon boat transfer to the Sicily mainland and bus to Mount Etna. Night in a Mountain Hut. HB (breakfast and dinner)

D6 –  Daily excursion on Mount Etna; we will reach the enchanting-forest of the Nord side by bus, then with special 4×4 we will climb the active volcano till 2.800 of meters. Walking to the top it takes 40-45 minutes and we will be in the middle of a world of huge craters and smokes: with clear sky we will have a perfect view on the east of Sicily with Aeolian Island and italian mainland coast. Crossing the top of the mountains, we will descend walking on black ashes and soft volcanic lapilli, passing by many interesting craters. The bus will take us on the south side of Etna and will take us to Catania for the nights. Dinner in a nice restaurant of the Old Catania Centre, with the roman square belonging from old “calidarium and tepidarium” Hotel. HB

D7 –  Transfer to the airport in Catania. BB

SUGGESTED SEASONS

In May and in October

GUARANTEED DEPARTURES: 23/4, 28/5 and 1/10

PRICE PER PERSON

€   1.280

(price for 8 to 12 People group, in double room) 

Included: Guide, italian geologist English speaking leads the group for the whole period; obligatory mountain guide for Stromboli and Etna hiking; all transfer by private bus and by scheduled boats; taxi and local transfer in the Aeolian Islands; all nights in 3 star selected hotels in double room with breakfast; dinners in local small restaurants when mentioned in the program; wine tasting in a famous wineyard, welcome appetizer in Taormina; fees for parks and mentioned archeological visits.

Not Included: Lunches (we will have the time to buy snaks before the hiking or excursion days; we will suggest good solution when the time is free); dinner when it is not mentioned in the program; other museum or entrance not mentioned in the program.

Booking: with 30% within 6 month before the departure.

Difficulties: some steep walking on the two main volcanoes: 3-4 hours walking/700 meters

Groups: From 8 to 12, up to 20 on request.

Guide:  English speaking Guide, geologist, expert in the area