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Etna Adventure: 4x4 Experience
Etna Adventure: 4x4 Experience
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Port
Messina, Italy
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Activity Level
Strenuous
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Excursion Type
Jeep 4-Wheel-Drive ATV,All,601
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$389.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 8 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Witness centuries of Mt Etna’s destructive power on a jaw-dropping 4x4 adventure -- it’s a drive through a lunar landscape of lava formations, summit craters, and cinder cones.
Your thrilling adventure begins with a drive to the seaside village of Giarre, where you’ll meet your 4x4 vehicle driver. Heading off-road, spend the day getting to know one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Acclaimed as “brooding, dark and fascinating” in the popular book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, this seething example of nature’s fury is home to a never-ending tableau of eye-popping scenery.
As your sturdy vehicle makes its way up the volcano’s slope, you’ll notice the topography change from one ecological zone to another. For the first 3,000 feet, vineyards, olive groves, and crops thrive in the rich and fertile soil. As the mountain grows steeper, you’ll see forests of chestnut, beech, oak, pine, and birch. Above 6,500 feet is a world of ash, sand, lava, craters, and rocks. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is noted for its “ongoing geological processes and volcanic landforms.”
In the Valle de Bove (Valley of the Ox), visit the Dagala Longa by 4x4, traveling over lava fields among a Mars-like landscape. See evidence of a catastrophic eruption that rocked the mountain 8,000 years ago -- pitted and charred remains left behind as wave after wave of molten lava formed a 4,000-foot-deep chasm.
Back in the vehicle, you’ll continue to the Corruccio Cave, which showcases how a particularly fluid lava flow shapes the landscape.
For a look at new lava flows, you’ll rejoin your 4x4 and travel to Mount Sartorius for a hike along paths corroded by the 2001 and 2002 eruptions.
Relax over a typical Sicilian lunch at a local mountain restaurant, followed by the drive back to Messina.
Notes:
Wear comfortable hiking shoes. Dress warmly in layers with a windproof and waterproof outer layer. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable/reef-safe sunscreen. Bring bottled water. If you wear contact lenses, bring a pair of glasses to keep the volcanic dust out of your eyes. The ride will be bumpy. Not suitable for guests with heart, respiratory, back, or neck conditions. Not advisable for guests using a wheelchair or for those with mobility limitations. Mt Etna is an active volcano and erupts frequently; participate at your own risk. No guarantee is offered concerning visibility or views on any day, as weather and atmospheric conditions vary and are beyond the tour operator’s control.