Volcanoes of Sicily, September 2018

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After taking the morning hydrofoil from Milazzo, we arrived at the small town at the northern end of Vulcano Island. Our walk today is a circular one taking in the northern rim of the main crater of the dormant volcano (the Gran Cratere on the Fossa cone). Then we continued up onto the higher arc behind it.
Here we are ascending, with the town and port below.
The island of Lipari can be seen to the north.

Andy in our group emerges from the acrid sulphorous smoke and steam which rises from fumeroles which are found on part of the crater's rim.
Around these vents the ground is yellow and hot with pure sulphur deposits.

Further ascent takes us above the rim of the Gran Cratere, the area of yellow sulphur deposits can be clearly seen.

After lunch at the top we continue our walk clockwise around the top of the crater.

Here is a good view showing the flat bottom of the crater. The last eruption of this volcano occured between 1888 and 1890.

After the walk and a few beers we got on the boat and headed for Lipari island to the north. Here we arrive at the port of Lipari township.
Our hotel (for two nights stay) is along the coast a couple of miles to the north.

Today we took a couple of public buses to the west coast of Lipari and did a walk down the coast and then inland down to the town.
In this photo the island of Salina, which has twin, inactive volcanoes, can be seen.

We come inland and down through rugged dry valleys and interesting rock formations.

We reach the cliffs at the coast. We had a very nice communal picnic lunch near here, with bread, ham, salami, cheeses, olives, tomatoes and other delights.

After lunch we head uphill and eventually begin our descent into Lipari town where, after some exploration and a few beers we headed to the promenade for wine tasting and Sicilian food at an open air restaurant.

On Wednesday morning we disembark from the hydrofoil at the port in Stromboli. The smoking peak in the centre is where we will be heading to the following day.

Today our afternoon walk takes us to the north west of the island to a point about half way up to the crater so we can observe the volcano for a while in darkness.
In this photo a puff of ash and smoke shows another mini eruption.

Arriving at the place where people gather, you can see the black flank of the volcano which faces north west and which is called Sciara Del Fuoco (Stream of fire). This slope is where ash, bombs and blocks thrown out by the volcano hurtles down into the sea, and we actually witnessed this a few times.

The sun sets on the Sciara Del Fuoco.

Looking to the east from the same point, the large rock in the sea with the lighthouse on the top is actually an ancient plug from a previous volcano. The sea at this point is apparently over 2km deep.

Now the sun is setting and volcanic activity at the top of the peak will be more spectacular when the fireworks are visible.

We descend the mountain and some of us stop at the Observatory where there is a restaurant and bar.
Here a small magma eruption is caught on camera as I enjoy a beer. The moon just happens to be in place to light up the scene.
Tomorrow we will go up to the top of the island, right above the crater, and the whole experience will be ramped up a hundred fold!

The morning of the Big Day I wandered around the small town on the north of the island.
Its population is around 400-500 and large motor vehicles are banned from the narrow streets.
There were lots of these Piaggio tuktuks around, almost like being in Asia.

Around 4.10pm and all kitted out with sticks and helmets, we follow our guide, Manuel, on our long hard trek to the summit of Stromboli (924m).
About an hour later we are entering the limit of vegetation with more and more ash and rock under our feet.
The town is below us with the port and lighthouse on the offshore rock. Some of the boats run a night time service for tourists to view the volcano from out at sea at night.

Now at 6:40 pm, with the light fading, we are on the last leg of the climb which will take us to the top with the volcano craters below us on the other side of the summit.

Another view from the same point, this time looking to the southeast and showing rocks created by previous activity.

The time is 7:10 pm and here we are on a ridge overlooking the crater complex.
There were 4 or 5 groups up there, each of 20 people with a guide.
Each group were equipped with helmets of a particular colour.
We would spend about 45 minutes at the top as it gradually got dark.
The crater with the magma bubbled away all the time, the main action came from the crater to its right and one just behind it.
See the movies - there were some real humdinger mini eruptions and hot gas vents!

Around 8:20 pm and we've been descending briskly down the ash fields in the dark in a column.
After the main dusty descent we stop briefly to put on mouth masks and remove helmets.
Another group is not far behind, so we need to keep a gap.

Now nearly 10pm and a few of us have returned to the restaurant and bar not far from our hotel for a well earned beer.
I have concentrated on showing the nice local beer rather than the people as I didn't have image rights!

We had to get up early to catch the hydrofoil back south to Sicily. Here we are at the port of Milazzo.

A coach trip took us south towards Etna, but first we made a stop in Taormina, a famous touristy town on the hillside above the coast. This photo was taken at the public gardens.
Taormina is probably most renowned for its ancient Greco-Roman theatre, which is still used today.

Another scene, with a quirky building within the public gardens at Taormina.
Piazza IX Aprile in Taormina. The square is known for the breathtaking view of the azure Ionian Sea and of the Mount Etna.

On Saturday we had the ascent of Etna on the agenda. To get to the top we had a three stage plan.
Firstly we took a cable car not far from our hotel, the Sapienza Refugio, then a 4x4 Mercedes truck/bus which took us up to the level where most tourists will stay at, in the lava fields below the craters.
We had a guide, Cicio, who led us onwards across the lava and then upwards to the central crater.
In this photo the more active southern craters are visible, but we headed to the left of these to see the Central crater.

We begin the ascent to the crater.

Here I am in one of those flipping annoying photos where you just happen to blink as the photographer takes the picture!

We're at the crater's edge. You can't see much down there except steam and fumes, and you can hear strange rumblings and whooshing wave-like sounds somewhere down below. Could have done with a helicopter ride to look down.
At this point, according to our guide, we were at about 3260m (10,695 feet) so this is the highest altitude I personally have ever been up to!

A shot looking downhill showing past lava flows and the kind of volcanic landscape around the craters which spreads out for miles.

An atmospheric shot of some of the guided visitors standing at the rim of the crater.

The descent from Etna was even more fun than that from Stromboli. We were both sliding and running down the slope through cinder-like ash. It was easier to go fast rather than tiptoe down, and it didn't take long to get down to the flat area where we had our lunch.

After lunch we carried on down towards the cable car station, observing craters from more recent eruptions.
Holes in the rim had been dug to demonstrate just how hot and moist the ash still was up near the surface, even 16 years after the crater was created in the eruption of 2002!

A view of another recent crater, note the red colours which show iron compounds within the material emitted.

Cicio took us up this classic lava channel, through which streams of lava from eruptions would flow, building up multiple layers of rock on the inside of the channel.
Shortly after we arrived at the cable car station and descended to the hotel.

Today, Sunday, we had most of the day to pass in Catania before we left for the late flight.
Here we are in the Piazza del Duomo with the Fontana dell'Elefante statue seen on the right.

The baroque Catania Cathedral also in Piazza del Duomo.

Adjacent to the Piazza del Duomo is the Chiesa della Badia di Sant'Agata, in which you can ascend two staircases to reach a viewing area all the way around the dome.
So here we look down on the Piazza del Duomo from above.

Top of Page

After taking the morning hydrofoil from Milazzo, we arrived at the small town at the northern end of Vulcano Island. Our walk today is a circular one taking in the northern rim of the main crater of the dormant volcano (the Gran Cratere on the Fossa cone). Then we continued up onto the higher arc behind it. Here we are ascending, with the town and port below. The island of Lipari can be seen to the north.
Andy in our group emerges from the acrid sulphorous smoke and steam which rises from fumeroles which are found on part of the crater's rim. Around these vents the ground is yellow and hot with pure sulphur deposits.
Further ascent takes us above the rim of the Gran Cratere, the area of yellow sulphur deposits can be clearly seen.
After lunch at the top we continue our walk clockwise around the top of the crater.
Here is a good view showing the flat bottom of the crater. The last eruption of this volcano occured between 1888 and 1890.
After the walk and a few beers we got on the boat and headed for Lipari island to the north. Here we arrive at the port of Lipari township. Our hotel (for two nights stay) is along the coast a couple of miles to the north.
Today we took a couple of public buses to the west coast of Lipari and did a walk down the coast and then inland down to the town. In this photo the island of Salina, which has twin, inactive volcanoes, can be seen.
We come inland and down through rugged dry valleys and interesting rock formations.
We reach the cliffs at the coast. We had a very nice communal picnic lunch near here, with bread, ham, salami, cheeses, olives, tomatoes and other delights.
After lunch we head uphill and eventually begin our descent into Lipari town where, after some exploration and a few beers we headed to the promenade for wine tasting and Sicilian food at an open air restaurant.
On Wednesday morning we disembark from the hydrofoil at the port in Stromboli. The smoking peak in the centre is where we will be heading to the following day.
Today our afternoon walk takes us to the north west of the island to a point about half way up to the crater so we can observe the volcano for a while in darkness. In this photo a puff of ash and smoke shows another mini eruption.
Arriving at the place where people gather, you can see the black flank of the volcano which faces north west and which is called Sciara Del Fuoco (Stream of fire). This slope is where ash, bombs and blocks thrown out by the volcano hurtles down into the sea, and we actually witnessed this a few times.
The sun sets on the Sciara Del Fuoco.
Looking to the east from the same point, the large rock in the sea with the lighthouse on the top is actually an ancient plug from a previous volcano. The sea at this point is apparently over 2km deep.
Now the sun is setting and volcanic activity at the top of the peak will be more spectacular when the fireworks are visible.
We descend the mountain and some of us stop at the Observatory where there is a restaurant and bar. Here a small magma eruption is caught on camera as I enjoy a beer. The moon just happens to be in place to light up the scene. Tomorrow we will go up to the top of the island, right above the crater, and the whole experience will be ramped up a hundred fold!
The morning of the Big Day I wandered around the small town on the north of the island. Its population is around 400-500 and large motor vehicles are banned from the narrow streets. There were lots of these Piaggio tuktuks around, almost like being in Asia.
Around 4.10pm and all kitted out with sticks and helmets, we follow our guide, Manuel, on our long hard trek to the summit of Stromboli (924m).
About an hour later we are entering the limit of vegetation with more and more ash and rock under our feet. The town is below us with the port and lighthouse on the offshore rock. Some of the boats run a night time service for tourists to view the volcano from out at sea at night.
Now at 6:40 pm, with the light fading, we are on the last leg of the climb which will take us to the top with the volcano craters below us on the other side of the summit.
Another view from the same point, this time looking to the southeast and showing rocks created by previous activity.
The time is 7:10 pm and here we are on a ridge overlooking the crater complex. There were 4 or 5 groups up there, each of 20 people with a guide. Each group were equipped with helmets of a particular colour. We would spend about 45 minutes at the top as it gradually got dark. The crater with the magma bubbled away all the time, the main action came from the crater to its right and one just behind it. See the movies - there were some real humdinger mini eruptions and hot gas vents!
Around 8:20 pm and we've been descending briskly down the ash fields in the dark in a column. After the main dusty descent we stop briefly to put on mouth masks and remove helmets. Another group is not far behind, so we need to keep a gap.
Now nearly 10pm and a few of us have returned to the restaurant and bar not far from our hotel for a well earned beer. I have concentrated on showing the nice local beer rather than the people as I didn't have image rights!
We had to get up early to catch the hydrofoil back south to Sicily. Here we are at the port of Milazzo.
A coach trip took us south towards Etna, but first we made a stop in Taormina, a famous touristy town on the hillside above the coast. This photo was taken at the public gardens. Taormina is probably most renowned for its ancient Greco-Roman theatre, which is still used today.
Another scene, with a quirky building within the public gardens at Taormina.
Piazza IX Aprile in Taormina. The square is known for the breathtaking view of the azure Ionian Sea and of the Mount Etna.
On Saturday we had the ascent of Etna on the agenda. To get to the top we had a three stage plan. Firstly we took a cable car not far from our hotel, the Sapienza Refugio, then a 4x4 Mercedes truck/bus which took us up to the level where most tourists will stay at, in the lava fields below the craters. We had a guide, Cicio, who led us onwards across the lava and then upwards to the central crater. In this photo the more active southern craters are visible, but we headed to the left of these to see the Central crater.
We begin the ascent to the crater.
Here I am in one of those flipping annoying photos where you just happen to blink as the photographer takes the picture!
We're at the crater's edge. You can't see much down there except steam and fumes, and you can hear strange rumblings and whooshing wave-like sounds somewhere down below. Could have done with a helicopter ride to look down. At this point, according to our guide, we were at about 3260m (10,695 feet) so this is the highest altitude I personally have ever been up to!
A shot looking downhill showing past lava flows and the kind of volcanic landscape around the craters which spreads out for miles.
An atmospheric shot of some of the guided visitors standing at the rim of the crater.
The descent from Etna was even more fun than that from Stromboli. We were both sliding and running down the slope through cinder-like ash. It was easier to go fast rather than tiptoe down, and it didn't take long to get down to the flat area where we had our lunch.
After lunch we carried on down towards the cable car station, observing craters from more recent eruptions. Holes in the rim had been dug to demonstrate just how hot and moist the ash still was up near the surface, even 16 years after the crater was created in the eruption of 2002!
A view of another recent crater, note the red colours which show iron compounds within the material emitted.
Cicio took us up this classic lava channel, through which streams of lava from eruptions would flow, building up multiple layers of rock on the inside of the channel. Shortly after we arrived at the cable car station and descended to the hotel.
Today, Sunday, we had most of the day to pass in Catania before we left for the late flight. Here we are in the Piazza del Duomo with the Fontana dell'Elefante statue seen on the right.
The baroque Catania Cathedral also in Piazza del Duomo.
Adjacent to the Piazza del Duomo is the Chiesa della Badia di Sant'Agata, in which you can ascend two staircases to reach a viewing area all the way around the dome. So here we look down on the Piazza del Duomo from above.