The Sicily Site - Mount Etna

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe standing at 3350 meters. I have never visited Mt Etna and to be honest it doesn't appeal to me too much, however I can appreciate how it would appeal to some people. I have seen Mount Etna however when I have visited Taormina. One year in particular I remember seeing Etna's orange glow and plumes of smoke coming from the summit, across the bay whilst standing on Teatro Greco in Taormina. It looked amazing.

Apparently I have been told you can Ski on Etna during the winter and that the snow and ice that forms on the volcano in the winter provides large amounts of water for the surrounding area. One thing that I found very noticeable when approaching Taormina was how green everywhere was compared to the South of Sicily. This I guess is a result of the fertile volcanic soils from Etna's eruptions over the years.

If you want to find out more about Etna then I recommend looking at this excellent website www.vulcanoetna.com. You can look at videos and pictures and find out about the volcanoes history, about trekking and events amongst other things.