sicily Archives

Bivouac or refuge: all the pros and cons of each choice

Posted on 27/07/2026 by Grazia Musumeci

Bivouac or refuge? At first glance, they seem more or less the same thing, but they’re not. Generally speaking, they aren’t, and especially on Mount Etna, there’s a fundamental difference between the two that you need to know before venturing onto the trails. At first glance… little wooden or stone houses, small windows, cooking spaces… […]

Castles of Etna 3: Castiglione di Sicilia

Posted on 20/07/2026 (20/07/2026) by Grazia Musumeci

Castiglione di Sicilia is one of the most charming villages in eastern Sicily, located in the metropolitan district of Catania, on the slopes of Mount Etna and within the picturesque Alcantara Valley. Mass tourism isn’t always drawn to this unique setting, which they glimpse from afar on their way to the famous gorges, yet a […]

UPDATE: Crater Voragine eruption has ended

Posted on 09/07/2026 by Grazia Musumeci

The eruption that had tour operators across the Ionian coast of Catania buzzing in early July appears to have ended, as unexpectedly as it began. The eruptive events involving the Voragine crater and its neighboring northeast area ended on the morning of July 7th after a night of exceptional fire show. […]

Etna: the eruption begins at the Voragine Crater

Posted on 05/07/2026 (05/07/2026) by Grazia Musumeci

This time, it seems to have really started. On the morning of Sunday, July 5, 2026, around 9:00 a.m., a tall column of ash rose from the summit of Mount Etna, surprising all the foothill villages on a beautiful day with excellent visibility. Tourists, already ascending toward the volcano, and residents, literally watched the […]

What is VOR Crater doing? New eruption expectations

Posted on 29/06/2026 (29/06/2026) by Grazia Musumeci

What’s happening to the Voragine? This is the question we’re all wondering about—ordinary citizens, tourists, and experts—when we gaze at the summit of Etna. Its highest peak, the Voragine crater, which has broken a historic record by reaching 3,400 meters alone, displacing the former main summit (the Northeast), seems on the verge of a major […]