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Discover Sicily's pride: Mount Etna!

When considering writing this blog, all that happens is a rush of beautiful scenery, a fabulous location, great food and most of all, the imposing volcano.

We highly recommend renting a holiday house in Sicily. Relax by your private swimming pool to unwind at first, then once your batteries are charged you will be dazzled by everything this island has to offer.

Mount Etna has been both an attraction and a mystery for centuries. Today, this still-active volcano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the first eruption is said to date back to over half-a-million years ago! Visiting the craters is a favourite among bikers and hikers in summer. In winter, you will be stunned to read that yes, you can practice winter sports, on the slopes of a volcano, a few kilometres from the sea. An absolutely unique experience.

Will you go in winter? Aside from skiing, you can enjoy snowshoe hiking across the snow, with a view of the blue Ionian Sea from above and the sound of the rumbling volcano underneath your feet.

Will you go in summer? Enjoy the warm Mediterranean climate and everything an island can offer. But you need to cover up even during the hottest months to visit the Etna craters. And a holiday house with a private swimming pool is as close to heaven as it gets here.

Etnapark

The Mount Etna Park is where you will find the nature trails, to enjoy stunning hikes offering a variety of landscapes and views. Woods and lush green orchards, but as you climb you will reach higher altitudes offering surprising views of the picturesque moon-like landscapes, typical of volcanic activity. Look around, and you will see the course of two rivers that flow around the volcano, the Alcantara and the Simeto, and the views are breathtaking. How about renting a holiday housethere?

Nature

The biodiversity on Mount Etna is beyond words, which will thrill both the young and less young explorers. You can also find the largest and oldest tree in Europe, the Castagno dei Centi Cavalli, as well as light bark birches that are proof of the ancient ice age.

And all year round, another surprise is the lava flow caves, which you can visit but always with expert speleological guides. The Grotta del Gelo houses the southernmost glacier in Europe.

Beaches

Of course, this is Italy. Which means that you can take a romantic break and visit the fantastic wine cellars and experience the delicious cuisine around the Etna. Families will be enthralled by the Monte Sierra Park, and the Etnaland amusement park. And let’s not forget the Astrophysical Observatory in Ragalna for the passionate stargazers.

The Etna region is of course all about the volcano, but aside from the summit areas, the fertile slopes allow for outstanding agricultural and wine production.

A great deal to do on an absolutely magnificent island, and we have the holiday houses to make it happen for you!