Detour #111: Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
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If the mountain hairpins of the Targa Florio are too tame then perhaps driving up a volcano will put some fire in your road trip.
Sicily’s Mount Etna is an active volcano. Very active. As recently as early July 2021 giant lava fountains erupted from its crater and clouds of ash travelled as far as Calabria on the mainland. Its biggest eruption in 1669 destroyed ten villages and molten lava streams almost breached the walls of Catania, over 20 miles away. Etna has laid waste to the original volcano observatory and cable car and is a perpetual threat to the lives of Sicilians.
But they won’t let it get in the way of a trip to the beach. Taormina is the island’s most popular resort and the E45 coast road gets incredibly busy. Timing is critical to avoid the sunseekers, and also the volcano tourists and cyclists all seeking out their own Etna adventures. Before you set out make sure you check the current volcanic activity level as the roads will be closed if Etna is feeling frisky.
Heading south down the autostrada as far as Trepunti you turn inland on the SP4 and follow it until it becomes the SP92. As you ascend the road becomes progressively more twisty and the landscape begins to change. You leave behind the olive groves and stone houses and enter a more bleak region of jagged blackened rock and ash.
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The volcano has its own weird weather system and you can easily be caught in the clouds, visibility vanishing, and forced to slow to a crawl. But if Etna is on your side and the road and climate clear then this is a drive to be savoured. It’s full of hairy hairpins, sweeping corners and short on the straights, so a car with agile handling is a bonus. Alternatively you may wish to take things easy, not treat it is as the Targa Volcano (like Mr JWW in the video below), and enjoy the awesome destructive beauty of the mountain at a slow pace.
At the top of the road there’s a car park where you can ride a cable car to the crater or take on the 25-minute hike instead.
When you’re ready to descend there are three routes down: you can backtrack, continue on the SP92 or take the SP141 Via Catania and they’re all stunning. If you have the time– and your brave pants – why not try all three?