Etna Blog & Insider Guides
Practical route insights and tips from my years guiding on Mount Etna — what you actually need to plan your trek.
Etna Volcanic Tremor: How to Read the INGV Chart
Volcanic tremor is Mount Etna's background heartbeat, and the INGV chart that displays it is one of the most-watched pages among volcano enthusiasts. As a volcanological guide I check it every morning together with the webcam: here is how to read it, what it really tells you, and why it should never be used to announce eruptions.
Etna North or South Side? Where I Work as a Guide — and Why
Almost every guest asks me sooner or later: north or south side of Etna? I don't have a favourite — I have two different offices. Here is which side I choose for each of my tours, what really changes up there between the two flanks, and my honest way of picking one for you.
Getting to Etna from Catania: My Local Guide
I get asked this almost every week: what's the best way up Etna from Catania? Here's how I answer it in person — the bus, the car, the transfer, and why the guided route is the only one that gets you past 2,500 m.
Mount Etna Safety, From a Guide Who Climbs It Weekly
I've walked Etna's slopes for years, and the mountain has taught me that cold, wind and loose rock cause far more trouble than lava ever does. Here's exactly what I tell every client before we set a boot on the scree, from the gear I check to the altitude rule that isn't optional.
Etna from Giardini Naxos: A Practical Guide
Giardini Naxos is one of the best-positioned coastal bases for exploring Etna — closer to the quiet north flank than most visitors realise. After years guiding on this volcano, I've put together everything you need to know: which side to choose, what things really cost, and why booking the right guide changes everything.
Etna from Siracusa: A Volcanologist's Day Trip Guide
Every week someone messages me from Siracusa asking whether Etna is worth the drive. After fifteen years leading excursions on this volcano, my answer is always the same: absolutely yes — but come prepared. Here's everything I tell my clients before they leave Ortigia.
Watching Lava on Etna: What I Tell My Guests
I've spent years guiding people across Etna's lava fields and crater rims, and the question I hear most is always the same: where can I see real lava? Here's what I tell them, from years of working on this volcano.
Etna Webcams: How I Read Them Every Morning
Every morning before leading a group onto Etna, I check the same webcams in the same order. After years of doing this, I can read a frame in seconds and know whether the mountain is sleeping, breathing or roaring. Let me share exactly how I do it.
Cable Car or Hike on Etna? How to Choose
Every week someone asks me: cable car or hike? My answer is always the same — it depends on who you are, not what looks easier. After guiding on Etna for years, I've watched both options transform complete strangers into people who never want to leave this volcano.