Monti Sartorius Family Craters Walk

Tour overview Monti Sartorius Family Craters Walk

The Monti Sartorius trail is one of Etna's hidden gems — a gentle circular walk through birch woodland, solidified lava flows, and a chain of side craters formed during the 1865 eruption. At 1,800 metres altitude on the volcano's quieter north side, the landscape here feels like another world: white-barked birch trees against jet-black lava, with sweeping views towards the Ionian coast.

This is the ideal introduction to Etna for families with children, older walkers, or anyone who prefers an easy pace without sacrificing the volcanic experience. The trail is well-defined, the terrain is manageable, and the distance is short enough for young legs. Along the way, your guide explains how the 1865 eruption created these craters and how pioneer plants have slowly recolonised the barren lava over 160 years.

The walk takes you along the rim of the extinct side craters, through dense sections of the endemic Etna birch (Betula aetnensis), and across open lava fields with panoramic viewpoints. It's a landscape that rewards slow observation — lichens on young lava, wildflowers in spring, and the ever-present silhouette of Etna's summit above.