For those who are adventurous at heart, you will be surprised to know that Italy is not all about religion, old cathedrals and monuments, and lots of gourmet food. There is adventure too.

Welcome to the Mount Etna, an iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site that occupies 19,237 hectares of uninhabited land on the highest zones of Sicily. The mountain is located on the Eastern Coast of Sicily, along the Mediterranean Sea.

The mountain is the highest Mediterranean island mountain. As if this is not grand enough, the mountain is also the world’s most active stratovocano. Its eruption activity goes back 500,000 years, 2,700 years of which have been documented. The continuous volcanic activity at the mountain has continued to define volcanology, Earth Science, Geophysics and many more scientific disciplines.

The rich volcanic soils from the mountain have continued to shape the flora and fauna diversity in the eastern coast of Sicily. Remember that wherever there is good soil, forests and grasslands thrive and wherever there is woods and grass, animals find a habitat. It goes without saying then, that Mount Etna is home to some of the most unique physical features. In particular, you would be interested to know that the area is home to endangered species. In time, it has come to be known as an ecological and biological processes laboratory.

The terrain of Mount Etna is accentuated by volcanic features such as craters, lava flows, cinder cones and the ever popular Valle de Bove depression. This depression is one of the prime destinations for research and education.

The mountain is one of the favorite destinations for tourists visiting Sicily. Tourists engage in mountaineering, sightseeing, photography, mountain biking, hiking, camping etc. Apparently, it is not an expensive destination. The fact that you can see the Mediterranean Sea from some places on the mountain does not make the destination expensive.

Whatever else you do during you stay in Sicily, make sure you get a chance to spend a few days on Mount Etna. By the end of your stay, you will wish that your holiday was a little bit longer.