When my friend Rachel invited me to join her on a group hike on Mt. Etna, I jumped at the chance. You probably already know how obsessed I am with that majestic volcano if you have followed along with my blog or Facebook at any point. She’s (Mt. Etna) very active and thus I am in awe of her on a daily basis.

The Hike: Cassone – Monte Pomiciaro

For our day trip, we met early in the morning and drove to Zafferana Etna for a breakfast pit stop. After grabbing a pastry, we continued up to the parking area and began our assent.

It was one of the few times I’ve hiked without my Apple Watch, so unfortunately, I don’t have firm details about the length and distance of the trail. In total, it took us two hours to ascend, take in the view from the top for awhile, and then descend. The hike up is probably somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour. The trial is ~1 mile long (I’d guess) and has a relatively steep incline with one one tiny little scramble. Two kids (7-10ish) joined and had a great time as well!

Along the way, we found this chestnut and it’s shell. I never knew chestnuts grew in this sea urchin type ball, but indeed they do!

Once we reached the top, the views were absolutely stunning!! A HUGE lava field lies between the view point and the summit.

You can get a clear view of the summit and see the activity of the side craters as well!

Le 5 Botti Ristorante – Pizzeria

After the hike, we drove down to Le 5 Botti Ristorante Pizzeria, where we enjoyed a delicious Sicilian lunch before heading back home.

All in all, it was a great little day trip and I would highly recommend both the hike and restaurant if you’re looking for a little adventure and amazing food!