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If the mere thought of making the grueling night climb up the steep slopes of an active Sicilian volcano like Stromboli or Mt. Etna makes your knees quiver,
you might consider a less taxing daytime walk up the crunchy, pumice-strewn paths of the Gran Cratere on the Aeolian island of Vulcano. You can make the climb with a decent pair of tennis shoes (although I did spot some local kids in flip-flops, but wouldn’t advise it!), zig-zagging your way up the well-groomed, but slippery, path at a comfortable 30-degree angle. Don’t wear your favorite designer tennies, though, because they’ll be coated in grey ashy dust within minutes…
After about an hour’s trek uphill, the path levels off into a stark, moon-like landscape softened by ever-present plumes of sulphur-scented vapors called “fumarole.” Trudge a few more meters up the slope, and you can peer straight down into Vulcano’s Gran Cratere, which hasn’t exploded since 1890. As you continue on around the lip of the crater, you’ll be rewarded with breath-taking views of the other Aeolian islands; from east to west: Stromboli, Panarea, Lipari, Salina and Filicudi. On a clear day, the eagle-eyed, or those armed with a set of binoculars, could probably spot Alicudi, the Aeolians’ most remote island to the west. On the slopes of the Gran Cratere, you won’t have to worry about encounters with red-hot magma; however, there have been incidents where giddy tourists have fallen into the crater and had to be rescued. Part of Vulcano’s charm is the absence of anything to prevent you from perching on the edge of the crater for a sensational photo-op – but tread carefully, practice safe brinkmanship, and don’t forget your camera!
– Contributed by Monique Quesada, ItalianNotebook.com reader. Many thanks!
