Mount Etna to Milazzo, Sicily

In the morning we set off from the coast for a 2-hour drive inland towards Mt Etna. We had an 11 am tour booked at Frank Cornelissen, a winery known for its high-quality wines and low-intervention processing. With the harvest all done by hand, it was great to visit one of the plots during the harvest and see the process from start to finish. After hearing about the differences of the microclimate around the region, and how this affects the various vines, we went to the cellar itself and did some tastings of the different varietals.

After lunch, we drove up to the closest point to the summit of Mt Etna that you can drive. We reached the furthest point and saw the summit clearly. As we walked among an old lava flow we could see the crater emiting sporadic puffs of smoke.

To get a more authentic experience of the region we booked a room in a farmhouse on an Agritourism farm. Run by two Italian sisters, the house was once owned by a Princess and had been converted into a BnB. Later that afternoon the father dropped by after being out foraging mushrooms. He was a retired school teacher and loved the opportunity to explain the history of the farm and show us some unique parts of it.

After researching, we found a way to reach Stromboli island. We booked a boat cruise to the island departing from Milazzo back on the north coast. The next day we drove back down the mountain to the coast and set about trying to find a campsite that was open. Our tour the next day would be leaving mid-morning and returning late at night. Campsites had ended up costing us around €20-25/night and we found a waterfront hotel in the city for €40. We figured the extra cost was worth it for simplicity, not to mention the hot shower and comfortable bed. With that locked in we went exploring and found our way down to the Pool of Venus for sunset. A beautiful natural rock pool out on the tip of the headland that had incredible clear warm water. Finally, Sicily was starting to feel more like the island we’d expected.Read more