The most beautiful drive in Sicily

Around Etna: from Greek theatre to Cyclops rocks

Sicily by car is at its finest around Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. This road trip strings the best of the north-east together in one loop of about 205 kilometres: classic Taormina high above the sea, the cool basalt gorge of the Alcantara, the medieval lava towns of Randazzo and Bronte, the smoking craters of Etna itself, and the baroque coast of Acireale and Aci Trezza.

Unique to Touren.app: you need not start in Taormina. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and we rotate the loop so it starts at the point nearest your hotel or apartment and brings you back. Everyone drives the same fine route around Etna, but from their own front door.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

Plan your own route

The 8 places along the route

1. Taormina

Start · the classic above the sea

Taormina sits on a balcony of rock high above the Ionian Sea, with the ancient Greek theatre as its most famous spot: from the tiers you look out over the columns straight onto Etna and the coast. The town itself is all terraces, baroque squares and the Corso Umberto shopping street. A strong start for the drive around the volcano.

Practical: park in one of the garages below the town (Lumbi or Porta Catania) and walk up; the centre is car-free. The Greek theatre can be visited for a fee.

2. Gole dell'Alcantara

the basalt gorge · Alcantara

Just inland, the river Alcantara has cut deep into old lava flows, forming a narrow gorge with walls of black basalt set in columns. The water is icy cold, even in summer. Stairs lead down so you can walk a little way through the gorge or paddle. A refreshing, unusual stop on the way to the volcano.

Practical: there is a paid visitor entrance with lifts down into the gorge and a free public stairway to the river further along. Bring water shoes if you want to go in.

3. Randazzo

the lava town · Randazzo

Randazzo is the best-preserved medieval town at the foot of Etna, built almost entirely of black lava stone. Its churches and lanes are dark and severe, inlaid here and there with white. Of all the Etna towns Randazzo lies closest to the summit, and yet, remarkably, it has rarely been struck by lava over the centuries.

Practical: park on the edge and walk into the centre; the basilica of Santa Maria and the Via degli Archi are the finest.

4. Bronte

the pistachio town · Bronte

Bronte lies on the western flank of Etna and is famous throughout Italy for its pistachios: the bright green "green gold" that grows on the volcanic slopes and is harvested only once every two years. Above the town rises the often snow-capped cone of Etna. In the village bars you find everything from pistachio granita to pistachio pesto.

Practical: park in the town and taste the pistachio in a pasticceria; the big pistachio festival (sagra) is at the end of September.

5. Etna Sud (Rifugio Sapienza)

the craters · Etna South

At Rifugio Sapienza, at some 1,900 metres, the road ends and the bare, black world of the volcano begins. Nearby lie the Silvestri craters, extinct side craters of red and black ash you can simply walk around. To go higher, take the cable car and a guided walk towards the summit. The views over the lava fields and the sea are overwhelming.

Practical: park at Rifugio Sapienza; the Silvestri craters are free to walk. Bring warm clothes, it is far colder here than on the coast, and check the volcanic activity beforehand.

6. Zafferana Etnea

the honey town · Zafferana Etnea

On the green eastern flank of Etna lies Zafferana Etnea, a relaxed mountain town known as the honey capital of Sicily. Around the central square with the church of Santa Maria della Provvidenza you look up to the volcano and down to the Ionian coast. A good place for a coffee and a jar of Etna honey.

Practical: park by Piazza Umberto I; the shops sell honey, wine and pastries from the volcanic slopes.

7. Acireale

the baroque city · Acireale

Acireale is the finest baroque city on the east coast, rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1693 in warm, ornate stone. The Piazza Duomo, with the cathedral and the basilica of San Pietro e Paolo, is one of the loveliest squares in Sicily. The city is also known for its exuberant carnival, the most famous on the island.

Practical: park outside the centre and walk to the Piazza Duomo; around the cathedral are terraces and old ice-cream parlours (the granita here is legendary).

8. Aci Trezza

the Cyclops rocks · Aci Trezza

The drive ends by the sea in Aci Trezza, a fishing village with the Faraglioni dei Ciclopi offshore: a row of black basalt stacks that, according to the Odyssey, are the rocks the cyclops Polyphemus hurled at the fleeing Odysseus. With Etna at your back, the view of the rocks is breathtaking. From here it is back along the coast to Taormina.

Practical: park by the harbour and walk the promenade for the best view of the rocks; small boats run out to them. On the coastal return there is a short stretch of motorway towards Taormina.

Practical: for the rental car, convertible and motorbike

From which place: the route starts in Taormina, but you need not start there. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and Touren.app rotates the loop to the point nearest your hotel or apartment, so you set off from your own front door and return to it.

For which vehicle: the mountain roads around Etna (the SS120, the SS284 and the road to Rifugio Sapienza) are winding but well surfaced: a delight in a convertible or on a motorbike. Only the coastal return has a short stretch of motorway; otherwise the route avoids it.

Etna itself: you can drive up to Rifugio Sapienza (1,900 m). Higher up you go only by cable car and with a guide. The volcano is active: during eruptions roads and the cable car can close, and there is sometimes fine ash on the road. Check the current situation beforehand.

Best time: May, June, September and October are ideal. It is warm on the coast, but always much colder up on Etna: bring a jacket, even in summer. Set off early for the finest gorge and crater stops.

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