Etna and Alcantara: Lunch at a Linguaglossa Chalet, Gluten-Free on Request

The walking happens on the north-east side, up to 2,000 metres, past the Crateri Sartorius. The route goes through forest, past craters and lava formations, and the guide is a naturalist, so the explanation runs to what grows here as much as to what erupted. A volcanic cave is part of it, with helmets and torches provided. Lunch is at a chalet at Linguaglossa: rustic, made with local products, a starter and a first course, with a glass of Sicilian red. Vegetarian and coeliac dishes can be arranged if you ask when booking. The second is worth saying out loud, because a gluten-free option on a mountain chalet menu is not a given. The afternoon moves to the Alcantara River Gorges. The tour runs in Italian and English, and in Spanish or French on request, which matters if you would rather hear the geology in your own language than follow it in a second one.