Etna Morning Jeep from Catania: Hornitos, Lava Caves and the Bove Desert

The morning slot, in an air-conditioned jeep or van, climbing to about 2,000 metres. The route deliberately avoids the busiest stops. It follows scenic tracks through the plants and animals that manage on volcanic ground, and crosses old lava fields along with the more monumental flows, the ones that rearranged villages and roads on their way down. Helmets and torches come out for the volcanic features: the Hornitos, and the lava flow caves themselves. The last stop is a viewpoint over the Valle del Bove, where the ground reads as lava desert rather than mountainside. The tasting at the end is of produce from around Zafferana Etnea. The guide fills the drive with the history of the volcano and the legends attached to it.