Mount Etna itinerary Lava flow 1928

A simple hiking itinerary to discover the 1928 lava flow: a trip to Etna suitable for the whole family.

The route of this Etna trekking tour develops through chestnut and hazelnut woods, the typical crops of the eastern side of Etna. The walk is very simple, has a difference in height of a few meters and is accessible to everyone.
With this simple walk on Etna you will be able to observe the various evidences of the lava flows of 1928.
The massive eruption of Etna in 1928 lasted 18 days, opening three eruptive fractures at different heights of the volcano.

Following the pyroclastic activity developed at the North – East Crater of Etna, a first eruptive fissure opened at an altitude of 2600 meters.
A few days later, a second volcanic fissure at an altitude of 2100 meters emitted a fluid lava flow that advanced along the bed of the Magazzeni river and quickly headed towards the village of Sant’Alfio (Catania): the town seemed destined to be completely destroyed, but fortunately the magma stopped without reaching the town.

Immediately after, another eruptive fissure opened at an altitude of 1200 meters, from which came out  a lava  flow  that advanced along the bed of Torrente Pietrafucile, reaching and destroying the village of Mascali, by  interrupting the road and rail communications and stopped only shortly before reaching the sea.

This guided trekking tour along the path 1928 lava flow is 2 km long, with a dififference in height of 200 meters. You will visit the area of the eruptive vents, you will be able to see some hornitos (spatter cone) :  conical structures built up by welded lava  fragments ejected through an opening in the crust of a lava flow and generally found near the eruptive fissure .
To make your trip to Etna a truly unforgettable experience, our guides will accompany you  inside a volcanic cave.
You will be provided with the necessary equipment (helmet, torch ) and you can visit the cave without any risk

The trekking continues with the visit to the legendary Hundred Horses  Chestnut , an huge millennial tree that has about 2000 years old!
This excursion on Etna will end with a visit to the Church of Magazzeni with the typical alpine architecture
The church is located in the town of Sant’Alfio, one of the towns that was saved “by miracle”. The small church stands in the exact place where the river of lava changed its course  on the night of November 3, 1928.
As part of the celebrations in memory of the 30th anniversary of that event, in 1958, the people decided to build the small church of Magazzeni
To avoid vandalism, the entrance  of the Church has been closed  with a gate that nevertheless allows the view of the interior of the building.

The Etna trekking tour on the path of lava flow of 1928 is suitable for the whole family.