The most popular path goes to the edge of the main crater where guides are on hand. From the car park at 1,000m visitors climb the remaining 200m (about 30 minutes, tickets €10). At 1,281m it would only be the fifth highest mountain in the UK but its squat form lurks sinisterly over Naples. So much so that serene contemplation of nature’s ferocity might not be possible given the crowds who ascend each day. Possibly the world’s most famous volcano – though it hasn’t erupted since 1944 – and the most touristy, too. Live Etna activity updates at Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Italy The scenic Circumetnea Railway travels around the base of Etna from Catania Borgo to Riposto and costs about €8pp, taking three hours. A more sedate way of exploring the volcano’s environs is by train. The ticket price also includes a guided tour around a large, smoking crater next to an observatory. From here, drive, cycle or take the twice daily AST bus (which starts in Catania) up to the Rifugio Sapienza (at 1,923m), where tickets can be bought for the combined cable car and 4x4 bus trip, Funivia dell’Etna (€60pp), to the highest-possible level. The best route up is on the south side via the Catania suburb of Nicolosi. It is these side fissures that still pose the biggest risk to Catania – which was destroyed by an eruption in 1669 – and nearby villages. Visitors will see solidified lava flows from down the centuries reaching right into towns and villages, and craters at all levels of the mountain. Despite the constant volcanic activity, it is still possible to make it to Etna’s highest-allowable point of 2,920m and back in an afternoon. Lacking competing peaks, it draws the eye: imagine two Ben Nevises on top of each other close to the sea. Live Aso activity updates at aso.ne.jpĮtna dominates the city of Catania and eastern Sicily.
There is a lot to explore within the caldera but visitors must remember to check on accessibility before setting off: Aso is a gassy beast and its emissions often see areas of the caldera closed off. A toll road (about £3.50) goes right to the summit of the crater where there is a large car park. Aso Higashi (east) cable car station can be reached by taking a local train to Miyaji station and then walking up the road to the cable car station. Aso Nishi (west) cable car station is a short bus ride from Aso station (£3 each way). There are two cable car lines, called ropeways, from which to explore the Aso area. Aso town can be reached by train (one hour from Kumamoto, two from Beppu, fares between £6 and £12).
It has one of the largest calderas in the world, offering myriad viewpoints over its twisted, pitted landscape. There is some concern that Mount Fuji is showing signs of eruption in the near future, but as things stand, Japan’s most-active volcano is Mount Aso, in Aso Kujū national park on the southern island of Kyushu.
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