Volcanoes Galore!: Hiking the Most Popular and Active Volcanoes in Italy!

If you had the chance to stand on the top of a volcano, less than one-hundred yards from lava shooting from the top, would you? 

I choose to answer yes to the question above, and it was one of the coolest decisions I have ever made. Italy is one of the most volcanic countries in the world. During your trip to Italy, you can discover the amazing beauty and life that these volcanoes hold. Naples actually contains the only active volcano on mainland Europe; however, their are other volcanoes in the country that erupt often...even daily! Here are three volcanoes that you can hike, and one you can watch erupt while standing at the top!

Mt. Vesuvius:

Mt. Vesuvius

Mt. Vesuvius is perhaps the most widely known volcano in the world. Located on the western side of the country, this volcano had one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruptions in history. Many people have heard the story of Pompeii, a bustling town buried by the volcanic ash in only minutes. Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. The volcanic ash buried the town and the over 2,000 people who called the city home. The city was essentially preserved in time until the 1700's, when explorers rediscovered the site. The volcano has not erupted since 1944, but according to scientists it may be due for another eruption in the near future.

One of the plaster cast bodies
from being buried under the
ash.

The volcanic eruption in 79 A.D was a "Plinian" eruption, and produced a "mushroom cloud" appearance of flying ash and smoke. According to http://ancienthistory.about.com, the column of the cloud reached about 66,000 feet in height, and the ash continued to rain down for more than 18 hours.

Today, you can hike the volcano to the edge of the crater. The climb to the top of the crater does not take very long, however the change in air pressure can affect some people. You can even find all-inclusive day trips through sites such as Expedia. Going with a guide on the hike may be your best option, as they often have more information and know the best routes to take. The guides can help if any safety concerns were to arise, or if people on the hike have questions.

More than three million people live in the area around Mt. Vesuvius, and it is monitored closely for any volcanic activity.

Check out the awesome video on the History Channel's website all about the historic event dealing with Mt. Vesuvius: http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pompeii

Vulcano Volcano:

Arriving to the island by boat,
you see the volcano

Vulcano is a small island in the Aeolian Island chain. The sulfur smell is immensely strong on the island, due to the sulfuric gases coming from the volcano. This island has one of the World's rare black sand beaches, sulfur baths, and the volcano that you can hike. The ancient Romans attributed the volcano to being the chimney of the workshop of the fire god Vulcan. 1888-1890 was the last eruption of this volcano.

Looking into the crater
You can see the white sulfur gas

The hike does not cost anything to walk up by yourself. The volcano is beautiful when you come to the island by boat, and the hike begins by first walking through the town. The Vulcano hike is not overly far; however, it is a pretty steep trek up. Until the crater, the hike feels like you are walking upwards at a very steep angle most of the time, but the views of the crater are completely worth it. You can see the sulfur gas coming from the crater as you stand on the edge looking in...be careful not to get caught in one of the sulfur bubbles, as it can be extremely dangerous!

The view from the top of the volcano is amazing. You can look down onto the island and see both the regular beach and the black sand beach. The hike from the crater upwards is not nearly as steep as the beginning, and wraps around the outside of the crater itself. At the top of the volcano there is a pile of rocks started by the many people who have endured the journey. Make sure to take in all of the views if you make it to the top!

Panorama looking from the top of the volcano!

Stromboli:
Finally, the island of Stromboli features one of the most active volcanoes in the world! You can hike this volcano and watch it erupt while you stand probably about 100 yards away at the top! It is one of the most visited volcanoes in the world (active for the last 2,000 years), and according to geology.com, it is known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean" because the eruptions of lava can be seen from such a distance at night.

The Stromboli volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1932, and produces new eruptions on average every 20-30 minutes. Occasionally large eruptions do occur, and the town below must be evacuated...but don't worry, scientists watch it very closely. You must go on a guided hike up this volcano, as the hike is much longer, more dangerous, and hundreds of people climb the volcano every day. It was an experience to climb the volcano with people from all over the world, including Australia, Switzerland, and many European countries!

Our group at the 

Riding up to the island

                                                    

        

                                                                   

The hike is not too strenuous, although the entire trip does take roughly eight hours to hike and return to the town. We began at around 4 PM and returned to the guide station at about midnight! You are given a helmet, helmet light, and mask (all of which you rent) that you are required to wear at the top and for the way down in the dark. You can also rent hiking boots, although I wore tennis shoes and was fine....make sure you wear high socks though, as there is about a half hour on the way down that you are not allowed to stop at all and the sand quickly barrels into your shoes. The hike begins through the town, and then quickly moves into the treeline. Through the treeline, the hike can be kind of steep; however, once you make it past the treeline it becomes more of a steady climb.

Once you reach the top of the volcano, you are required to wear your helmet and move to different points to watch the eruptions. It was kind of cloudy the day we went, but we could still see and hear the eruptions very well. The volcano erupted three times while we were at the top...and you get to stand pretty close to where the lava is shooting out of!!!

One of the small eruptions while we were at the top

The way back down the volcano can be dangerous in the dark, so it is essential to stay with the guide. Most of the time you are in a single-file line and you walk through very deep sand where you are not allowed to stop at all for a certain period of time until you reach a safer area.

This hike is something that is a once in a lifetime experience, and I highly recommend it if you are traveling in Italy and the islands off of Sicily!

The raw power of the volcanoes is certainly extraordinary. The beauty and nature of the volcanoes is a sight to see, and something you will never forget! Check out this short video I took of Stromboli erupting! The actual eruption is longer and much more magnificent than the video shows, as you can see in a clip of it in the picture above.

Please leave any questions, comments, or your experiences and watch for the next post!
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