Book your room at Rifugio Sapienza!
The Sapienza refuge is the only one reachable by public transportations, check our transport sections for the details. It's property of the CAI association but is managed by STAR company (it's the same company that manage cableway and off-road trasport to the central craters)
It has 55 sleeping accommodations, at the following rates:
- B&B: 55 euros (children 27,5 euros)
- Half board: 75 euros (children 60 euros)
- Full board: 90 euros (children 72 euros)
The overnight stay at thir refuge should allow you to ask for a discount to the transport toward the central craters (ask at the refuge for further details). CAI associates should also be eligible for a 10% off for night accommodation.
We suggest you to book in advance. For further information, check the official web site (http://www.rifugiosapienza.com).
The refuge is part of tourist support structure at south Mount Etna side. Using cableway and off-road vehicles is possible to reach the central craters in many different ways:
- Self paced excursion, following our indication: It cost 24 euros one way cableway ticket or 30 euros return cableway ticket
- "Standard" excursion", return cableway+off-road trip with a visit at 2002 craters at "Torre del Filosofo". The whole trip costs 60,5 euros, suitable for lazy guys and for those who can not or do not want to walk too much
- Excursion leaded by mountain guides (look for "Guide Alpine" in front of the coffee bar). You'll rise to "Torre del Filosofo" by cableway and off-read vehicles, the return trip we'll be done by walking. The fare is about 70 euros, the mountain guides we'll lead you the closest possible to the last erupting craters. If you can afford the expense and feel also confident for the descending path, you can really consider this solution
More logistics information: the park is not free in all the blue stripes area, here we provide the parking rates for cars:
- 1 hour: 80 eurocents
- Half day: 2,5 euros
- Whole dat: 4 euros
Rates for campers and buses are obviously higher. You can buy parking tickets in some shops after their opening time, at about 8:30 A.M. if you reach the tourist area before this time, check for free parking outside the blue stripes (for instance, in front of the cableway office)
In the area around the refuge, there are the following trails:
- Silvestri craters
- "La schiena dell'asino"
- "Monte nero degli zappini"
- "Altomontana track" south-west entrance