Holiday apartment in Zafferana Etnea: Mount Etna, nature and culture

Zafferana Etnea combines the landscape of Mount Etna with special nature trails, Sicilian culture and a strong regional culinary and festival tradition. The municipality is one of the municipalities within Parco dell’Etna. Its territory extends from approximately 400 metres above sea level to the 3,340-metre-high summit of the volcano, passing through Mediterranean maquis, lava flows, dense forests and the desert-like summit zone. If you choose a holiday apartment in Zafferana Etnea, you can therefore plan your trip according to whether you would like to focus on local culture, volcanic landscapes, hikes or regional specialities.

Holiday apartment in Zafferana Etnea for nature and hiking days

From the viewpoints in Zafferana Etnea, the view stretches from Calabria to Augusta. You can also trace ancient craters and lava flows that spread downhill. A hiking trail in Zafferana Etnea offers views of Mount Etna, the Valle del Bove and the Ionian coast. Another hiking trail reaches the Serra del Salifizio, from where you can look out over the Valle del Bove.

Monte Serra Pizzuta Galvarina is a secondary crater that is partly covered by a pine forest. Ilice di Carrinu, also known as Ilice di Pantano and Ilici du Pantanu, is likewise located on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna in Zone B of the park. The over 700-year-old, centuries-old and monumental holm oak has been included in Italy’s heritage of green monuments and is one of the 150 trees of exceptional historical and monumental value.

Zafferana Etnea is considered a starting point for excursions to explore the landscapes and nature trails of its own territory. Piano del Vescovo is crossed by the SP 92, which leads from Zafferana Etnea to the area of Rifugio Sapienza. Trail 727 to Serra del Salifizio begins there. After passing a lava cliff used as a climbing wall, this trail leads to a ridge of the Serra, from which you can look out over the Valle del Bove.

A hiking trail starting from Contrada Dagalone largely follows the route of an old, partly unpaved mule track and leads to Ilice di Carrinu. From the provincial road SP 92 between Zafferana Etnea and the area of Rifugio Sapienza, you can also reach a hiking trail along which the small Rifugio di Casa del Vescovo and several caves formerly used for collecting and storing snow are located. The Piano dell’Acqua–Monte Calanna route branches off Trail 704 at 747 metres above sea level, less than 800 metres from its endpoint near the Ballo hamlet of the municipality of Zafferana Etnea. The different starting points and distances help you compare hiking plans more precisely.

Culture, townscape and regional discoveries

The Chiesa Madre Santa Maria della Provvidenza stands in the town centre. It has a white-stone façade and two flanking twin towers, as well as a black flight of steps made of lava stone, and is regarded as a symbol of Sicilian Baroque. Inside there is an altar dedicated to Saint Joseph with a large altarpiece painted by Giuseppe Sciuti in 1854.

The Pro Loco of Zafferana Etnea offers a short guided tour of the town centre and places of historical and natural significance. The offer is aimed at schools, groups, families and individuals; booking is required at least 24 hours before your arrival for the tour. The Biblioteca Comunale “F. Guglielmino” is located in the Palazzina Liberty of the Parco Comunale. At the Casa Museo dell’Apicoltore, educational displays explain the millennia-old relationship between bees and people, as well as traditional honey-production techniques.

Events also shape the character of the town. Etna in Scena is a summer cultural event series in Zafferana Etnea that has presented music, theatre, dance and comedy on the slopes of the volcano for more than 20 years. The Ottobrata Zafferanese was founded in 1978 to promote high-quality products from Mount Etna and the region, including grapes, apples, honey, chestnuts and mushrooms. In the 1990s, it was expanded to include traditional crafts from the Etna region, including the working of lava stone and wrought iron, basket weaving and the decoration of Sicilian carts.

A local speciality is the “Sciatore”, a milk sponge biscuit covered in dark chocolate. It was invented in Zafferana Etnea in the 1940s to provide energy for skiers on Mount Etna. Zafferana Etnea is also part of the “Città del miele” network; local tourism sources state that the town accounts for approximately 15 per cent of Italian honey.

More places for planning your trip: Aci Bonaccorsi, Canalicchio, Scordia, Pasteria-Lapide, Piedimonte Etneo, Sant'agata Li Battiati, Misterbianco, Tremestieri Etneo.

For the overarching travel overview: Catania.