Love it here! Beautiful reserve. Miles of nature trails. Perfect for walking, hiking, biking. Go to…read morethe Long Beach, seim in the beautiful azure sea! Watch the flamingos. Visit the old tuna cannery. There is so much to see and do here. It truly is a very special place.

you have the option to pay for a self guided walking tour & go down to the water, or just go down…read moreto the water. The walking tour was easy, gave you some good photo opportunities of the area but overall if you opted to not take it, you wouldn't be missing much. The real beauty is down at the water. Be warned, walking through the water barefoot is extremely painful! I regret not having water shoes. Overall, a great experience though. Wasn't too busy when I went near closing time

Hard to believe that I am the first to write a review of this amazing national (protected) park…read more The Gole Alcantara is a place for anyone who can enjoy nature at its best, Anyone who would like to understand the beauty that comes from actual lava, anyone who would likes botanical gardens, anyone who just loves to relax, enjoy the sun and the water in a slightly different way than usual. Entering the Gole you first get a small little museum which explains what you are about to see. Also there is a really nice 3D movie with special effects (for the sake of not being one of those spoilers I will not go into any more details) After the movie is finished you enter the botanical gardens which have several parts. First you see all the trees and plants created due to natures reaction to what the Etna drops down. Then you walk through a bit of history where you can see which pre-historical animal were sighted here a long long time ago. And then you enter a lovely peaceful place with fruits and vegetables. Agriculture at its best, while walking above the stream of the Gole. After a good 1.5 hours walking and relaxing and seeing and enjoying you will finally have reached the end of the park......Or so you think.....Cause now the fun can begin....You either walk the 250 stairs downwards or like sane people take the elevator, down to the stream. This stream is a magical stream which broke through the lava and ensured the people from the Toarmina coastal area were saved. This is nature at its best showing us just how powerful water is. This stream has the most beautiful (super cold) clear water which you can walk through. There is also a possibility for guided walking tours which go deeper into the split of the rocks. the streams current is very fast so make sure that if you wander you stay grounded. if not you will fall over with all your belongings. When you are done exploring you can relax on the beach area and enjoy the sun. To me the Gole is one of the most amazing places in Sicily. And that is saying a lot especially considering that Sicily has so much to offer.

I'm so happy we went with Go Etna while we were in Sicily! Easy to schedule and plan a pickup. They…read morepicked us up in Catania then drove us to a gas station a little up the mountain where we discussed and departed into groups based on language. We did the half day which involved a short hike, they had number of employees who either led or hung back with people who were not physically up for it. Since Etna was actively erupting we obviously didn't get to go to the top but we did a shorter hike on the craters. Our guide was very informative and was fun to chat with. Afterwards we went to a chalet area where you could use the restroom or grab a snack. They got us back to Catania in one piece at the same pick up spot. I would definitely give them a go and schedule with them again!

Avoid the "Summit Trekking Tour" with Go-Etna. We booked the tour weeks in advance of our trip, but…read morein the days leading up to the tour it became clear that volcanic activity (and forecast weather) were going to make a summit trek impossible. Rather than offering to rebook clients on a different date/tour, the company continued as if everything were normal and responded to all of our Whatsapp messages as if there was hope that the summit trek was still happening. The one bright spot was the guide, who was knowledgable and engaging. Our "summit" tour consisted of a drive up to the Observatory and then a walk along the lower elevation slopes. This is the exact same "Etna Nord Crater Tour" offered on their website for 90 euros but we were charged 130 euros (the company refused to refund the difference). My advice: Do not book tours in advance since Go-Etna is not an honest operator and offers no flexibility. Only make a reservation 24-48 hours before and confirm that a) the volcanic conditions are low b) the weather is forecast to be good and c) Go-Etna confirms via WhatsApp that other groups have recently completed actual summit treks to 3,300 meters in recent days. If any of these conditions are not met, save your money and park at the Piano Provenzana parking lot and just do your own independent hike!

Naval Air Station Sigonella is beautiful with ammenities to make you feel right at home…read more If you've ever been to Hickam with the quaint architecture of the 1940s and palm trees swaying in the wind. that's what you'll find here. It's a tucked away hidden gem like a small village waiting to be discovered. A snow capped Mt. Etna was the perfect backdrop that framed this lovely "village". Everything is within walking distance. Commissary and Base Exchange are in the same building which is nice when the weather is chilly like today. You will find all the goodies you get back home like high-end cosmetics, designer handbags and in addition local artisan decorative pottery and gourmet foodie gifts and wine. The nice thing is that wine tastings are here daily! Pistachios are very popular here and you will find them in most dishes at all the restaurants. Here you can find pistachio fillings in cakes, cookies, candies, dips and breads. The ITT (ticket office) can be found here too and my goodness what a fabulous calendar of events they have! Come here to sign up for pre-arranged tours and activities. A few I saw were a Sicilian Holiday Cooking Class, Antique Train ride around Mt. Etna, Orange Harvest and lunch, Tour and wine tastings, Nativity Scene and Puppet Show, a Spa Day at Hotel Olimpio, Tours of Castles, Piazzas and churches, Catania City tour and my favorite the Godfather Tour in Palermo! Additional acitivities include a fun run/walk and family hikes of Mt. Etna. A movie theatre is here too with only $4 tickets for adults! Showing the latest releases! Today at 5 p.m. you can see Rise of the Guardians and The Hobbit will be featured here too! Hospital available on premises as well. A family fitness center provides kid friendly excersise machines so the whole family can workout (wow what a concept). The Bowling Alley provides family fun nights. Library here too with cafe. The commissary is small compared to those back home. One thing you will have to know is you must weigh and label your own produce before taking it to the cashier. A shopping cart costs a euro to use. A food court is found adjacent to the commisary where you will find pizza, Burger King and Subway. USO Tour brought American Idol former contestants Diana Degarmo, Ace Young, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and Denver Bronco's Peyton Manning. We walk to the base daily so kids can play on the playground and enjoy a treat. We buy our groceries here too and I'm enjoying the simpler quieter time we have instead of driving in traffic like we do back home. Here, we just walk home with groceries in tow enjoying the crisp Sicilian country air!

A small military base with the usual fast food restaurants and facilities. There is a Vodafone,…read moreDunkin Donuts, Etna Grill, Taco Bell, Subway, and Baskin Robin's. You can also shop at the commissary and NEX.