Return to Etna: Craters, Flavors, and Sea – A Farewell Love Letter to Sicily with Sicily Car Service
The days have grown longer, the sun warms the volcanic stone and fills the air with the scent of late spring. It's almost time to say goodbye to Sicily, but Ciro and Annamaria aren't quite ready yet.
They await us outside the hotel, dressed in comfortable shoes and light backpacks. Their eyes shine with the knowledge that something precious is about to end... but they want to savor it to the last drop.
"We want to see *him* again, the giant," Annamaria says with a knowing smile.
"Etna," Ciro clarifies. "One last look before we leave. And maybe... lunch in Zafferana. Then, the sea. Black rocks, cool water, silence."
"It will be a perfect day," we promise.
And so, we set off.
🚘 From the Sea to the Mountain, Worry-Free
The comfort of our vehicle with a driver is the first breath of the day. We leave Catania behind and, ascending the switchbacks of Etna, the landscape slowly changes: oranges become brooms, vineyards alternate with oaks, then chestnuts, and finally, lava. Black, red, porous, alive.
"It's another planet, every time," Annamaria whispers, looking out the window.
"And it's nice not to have to think about anything. Just look," Ciro adds.
With **Sicily Car Service**, every itinerary is custom-built, every stop adapts to the desire of the moment. Today is a return. An act of love towards a mountain that breathes, lives, enchants.
🏔️ Rifugio Sapienza and the Silvestri Craters
We reach the 1,900 meters of **Rifugio Sapienza**, a starting point for a thousand excursions. Around us, tourists from all over the world: hiking boots, walking sticks, wide-open eyes. The air is cooler, the sky a postcard blue.
"Etna is there," our driver says, pointing to the summit, "but today we're stopping at the **Silvestri craters**. They are among the most accessible and suggestive. A true spectacle."
The **Silvestri Craters**, formed during the 1892 eruption, are an icon of Etna. Walking around them is like traversing time: the wind carries black sand, the sun illuminates the rippled surface of the solidified lava.
We walk together along the rim, in silence, admiring the lunar landscape. The view opens up to the sea. On one side, the immensity of the mountain; on the other, the blue of the Mediterranean.
"Look there," Annamaria says, pointing to the horizon. "If I concentrate... I can feel Africa."
"And yet we're still in Sicily," Ciro replies. "A Sicily that seems like a dream."
We take photos, breathe deeply. Every step is light. Every gaze, full.
🍝 Zafferana Etnea: The Heart of Taste
After the excursion, hunger sets in. We gently descend towards **Zafferana Etnea**, a town that smells of honey and almonds, nestled on the southeast slope of the volcano.
We stop at a historic trattoria. Lava stone tables, checkered tablecloths, sincere hospitality.
The menu is a symphony: **maccheroni with black pork ragù**, **sautéed Etna mushrooms**, **local cheeses**, and of course, the **orange blossom honey** that has made this area famous.
"I don't know where to start," Ciro says, sitting on the terrace with a glass of Etna DOC white wine.
"With the cannoli. Always with the cannoli," Annamaria smiles.
We eat slowly, amidst chatter and laughter. The owners tell stories, show us photos of the ancient honey festivals, invite us to return for the Zafferanese Ottobrata.
"It's Sicily that feels like home," Annamaria says.
🌊 The Sea's Farewell: Black Rocks and a Sunny Afternoon
The afternoon calls us towards the sea. We get back in the car and in less than an hour, we're on the coast. No equipped beaches today. Just **a lava cliff, near Acireale**, uncrowded, loved by locals.
We spread our towels on the black rocks smoothed by time. The sea is calm, transparent. Ciro dives in with a cry of freedom. Annamaria sits in silence, her feet in the water, the sun on her skin.
"Summer is coming. And we're leaving," she says softly.
"But with this memory in our eyes," Ciro replies, drying his hair. "We couldn't have asked for a better ending."
We stay there for a long time. The sun slowly slips towards the horizon. No words are needed. Just the sound of the sea, the scent of salt, the slow beat of the heart.
🚘 Sicily Car Service: The Journey That Suits You
When we get back on the road, no one is in a hurry. That's the beauty of **car rental with a driver**: time adapts to you, not the other way around.
Ciro and Annamaria know this well. For days they have traveled with us, without ever having to worry about schedules, parking, or itineraries. Only desires to express. And places to experience.
"You've shown us a Sicily that you don't find in brochures," Ciro says.
"A Sicily that you feel... inside," Annamaria adds.
Sicily Car Service is all this: experience, care, elegance. It's the most authentic way to experience an island that changes at every turn. And precisely for this reason, you never forget it.
❤️ *A Farewell Between Sky and Lava*
The day concludes amidst the lights of Catania, which slowly turn on as Etna colors pink. Tomorrow will be the last day, but today... today remains suspended in time.
**A walk among the craters.
A lunch that tastes of Etna.
A dip in the sea on ancient rocks.
A worry-free journey, with someone who truly knows Sicily.**
With Sicily Car Service, every moment transforms into an experience.
📍 Etna – Silvestri Craters
📍 Zafferana Etnea – Typical lunch
📍 Ionian Coast – Relaxation on the rocks
**Useful contacts for your next trip to Sicily:**
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📞 +39 333 160 6317 | +39 328 481 7474
🌐 www.sicilycarservice.com