Basic Quad Tour on Mount Etna

The perfect first quad ride on the volcano

The Basic Tour is our Etna quad excursion for complete beginners: couples, families (children from 4 as passengers) and groups of friends on their first off-road experience. You don't need to have ridden a quad before — just a category B driving licence and the curiosity to see the volcano from a side no road can show you.

We depart from our base at Via Etnea 14 in Milo, the balcony village of Etna's east side, at about 700 metres of altitude. After the riding briefing (10 minutes: controls, position, what to do uphill and downhill), the group lines up behind the guide and enters the first dirt trails through the chestnut and oak woods of the Etna Park.

The route climbs gently towards Monte Fontana, a lateral volcanic cone surrounded by historic lava flows now covered in broom. Here the scenery changes: woods give way to lava, and every bend opens views over the Ionian Sea and the Taormina coast. The most scenic stop is the viewpoint over the Valle del Bove, the huge volcanic amphitheatre that collects the lava of recent eruptions: the guide stops the group for photos and explains how it formed.

The ride back to Milo closes a loop of about two hours in total, at a relaxed pace, with the guide always in front. It's the tour we recommend to anyone visiting Etna for the first time: short enough to fit into a holiday morning or afternoon, varied enough to show you why this volcano is a World Heritage Site.